I have worked with printers with really great, high-productivity Web-to-print portals churning out the work. I’ve worked with printers with really great, high-productivity Web-to-print portals sitting idle.
What does that tell me? You can have the most productive software with the tightest workflow integration, but if you don’t get customer buy-in, you may as well not make the investment at all.
Here are nine ideas for maximizing use of your W2P investment:
- Have a launch plan. Ensure that the customer has a plan to roll out the system to their users, whether internal or external. All potential users should be trained, with a plan to provide ongoing training as the system gets used, tweaked, and updated over time.
- Create a consistent look. If possible, have the look of the customer portal match the customer’s corporate site to create a level of familiarity and comfort.
- Promote, promote, promote. Continually remind internal users of the availability of the system and encourage them to use it. Use the company newsletter, department wikis, and other internal communications. Hold regular training sessions.
- Offer plant tours. Let users see inside your plant—where their jobs will actually be printed. This creates a deeper level of comfort with the system, as well as creating a sense of ownership and buy-in.
- Make the link accessible. Ensure that the link to the customer portal is in a place on the website where users regularly go. Make it visible and easily accessible. Remember the old adage: Out of sight, out of mind.
- Become part of the onboarding process for new hires. If new employees start using the system out of the gate, they’ll keep using it.
- Track how people actually use the system.
The easier and more intuitive the system is to use, the more people will feel comfortable using it.
- Hold focus groups.
- Get feedback on how the system gets used (or doesn’t).
- Know what documents are being ordered most frequently and make them easy to find.
- Keep the site uncluttered. Remove documents that are rarely or never used.
- Keep the line of feedback open so you can respond to user requests, including new documents they might need.
- Offer great support. As with any software, users need to know that there will be help if they need it. As the MSP, if you’re responsible for handling support, make yourself easy to find.
- Have a champion. Have someone (ideally multiple people) who serves as a champion inside the company. This should be someone who understands the value of the portal and are willing to actively work to encourage people to use it.
What are some of the ideas you have found to work best in facilitating adoption of your W2P system? What has worked well for you and your clients?
