Why Enterprise Software Needs a Touch of

What I’ll be covering... Why is Enterprise Software so hard to implement & why is it getting harder, not easier? Which ingredient is 70x more important to ‘success’ than software functionality? How’s Facebook has succeeded by driving user engagement? What lessons can you draw from its success for your next enterprise software project? Source: Michael Mitchener, Flickr

Why is Enterprise Software so hard to implement & why is it getting harder, not easier?

Which ingredient is 70x more important to ‘success’ than software functionality?

How’s Facebook has succeeded by driving user engagement?

What lessons can you draw from its success for your next enterprise software project?

Why is Enterprise Software so hard to do? The costs of doing it are high Licences, Consultants, Training The costs of failing at it are high Advantages lost, time lost You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your users Many studies outline the problems, but are the problems the same as they were? Source: ScottS101, Flickr

The costs of doing it are high

Licences, Consultants, Training

The costs of failing at it are high

Advantages lost, time lost

You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your users

Many studies outline the problems, but are the problems the same as they were?

Why is achieving success getting harder? Enterprise software rollouts are increasingly for productivity, not transactional tools Most productivity software has higher level benefits (optional) for wider user groups (spread) Less focus on specific tasks and users means compulsory or critical for no-one eg CRM failure rates still >50% Source: jcorrius, Flickr

Enterprise software rollouts are increasingly for productivity, not transactional tools

Most productivity software has higher level benefits (optional) for wider user groups (spread)

Less focus on specific tasks and users means compulsory or critical for no-one

eg CRM failure rates still >50%

Are we looking in the wrong place? A lot of energy goes into vendor and product selection and process alignment to get the right features and fit A recent study has found Effective User Adoption is the most important factor by far Less than 10% of buyers say their adoption rate is over 70%; 2/3rds say it’s less than 50% Source: Achieving Enterprise Success, Sandhill Group & Neochange, 2008

A lot of energy goes into vendor and product selection and process alignment to get the right features and fit

A recent study has found Effective User Adoption is the most important factor by far

Less than 10% of buyers say their adoption rate is over 70%; 2/3rds say it’s less than 50%

What happens when users don’t adopt? Garbage In, Garbage Out Reports are meaningless Further destroys user trust Governance & risk management suffer Economies of scale benefits & network effects are lost Future productivity initiatives find it harder to get going... And yet, technically, the software probably works fine Source: Michael Mitchener, Flickr

Garbage In, Garbage Out

Reports are meaningless

Further destroys user trust

Governance & risk management suffer

Economies of scale benefits & network effects are lost

Future productivity initiatives find it harder to get going...

And yet, technically, the software probably works fine

Who succeeds at Effective User Adoption? Some of the most successful websites today depend entirely on effective user adoption: Wikipedia YouTube Facebook TripAdvisor ... and many many more Facebook’s platform nature & sustained user engagement makes them more interesting from enterprise context Source: Social Web Research

Some of the most successful websites today depend entirely on effective user adoption:

Wikipedia

YouTube

Facebook

TripAdvisor

... and many many more

Facebook’s platform nature & sustained user engagement makes them more interesting from enterprise context

A quick look at Facebook’s success Has more than 200 million active users If a country, is 5 th largest On average, each user logs in 18 times a month More than half log in daily Around 10% update status at least daily 3.5 Billion minutes total a day More than 1 billion pieces of content contributed a day Is now 8x bigger than when this chart was drawn! Source: FaberNovel Consulting & Comscore, June 2007

Has more than 200 million active users

If a country, is 5 th largest

On average, each user logs in 18 times a month

More than half log in daily

Around 10% update status at least daily

3.5 Billion minutes total a day

More than 1 billion pieces of content contributed a day

Facebook’s success in user adoption Uses offline, social bonds to drive adoption & engagement Effective tools to help harvest & invite ‘friends’ via email Has crossed into mainstream: mum’s are getting on board! Following user adoption comes user engagement Source: Facebook

Uses offline, social bonds to drive adoption & engagement

Effective tools to help harvest & invite ‘friends’ via email

Has crossed into mainstream: mum’s are getting on board!

Following user adoption comes user engagement

How they build ongoing user engagement ‘ News Feed’ that invites discovery & contribution Notifications via email to draw delinquent users back in Tools that make life easier (events, some apps) Making it easy for users to contribute content (photos, videos) Source: http://lopagof.deviantart.com/

‘ News Feed’ that invites discovery & contribution

Notifications via email to draw delinquent users back in

Tools that make life easier (events, some apps)

Making it easy for users to contribute content (photos, videos)

What can we learn from Facebook in Biz? User engagement is key – do you look for it when buying? Social drivers: emphasising the user’s knowledge & connections can drive conspicuous adoption Users expect to be contributors, increasingly so (taught by FB) Don’t fear email – harness it instead of trying to replace it Automate & integrate aggressively Source: Marco Poulos, Flickr

User engagement is key – do you look for it when buying?

Social drivers: emphasising the user’s knowledge & connections can drive conspicuous adoption

Users expect to be contributors, increasingly so (taught by FB)

Don’t fear email – harness it instead of trying to replace it

Automate & integrate aggressively

Conclusions User adoption & engagement as a critical & overlooked role in achieving software success The importance is amplified when dealing with ‘optional’ interaction platforms Use social drivers, make contribution easy & conspicuous Facebook get their contribution for free: you’re paying them! Source: Max XX, Flickr

User adoption & engagement as a critical & overlooked role in achieving software success

The importance is amplified when dealing with ‘optional’ interaction platforms

Use social drivers, make contribution easy & conspicuous

Facebook get their contribution for free: you’re paying them!

Questions? Web: www.hiivesystems.com Email: [email_address] Twitter: @geoffmcqueen, @hiive Phone: 1800 2 HIIVE (1800 2 44483) CeBIT: Webciety Showcase, Hall 4, Stand 6 Launching Affinity 3.1 with drinks @ 5:15pm today

Web: www.hiivesystems.com

Email: [email_address]

Twitter: @geoffmcqueen, @hiive

Phone: 1800 2 HIIVE (1800 2 44483)

CeBIT: Webciety Showcase, Hall 4, Stand 6

Launching Affinity 3.1 with drinks @ 5:15pm today