Setting End-User Expectations for Production

Users adopting a new system and incorporating it into their business is a mixed experience. Some users are excited about the chance to learn a new way of conducting their business. Perhaps, most users simply want to know what they must do differently and minimize the disruption to their jobs while learning the new system. Finally, for some users, learning a new system is an emotional event, especially if the new system is replacing a legacy system that has been in place for many years. For this last group of users, elements of fear might manifest themselves in various ways. To be successful in rolling out a new system, you need to engage these groups differently.

Identifying User Groups to Aid in Production Rollout

By the time the project has reached the Transition phase, the team will (hopefully!) have interacted with a large cross section of the people who will become the users of the new system. Most teams will have a sense of the characteristics of the various users. When planning for the rollout of a new system, I prefer to identify the users' needs according to three groups: advanced users, general users, and special-needs users.

Advanced Users

Advanced users are the first users who should be engaged when the rollout of a new system is planned. Advanced users have the following characteristics:

• They demonstrate familiarity with their jobs and their business processes.

• They typically participate heavily during the requirements elicitation process.

• They command respect and admiration from their peers in the organization. These users are recognized as leaders by the organization's management.

• They often are early adopters of new technology that helps their organization manage their business.

To aid in successful system rollout, engage this group of users first. If the project team delivers an early deployment of a release, such as the IOC, focus on getting this select group of users to exercise the release. The reasons are as follows:

• Advanced users are often very well respected in the user community. If the advanced users become proficient with the new system first, they will set an example for others in the organization. In other words, the user community as a whole will have a tendency to follow their example.

• As a corollary to the previous point, if you can "sell" the usage of the new system to these advanced users, their acceptance of the new system will have a tendency to squelch protests of those who complain simply because the system represents change in their routine.

• Advanced users can assist with training inside their organization or can help other users. They can be used for "Train the Trainer" sessions.

• Advanced users may be able to identify other users in their organization who will need extra help getting comfortable with the new system.

General Users

The general user community represents the majority of users of the new system. Usually, this group is self-sufficient, provided that they have all the essential items that are expected in a typical rollout of a production system, such as training, documentation, and Help Desk support. Make sure a contact is available to address any issues that arise.

Special-Needs Users

For this group of users, rollout of a new system provokes anxiety. Some of these users may have used the previous system for many years. The anxiety these users experience manifests itself in various ways. Be aware, and recognize users who have the following profile:

• They inexplicably miss training sessions or seem disengaged during training.

• They complain loudly about seemingly minor issues.

• They refuse to use the new system or continue using the legacy system if it is still available.

If possible, enlist the assistance of advanced users to work with special-needs users. These users may perceive you, the contractor, as part of the problem. Try not to take these complaints personally. Try to get help from these users' coworkers as well. If possible, avoid going directly to management; try to acknowledge the users' concerns. After exhausting all possible options for assisting these users, you might need to explain the situation to management. They probably are already aware of the problem.