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March 14, 2005

Support Model Questions

Make it easy for the user to engage in the technology
How do users engage in the technology? Is the configuration, ordering, or utilization of the technology easy for the average user to understand? The root cause for the Deploying Technology for Technology Sake” is here; users dont know what they dont know. Make it easy for them to see, feel, and experience the value of the technology.

Have the technology user tested; Usability Testing
We generally rush the deployment into the user community without actually performing usability tests as described in the prior element. Usability tests dont take more than hour, are easy to administer, and can be eye opening experiences for the deployment teams.

Ensure that Knowledge Management plays an active role in the product offering
User guides, templates, best practices, tips, FAQ and many other knowledge based artifacts help users in a self service world. Take the time to produce high quality artifacts that are easy to use (See prior item).

Implement Metrics for Content and Usage as a Minimum
Metrics are critical to the success of any projects. Content and usage are just a starter set of measures that should be integrated into the implementation. Technology should have a metric base where managers can judge the success and failure of the project.

What services will you implemented or plan to implement along with the Technology
Products are only the beginning. Value of technology will come from the services not from the product itself. Services will drive additional value, usage, and content within the technology environment.

Success is defined by the user, so ask them
Customer surveys are critical for an evolutionary process of improvement. Today, surveys can be generated quickly with the use of the web so the key is to collect the feedback and evolve the product offering.

Customer Support: Who, What, When, How, etc.
Customers want self service so give it to them. The Customer Support must provide information on who you are, what you do, when you can get it done, and how the process works.

What we say we do is different than what we really do
Web site managers understand this better than anyone. Reviewing the usage logs tell you more about what employees are actually looking at versus what they say they are interested in. How can you see what people are actually doing?

Simple Questions with Complex Answers
Who are your customers?, Who is your competition?, What Systems Support Quality?, How do you Market or Brand the Technology?, Why should people do business with you? How do you create a service culture? What are you good at? (Hitching Posts).

Posted by Todd at March 14, 2005 12:43 PM