The change management team at Inter Pipeline (a world-scale energy infrastructure business) needed an upgrade if it wanted to continue to grow its business.
Adopting Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 seemed like a no-brainer to help Inter Pipeline level-up its technology and upgrade its users.
But real user adoption is easier said than done.
More than just a checkbox.
Enter Elka Dunnette, Supervisor of User Experience, and Michelle St. Croix, IT Change Management Analyst. Their small team—barely a handful of people—was tasked with rolling out Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 to 1500 users with only 6 months and a limited budget.
Their biggest concern? That training would just be a checkbox on the project plan. Elka and Michelle wanted to empower people to work more efficiently with their new technology.
How do you get 1500 users to adopt what you put in front of them?
Michelle St. Croix, IT Management Analyst
So, the Organizational Change Management (OCM) team needed to create a learning-centered culture that was sustainable beyond the 6-month project.
“I knew I needed help and that I couldn’t just focus on creating content all the time,” says Elka. “I had to really focus more on the high-touch engagements. So that’s where we looked to BrainStorm, to see if [they] could help supplement some of that so that we could focus on other areas of the project and make sure we got that rolled out successfully.”
A change management view to software adoption.
Initially, Michelle and Elka’s team hyped up the “snackability” of the BrainStorm QuickHelp™ platform. They knew that many of their workers—especially those on the front line—didn’t have time for all-day trainings. So they encouraged employees to check out a video or two over their morning coffee.
But then the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Like many of us, Inter Pipeline employees started working from home. The Organizational Change Management (OCM) team realized that many of their workers were also parents who now had children studying from home as well.
The OCM team shifted their approach. They began the Family-Style Learning Initiative. Their initiative encouraged employees to learn how to use Microsoft 365 alongside their children during the lunch hour.
Users do want to learn; it’s just hard to find time. So, when we provided different learning styles [that were] available outside of traditional work hours, it removed that barrier for them to be able to learn.
Elka Dunnette, Supervisor of User Experience
They also made people aware of the QuickHelp leaderboards, which rank users according to their QuickHelp involvement. For many Inter Pipeline employees, that gamification was the key. “We’re very competitive amongst each other!” Michelle laughs.
Seamless change during COVID-19.
With the groundwork laid, the OCM team started to see results very quickly. As users began engaging with QuickHelp, they also started exploring the technology available to them—and quickly came to realize how it could help them during the quarantine.
“We saw a 64% increase in Yammer usage the third day into COVID,” Michelle notes.
And when it came to transitioning from Skype to Microsoft Teams, Elka adds, “Without even having to do a proper [adoption] project, we had 60% adoption organically.”
The secret weapon.
Even for seasoned change management professionals, Elka and Michelle agree that BrainStorm QuickHelp is a game changer. “QuickHelp is our BFF!” Michelle says. “It’s our secret weapon.”
Elka defined their success this way: “We were creating value as opposed to just stirring change.”
Are you responsible for a similar Software adoption campaign? Give your change initiative a boost with our QuickHelp platform.
Change Management
