Small Details and Large Adoption Rates
In a world that seems to be experiencing change at a faster and faster rate, one constant remains...we generally don’t like change! Even in the business environment, everyone has their comfort zone that includes the tools of business that they are familiar with. And changing those “tools” can take time and motivation. Case in point...there was a time when all phone messages were written on special pink message forms or in a book that provided a duplicate of each message for tracking purposes. When ROLM Corporation introduced “Phone Mail,” the sales people couldn’t give it away. No one wanted such an “impersonal” method of communication. Flash forward to today...we now find it irritating to have to dictate a message to an assistant rather than leave a voice message right in someone’s own mailbox!
How does this relate to unified communications tools that are being implemented at a growing rate in the business world? UC Solutions Integrators are finding that one of the primary challenges when implementing new UC “tools” is end-user adoption. It’s the “change” thing again. Let’s not forget that any new business tool is only effective if employees use it! In a recent UC blog on “6 Steps for Deploying UC to End-Users” by Tom Pacyk, he talks about the importance of preparing the users for the new tools, training, gathering feedback, etc. Certainly every one of the steps Pacyk outlines is valid and important; but there is one element that was perhaps overlooked.
All too often when Solutions Integrators are proposing a communication solution – whether it is basic VoIP or a UC solution for collaboration, instant messaging, unified messaging or even communication enabling business processes – they get so involved in the technical aspects of the solution that they overlook one of the most basic components of business communication. That component is the “equipment” that sits on the end-user’s desk or travels in their pocket or briefcase. We refer to this equipment as the “end points,” which sounds very official and technical. In reality, however, it’s all about the end-user experience. Provide a great end-user experience and acceptance of technology is almost assured. Conversely, move the end-user too far out of their comfort zone and a disaster looms.
In the mid-1990s when “CTI” (computer telephony integration) was still in its infancy, several companies developed CTI products that enabled an end-user to throw away their handset and make all of their business phone calls directly from their PC using just a headset. What a concept! More space on the desktop because the phone was gone! Easy to initiate conference calls by just dragging and dropping contacts on your PC! Wow! But there was a problem – people absolutely did not want to give up their trusty “telephones” – no matter how much more convenient the new tools claimed to be. The new and improved end-points – softphones – were a bust and a number of emerging CTI companies died a slow and painful death. Don’t underestimate the importance of the end-user experience!
As end-users, each of us wants the best tools for making us more efficient, but we want the tools to be easy to learn and easy to use – simpler is better. There is no denying that technology is becoming more complicated in many ways, so it is a challenge for manufacturers to make sure that the complexities of their technology are well hidden from the end-user. And one of the ways to keep those complexities hidden is to provide end-points that are extremely user-friendly.
Through the years in the communications world, Plantronics, located in ocean-front Santa Cruz, California, is one company that has grown and succeeded through its focus on the end-user experience. In fact, though we tend to think of items like headsets as an afterthought in the communications and UC implementation process, Plantronics takes the user-experience role very seriously and has been involved in situations where headsets have played a very significant role. Who can forget the “One small step for man...” statement from the moon? No, there wasn’t a phone system up there, but there was a Plantronics headset transmitting those famous words.
From headsets on the moon and in contact centers...the use of headsets and other audio tools has now expanded to almost any kind of worker. Unified communications enables people to reach us anytime, anywhere, based on rules and priorities that we set up; but then how do we make the act of being more available to others, more comfortable and efficient for the users? Softphones and headsets allow us to join calls or collaborate with our colleagues directly from our PC. Noise-canceling headsets enable us to take those calls that find us “anytime, anywhere.” Bluetooth and multi-use headsets allow us to communicate hands-free across multiple devices, platforms and applications. Imagine being at your desk and answering – hands free – calls from your PC, land line, or cell phone with a single headset and at the click of one button.
Whether we talk about VoIP, unified communications, hosted IP, or mobility, the success of the technology comes down to acceptance by the end-user. Fortunately for our industry overall, companies like Plantronics focus their research and product development on improving the end-user experience, making it easier for end users to embrace the new tools that UC offers.
Circle back around to successful UC implementations and high end-user adoption rates. Think intuitive applications, ease-of-use, flexibility. Despite all of the technical expertise and experience, the planning and the products that go into a UC solution, success really lies in the hands of the end-users. Don’t overlook their importance!
This paper is sponsored by Plantronics.