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
Motion vs. Action
In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits (I recommend it!), he discusses the concept of motion vs. action. […]
Are You Answering Your Calls?
I’ve written about this before, but apparently I have to keep repeating it. If you’ve […]
Who do you trust?
Who Do You Trust I was reading an article recently about Warren Buffet’s “rules” for […]
Set benchmarks to measure progress
It’s impossible to measure progress if you don’t know your starting point. This sounds axiomatic, […]
You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it.
A client of mine recently wrote the following to me: “It’s so hard to set […]
"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to."
In Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness, he writes: “Experience is unobservable to everyone except […]
Know Your Audience Before You Speak
This one may seem obvious, but when you’re speaking to anyone, whether it’s one person, […]
"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment."
Lewin’s equation says “behavior is a function of the person in their environment.” (He was […]
Signal-to-noise ratio
Signal-to-noise ratio Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how […]
Consultants bring perspective
Consultants bring perspective At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked what I think is […]
