In this stage of the Solution Lifecycle, most customers confront significant and, in many cases, unforeseen disruptions to the daily work life and operations. Before they can move, they must “work through” several essential questions:

Types of complaints by end-user
What are the typical end-user complaints in a start-up phase?

• Workflow changes – “old process worked better than new”
• Difficult to use new system
• New tasks ‘not in my job spec’
• System does not do ‘X’
• When can I get access to the system (i.e. for users that are not yet included in start-up)

Driving user acceptance
What can a customer do to maximize user acceptance from start?

• Early communication
• Sell benefits
• Scheduled training sessions
• Gain input from key employees during deployment
• Force people to stop using old methods
• Provide adequate support if things go wrong

What else have you found in your experience?