Budget for feature discovery and adoption

Budget for feature discovery and adoption

When developing a budget for implementation of a new AMS, one recommendation I always make to my clients is to budget for things staff will discover they want to do once they've learned how to use the new system.

In a nutshell, once staff has started using the new AMS and discover all the new functionality that it brings, they'll want to start using that functionality. Using the new functionality may require training and/or vendor support, so budgeting for this is important. (The vendors are aware of this. For example, Salesforce training calls this "feature discovery and adoption.")

Although on the surface this looks like just one more item for the expense column, feature discovery and adoption is actually a really good thing. What it means is the staff is using the system! And they are trying to get the system to do even more work for them.

As I've written before, user adoption is key to long-term data management success. Feature discovery and adoption is a great illustration of user adoption and one that should be strongly encouraged. So be sure to budget for it.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

User adoption is (almost) all that matters…

December 3, 2025

User adoption is (almost) all that matters… I was speaking with an association recently about their […]

When “overcommunicating” becomes overwhelming

November 19, 2025

When “overcommunicating” becomes overwhelming There is a common belief in project management and general business management that overcommunicating […]

Communicating when there is a major technology change

November 12, 2025

Communicating when there is a major technology change For those of you who are ASAE […]

Everything works, until it doesn’t.

November 5, 2025

Everything works, until it doesn’t. “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.” – […]

Some things are unknowable

October 29, 2025

Some things are unknowable One of the most challenging aspects of moving to a new […]

Do we have access to that data?

October 22, 2025

Do we have access to that data? When I work with my clients on a […]

The three “buckets” of contact data

October 8, 2025

The three “buckets” of contact data Broadly speaking, when collecting data on contacts (individuals or organizations), […]

Balancing what is possible with what is realistic

October 1, 2025

Balancing what is possible with what is realistic When I work with clients on technology […]

“Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.”

September 24, 2025

“Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.” “Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.” – […]

Data managers vs data consumers

September 17, 2025

Data managers vs data consumers When I work with clients on any data management project, […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top