A new intranet, document management system, or other Microsoft 365 solution may be technically flawless. The right features are available, processes have been adapted to the new environment, and everything works as planned. However, that does not automatically mean that an IT project is successful.
Ultimately, it is the employees who will have to work with the new solution. They need to understand what is changing, know how the solution works, and, above all, experience how it helps them in their daily work. Training and adoption are therefore not separate components at the end of an IT project, but essential prerequisites for ensuring that a new solution is actually used and delivers value.
In this blog, we explain why training and adoption are so important in an IT project, what the difference between the two is, and why you need to focus on these well before the system goes live.
In an IT project, success is often linked to technical delivery. Does the solution work? Are all features available? Did the migration go smoothly? And was the project completed within the agreed-upon timeline? These are important criteria, but ultimately, a successful technical delivery says little about how the solution will be used in practice. An IT project is only truly successful when the new solution supports employees and the goals for which the project was initiated are actually achieved.
Suppose an organization implements a new document management system to store documents centrally and make them easier to find. Technically, everything may be set up properly, but if employees still store documents locally or share them with each other via email, the original goal will not be achieved. Success, therefore, isn’t just about what’s been delivered technically, but also about what changes within the organization afterward. Is the solution being used as intended? Can employees work with it? And does the new way of working actually deliver benefits?
During an IT project, the focus quickly shifts to technology. But for employees, a new IT solution often also means a change in their daily work routines. For example, a document is no longer saved on a network drive but in SharePoint. From now on, a project environment is created in Microsoft Teams according to a fixed structure. Or employees may need to save and classify information in a different way.
It is precisely these changes that require attention. When employees don’t understand why a new way of working is being introduced or aren’t sure how to use it, there’s a good chance they’ll fall back on their old habits. Not because the new solution doesn’t work technically, but because the old way is familiar. That’s why technology and usage must be integrated from the very beginning. A solution must not only be technically sound, but also align with the people who will be using it every day.
Training and adoption are often mentioned in the same breath, but they do not mean the same thing. Training focuses primarily on the knowledge and skills employees need to work with a new solution. Examples include instructions on how to use a new intranet, how to save and retrieve documents, or how to work within a new Teams structure.
Adoption goes a step further. It revolves around the question of whether employees will truly embrace the new solution and way of working and adopt them on a consistent basis. Employees must not only know how something works, but also understand why the organization has chosen this approach and what benefits it brings them.
For example, an employee may know exactly how to save a document in SharePoint, but still choose to save it on their own computer because it feels faster or more familiar. From a training perspective, the knowledge is there, but in terms of adoption, the change has not yet been successful. Training, therefore, helps employees learn how to work with a solution. Adoption helps ensure that they actually start using it and continue to do so.
Training often takes place around the time a new solution goes live. That makes sense, because that’s when employees need to learn how the new environment works. However, adoption begins much earlier. By involving employees during the project itself, you gain a better understanding of their daily work, needs, and potential challenges. Furthermore, their involvement helps clarify why a change is necessary and what the new solution will mean for them in the future.
During the project, for example, you can work with key users or ambassadors from various departments. They can contribute ideas about the system’s design, test new features, and provide feedback based on real-world experience. Later on, they can also play an important role in supporting their colleagues. As the go-live date approaches, the focus shifts more toward communication and training. In this context, a general explanation of all available features is often less effective than training based on recognizable real-world scenarios. Employees primarily want to know what will change in their own work and how they will perform their daily tasks going forward.
Adoption doesn’t stop once the system goes live. It’s precisely during the first few weeks and months that it becomes clear what challenges employees are facing, which features are being used effectively, and where additional explanation or support is needed. Training and adoption should therefore ideally run as a common thread throughout the entire IT project.
When a new IT solution is implemented without sufficient attention to training and adoption, the consequences may not be immediately apparent. After all, the system works, and employees can get started using it. In practice, however, different work practices can gradually emerge side by side. One employee might use the new system as intended, while another clings to old folder structures, saves files locally, or continues to share information via email. New features are rarely used because employees either don’t know they exist or don’t fully understand what they can do with them.
Ultimately, this can lead to fragmented information, unnecessary manual work, more questions directed at the internal IT department, and less control over information and processes. Furthermore, part of the investment in the new solution goes unused. Effective adoption helps minimize the gap between technical capabilities and day-to-day use. The goal here is not for everyone to be familiar with every feature, but for employees to know what they need to do their jobs well and in accordance with agreed-upon procedures.
At I4-YOU, we therefore don’t just focus on the technical aspects of an IT project. Whether it involves a SharePoint intranet, document management, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, or another solution within Microsoft 365: ultimately, the solution must be a good fit for both the organization and the employees who will be using it.
That’s why, throughout our projects, we focus on training, communication, and adoption. We examine what changes in day-to-day operations, which employees or user groups are involved, and what support is needed to ensure the new way of working is successfully implemented.
This may include, for example, involving key users early on, preparing communications about the change, and providing training that aligns with employees’ daily work. Even after implementation, we can provide support with questions, additional training, and further improvements in usage. In this way, we look beyond just the technical go-live. After all, the success of an IT project is ultimately determined not only by what is implemented, but above all by what an organization does with it afterward.
Are you looking for a new intranet, document management system, or another Microsoft 365 solution, and do you want to make your IT project a success? Or have you noticed that your organization isn’t getting the most out of Microsoft 365 yet, and are you looking for help with setting it up and using it effectively? We’d be happy to help you implement Microsoft 365 in a way that not only works technically but also truly works for your organization and employees.
