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SharePoint User Adoption Key Factors: Part 4 of 4

This is the last in a four part series on the key factors that shape user adoption of the SharePoint platform. Part 1 outlined the affecting factors, while Parts 2 and 3 examined these factors in detail. In this final post we will examine the remaining key factors that influence user adoption of the SharePoint platform.
Incentives and Rewards
What incentives do users have to become active participants on the SharePoint platform? When it comes to user adoption, a little bribery and recognition goes a long way. Users thrive on recognition, so incorporating a system of rewards and recognition is an excellent way of fostering a vibrant and active user community. Some possible reward strategies include:

  • Badges or achievements
  • Peer recognition
  • “Likes” for user generated content

Incentives can help to drive desired user actions on the platform. Having trouble getting users to fill out their user profile? Consider offering a gift card, electronics, or other incentives to a randomly select a user who has completed the desired actions. The idea is to be creative, without being costly.

Enable End-user Feedback
Feedback from end-users is a valuable tool for understanding the pulse of the user community and should be actively encouraged. Consider providing a go-to contact for content at the site or even at the page level. Site owners should be empowered to receive and own user feedback. Establish periodic surveys to gauge progress and improvement in the system. Share the success stories for improvements based on end-user feedback.
Usability
In its most basic form, usability can be summarized in a single question: Does the solution make things easier for the user? Usability is critical to successful user adoption; there are a number of factors that go into good usability, for example:

  • Can users log in and access information efficiently?
  • Is information presented in a logical and intuitive manner?
  • Does the solution have an appealing user interface?

These factors, along with others, combine to provide the end-user experience. If the user experience is negative, the adoption of the system will be unsatisfactory and confidence in the solution will erode.
Accessibility and Mobility
The 2012 workforce is mobile; users today are equally likely to need to access SharePoint-based solutions from home, the hotel, or even on an airplane, as they are from the office. The accessibility of a solution is critical to successful user adoption. Can users access a solution from the locations that they are working from? What systems need to be put in place to enable accessibility and still maintain data security? In addition, users require access to information on an ever increasing variety of devices such as smartphones and tablets. What is your organization’s strategy for enabling access to information on these devices?
This concludes the four part series on SharePoint user adoption and the challenges faced when implementing new collaboration technology. For more information on successful implementation of enterprise collaboration solutions, visit our Microsoft Overview.

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Patrick Falgoust

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