Peer to Peer Magazine

35 WWW.ILTANET.ORG Rewriting the Playbook: Cut Costs and Increase User Adoption in Firmwide Technology Deployments CASE STUDIES » Remote Training: In-person training was cost-prohibitive, so we decided to rely almost exclusively on remote training. While we had known of the savings potential of training remotely, we were uncertain about its effectiveness. When we revisited the idea given our reinvented training model, we recognized it as the ideal solution. In the four offices where trainers were already onsite, we conducted in-person training for secretaries and paralegals. Aorneys in these offices were given the option to aend training in person or via a live webinar so trainers could answer questions instantaneously. This approach proved both effective and efficient, and it significantly reduced costs by eliminating travel expenses for training staff. » A Dedicated Hotline: Because we drastically limited the availability of in-person training, we recognized the need to expand our level of support beyond the helpdesk. We contacted Keno Kozie, the firm's helpdesk services provider, and Capensys, a technology training company, to provide three hotline analysts. The analysts were in our Cleveland office and staffed a helpdesk dedicated exclusively to serving users' needs related to the maer centricity rollout. Two internal team members set up camp with the analysts in the "war room" and ran interference. Being in the room, they could identify recurring technical issues in real time, allowing us to address concerns before they became system-wide issues. They also monitored user pain points, allowing us to modify training materials to address things users found unclear or lacking in subsequent deployments. The two internal team members could also provide backup for the analysts during times of high call volumes. This dedicated hotline allowed the analysts to develop an in-depth understanding of the technology and its application at the firm, resulting in a higher level of support. Many users said the availability and convenience of 8 Factors to Success Here are eight takeaways and tips based on key factors that contributed to the success of our new technology deployment plan: Identify the training and support team early. Having more involvement at an early stage helps these individuals develop confidence in their knowledge of the technology. Select individuals with strong communication and people skills for technical and support roles. The ability to stay cool under pressure helps them address challenges effectively. Engage early adopters to get their feedback so you can make improvements to your approach prior to the firmwide rollout. Plan to make proactive follow-up calls to identify user pain points and address them head-on, especially if you do any form of remote training. This ultimately increases user adoption. Do not be afraid to incorporate change mid- deployment. Reacting to incidents, re-evaluating processes and modifying your approach with each rollout greatly improves the user experience and adoption. Attorneys do not need as much hand-holding as you think, but be prepared to support them. Communicate regularly and work closely with office administrators. They are essential to getting people through training sessions or getting a user's permission to deploy an update without them having completed training. Utilize social media tools to engage with users in real time.

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