What is Digital Adoption: Its Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies

After spending cool cash on tools and training, you expect an ROI.

Yet users struggle, support requests pile up, usability complaints arise, and many revert to old processes. These are tell tale signs of poor digital adoption.

Proper digital adoption ensures users fully utilize and integrate company tools into their workflows, with minimal resistance. Without it, businesses face low software utilization, wasted investments, and process inefficiencies. Gartner reports only 14% of planning organizations have a digital adoption rate above 75%. This means more work is needed to improve digital adoption.

In this blog post, you’ll learn why digital adoption matters and how to make it work for your team.

What is Digital Adoption?

Digital adoption is the effective use of digital tools to achieve business goals. It ensures users maximize the value of all tools in their technology stack.

This goes beyond installation and basic features and empowers users to take advantage of all relevant features (basic and advanced) with minimal resistance. It helps increase productivity and crush business goals.

On the flip side, poor user adoption is risky. Here’s how:

• Underused tools waste resources
• Complex tools hinder productivity
• Reluctance to change obstructs future digital transformation
• Insufficient tool usage leads to missed opportunities for innovation

Type	What It Means	Example
Technology Adoption	Rolling out Workday HCM across the organization	The IT team sets up Workday and integrates it with other enterprise systems
Software Adoption	Using Workday HCM’s basic features for task completion	The payroll team processes salaries using Workday
User Adoption	Actively incorporating Workday into daily roles	Managers approve leave requests, and employees submit timesheets in Workday
Digital Adoption	Maximizing Workday’s features to optimize workflows	The HR team uses Workday analytics to forecast trends and plan hiring strategies

Why Digital Adoption Matters

Digital adoption ensures we get value for our software investments. Here’s a case study that highlights why digital adoption matters:

A leading North American Bank implemented Clarity PPM software to improve project planning but faced adoption challenges despite support and training. Complex navigation, difficulty locating forms, and inaccurate data entry hindered productivity and raised return on investment (ROI) concerns for over a year.

They decided to invest in a digital adoption platform (DAP), to deploy digital adoption strategies like in-app guidance and multi-lingual support, and here’s what they gained:

• Improved visibility in banking operations
• Saved $275K on user adoption and training
• Reduced 30 days in user adoption
• Identified and resolved training roadblocks through analytics
• Ensured data accuracy with real-time validations

This study shows that digital adoption matters because it improves operations, boosts productivity, and actualizes software ROI.

Bain & Company reports that only 8% of companies say they are getting their money’s worth in terms of good business outcomes and advanced digital capabilities. Yet SaaS spend keeps increasing yearly.

5 Benefits of Digital Adoption

Here are five benefits of investing in digital adoption:

1. Increased ROI On Software Investments

Investing in digital adoption strategies like in-app guidance, walk-throughs, and on-demand help provides employees contextual, on-demand guidance that increases time-to-value. This also reduces the cost associated with traditional onboarding methods, leading to less money spent, shorter onboarding, and increased return on your software investments.

2. Enhanced User Productivity

When employees are comfortable with the tools designed to improve their workflows, they use the software as intended, complete their tasks, and spend less time troubleshooting. The result? Increased focus and productivity.

3. Improved User Experience

You know the frustration you feel when you’re trying your best to figure out something but it’s not clicking.

Wouldn’t it be easier to not experience that frustration and finish the job without struggle? That’s how digital adoption helps. Instead of endlessly searching through tutorials and manuals, DAPs provide real-time, context-sensitive guidance. It reduces frustration, enhances engagement, and improves the overall user experience with immediate assistance when and where needed.

4. Reduced Training Costs

Traditional training programs are often costly and time-consuming. Digital adoption helps to make use of those training materials the right way.

For instance, DAPs like Apty use smart rules to show users content based on their actions and roles. So, instead of going through everything, you get exactly what you need. Companies can then save on costly training sessions and avoid investing in materials that offer little value.

5. Stronger Change Management

Digital adoption simplifies the complexities of introducing new systems through clear, actionable guidance that reduces resistance to change. A supportive environment helps users feel confident navigating new tools and processes, ensuring smoother transitions and greater success in future digital transformation efforts.

How Do You Know When You Need Digital Adoption?

Wondering if digital adoption is the missing piece in your strategy? Let’s explore the signs that show it’s time to take action.

Low User Engagement With Newly Implemented Tools

Using feedback and analytics, dig into how employees use new tools, what features they use, and how they use them. You may need to invest in digital adoption strategies if you spot data entry errors, high drop-offs, low satisfaction scores, and short session durations.

High Employee Training and Support Costs

If you catch yourself maxing your training or support budget or if these costs exceed your software license fees, it could indicate gaps in your software adoption process. Calculate your total expenses and compare them to the value you’re gaining from the platform. Ask yourself—are the results worth it, and can you improve your ROI?

Increased Frustration or Resistance

Are support tickets piling up even after a few months of implementing a new tool? Ask employees (maybe anonymously or in groups) how they feel about the new software.

Resistance to new technology often arises from poorly managed transitions or confusing interfaces. When employees or customers express frustration, it lowers morale and slows productivity and satisfaction. Effective digital adoption strategies minimize these issues by offering step-by-step assistance and tailored training.

Underutilization of Critical Software Features

When only a fraction of your software features are used, you limit the value you gain from the software and your investment. A DAP like Apty identifies underused features and provides insights to help maximize tool utilization. This maximizes ROI and also improves productivity and user satisfaction in the long term.

Slow Realization of ROI

If you’re seeing a slow return on investment from your digital transformation efforts, it could be a sign that you need digital adoption. When tools aren’t fully integrated into everyday workflows or are underused, it leads to a delayed ROI.

Identifying this issue early and implementing a strong adoption strategy helps maximize the value of your tools, ensuring faster results and greater overall impact.

Common Digital Adoption Challenges

Let’s explore some common challenges in digital adoption and how to tackle them.

Out-of-Context User Training and Onboarding

Traditional adoption strategies lack context and are intensive. Employees are overwhelmed before they even get started. Time is also spent learning features and use cases that don’t match their job roles and functions. Structured and contextual training is needed to engage users and provide continuous support.

Resistance to Change

Change can be daunting. Users often resist new technologies because they’re comfortable with their current routines and fear how new software might disrupt them. This resistance can hinder the adoption of new technologies and slow down digital transformation efforts.

To overcome this, clearly communicate the benefits and reason behind the change. Provide ongoing support as well to guide users through the transformation, making the process less daunting.

Poor Alignment Between Tools and Processes

When digital tools and business processes are misaligned, they become more of a burden than a benefit. Imagine an agile team adopting project management software without Kanban boards, sprint planning, and task breakdown. They’ll struggle to adopt the solution, disrupting workflows and decreasing productivity.

Overwhelming Interfaces or Lack of Real-Time Guidance

Complex and confusing software interfaces can quickly frustrate users, making it challenging to adopt new tools. Without immediate, in-app assistance, users may give up entirely. DAPs solve this by providing relevant guidance within the application, making it easier for users to learn and use the software effectively.

Data Silos and Fragmented Workflows

If the new system doesn’t integrate properly with the current tech stack and workflow, employees may struggle to adopt the solution because it doesn’t feel like a part of their process. This also comes with constant tool or context switching and incomplete data-driven decisions.

Key Strategies for Effective Digital Adoption

Let’s dive into some key strategies that can make your digital adoption efforts more effective and help your team get the most out of your tools.

Identify and Eliminate Employee Resistance to Change

Employee resistance isn’t born out of thin air. There’s a reason it’s happening, and it’s keeping employees stuck and affecting their workflow. Here’s how to identify its root cause:

• Conduct anonymous surveys and interviews to gather feedback. Ask specific questions about their fears, anxieties, and suggestions.
• Observe employee behavior and physical interactions (if possible).
• Be upfront and honest about the reasons for the change, the potential impacts, and the timeline for implementation.
• Encourage dialogue and provide room for open discussions. 
• Avoid answering questions vaguely to reduce doubt.
• Provide regular, clear, and consistent communication throughout the change management process.
• Include employees in the change process when possible.
• Use a proactive DAP like Apty to analyze your platform, gather user-level data, identify current bottlenecks, and deliver solutions to enhance software adoption.

Provide In-App Guidance and Support

In-app guidance and support help employees when needed, reducing overstimulation and information overload. Employees can progressively digest information when they need support.

Using a DAP, you can offer step-by-step assistance directly on the application without interrupting their task. You can use checklists, pop ups, interactive walkthroughs, hotspots, contextual content management, and tutorial embeddings in relevant places.

Provide Self-Service Support

People generally prefer exploring a service themselves before reaching out for support. That’s where self-service comes in.

Self-service options, like searchable knowledge bases, chatbots, and FAQs, empower users to resolve issues independently. Like the ManyRequests example above, the chatbot is a self-service support feature that helps users troubleshoot.

Provide Personalized Training to Users

Avoid overwhelming users with information they can do without. Training is not a one-size-fits-all. Tailor training to their role and skill levels. Expert users shouldn’t receive the same content as beginners. What’s more, beginners in different roles also require distinct learning processes.

Create personalized learning paths with interactive elements and microlearning opportunities. Leverage technology, such as AI-powered tools and learning management systems (LMS), to deliver relevant content and track progress. Personalized training also includes language support for multiple languages.

Continuous Training and Skill Development

Tools are continuously evolving, and training should keep pace. Schedule regular trainings and workshops to help users with:

• Tooltips for context and guidance
• On-demand resources with up-to-date information
• Announcements and popups to communicate changes and new features, then use in-app guidance to show users how it works
• Evergreen, product-led content to keep users informed

Companies like Salesforce, Adobe, and Microsoft have learning hubs and communities where community learning is encouraged and training resources are always up to date.

You can also use in-app toolkits to announce new features and train users on it. For instance, ‘Edit video’ is a new Awesome Tool feature and they show everyone (including power users) how to use it.

 

Provide Content in Multiple Formats

Everyone learns differently, and providing content in multiple formats and languages enables content accessibility and a better user experience. Use a mix of short and long copies, videos, and podcasts. Invest in DAP, which also supports multiple languages, making it easier for everyone to access regardless of preference.

Track User Adoption and Process Flow with Analytics

Analytics helps us answer the following questions:

• Where are the current workflow bottlenecks?
• Are we optimizing the right processes during our transformation journey?
• Are users using all the relevant features of the tool? Are they achieving true digital adoption?
• What tools are not used or underutilized and how?
• What’s the ROI of this software and its impact on operations?

Apty PULSE provides the answers.

As an AI-powered silent observer, it tracks user behavior, such as clicks, keystrokes, and navigation paths, offering actionable insights to improve productivity and reduce costs.

Examples of Digital Adoption

Let’s look at some real-world examples of digital adoption to see how it works in action and the impact it can have.

1. Enhancing HR Systems at Mattel

Mattel faced challenges transitioning to Workday HCM, leading to increased support tickets and inefficient onboarding. Mattel partnered with Apty to address this.

Apty’s solution provided interactive guides within Workday, empowering employees to learn and complete tasks independently. These guides were tailored to different languages and roles, improving onboarding and reducing support burden across Mattel’s global workforce.

Key Results:

• Rapid Adoption: 90% utilization of Workday within 60 days
• Reduced Support Tickets: Significant decrease in support inquiries
• Improved Efficiency: Employees completed tasks accurately and efficiently
• Enhanced Confidence: Senior leadership gained confidence in employee performance and software investment

2. Better Project Planning at Global Bank

A leading North American financial institution implemented Clarity PPM software to streamline project planning. However, despite extensive training, users struggled with the platform’s complexity. This led to inefficiencies, errors, and increased support costs. They partnered with Apty, and here’s what they achieved:

• Step-by-Step Guidance: Interactive guides to walk users through complex processes
• Analytics and Reporting: Provided insights into user behavior and identified training gaps

• Reduced Support Costs: Saved $30,000 annually with reduced support tickets
• Accelerated Adoption: Onboarded users in just three months
• Improved Data Quality: Ensured accurate data entry through real-time validation

Digital Adoption Trends to Watch For 

Let’s explore some digital adoption trends to keep an eye on and how they’re shaping the future of business.

Artificial Intelligence and DAPs

Gartner’s 2024 Hype Cycle highlights the growing importance of AI, with Generative AI  and AI moving from hype to practical applications. AI-powered personalization in DAPs exemplifies this trend. Tailoring training materials and in-app guidance to individual user needs helps boost developer productivity and contribute to a positive ‘Total Experience’ for employees using new software.

Digital Immune Systems

Organizations are becoming more security aware as they adopt more digital tools. This leads to a shift from reactive and siloed security practices toward a digital immune system (DIS)—a proactive, integrated approach that safeguards systems while enhancing user experience.

A DIS is a proactive approach to ensuring the reliability and security of digital systems. It leverages AI, automation, and advanced analytics to:

• Detect and prevent threats: Identify and mitigate security breaches, software bugs, and performance issues.
• Enhance user experience: Ensure seamless and uninterrupted service for users.
• Improve business resilience: Minimize disruptions and maintain business continuity.

Gartner predicts that by 2025, organizations can increase customer satisfaction by investing in digital immunity and decreasing downtime by 80%.

Fuel Your Digital Adoption Journey With Apty

Apty is an enterprise digital adoption platform used by leading banks and brands like Mattel and Mary Kay to maximize the value of their technology investments. It enables you to:

• Provide in-app guidance using walkthroughs, checklists, and knowledge bases.
• Set up contextual learning using tooltips and smart rules.
• Learn within daily workflows, reducing disruptions and fostering task competition.
• Track user behavior, measure training effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement.
• Reduce the risk of data entry errors and increase compliance.

Ready to fuel your digital adoption journey? Book a demo today and discover how Apty can transform your adoption process.

 

FAQs

1. What is the difference between digital adoption and technology adoption?

Technology adoption is the process of selecting, implementing, and training employees on new technologies. Digital adoption takes this further and ensures that these technologies are fully utilized to their maximum potential.

2. How do I measure the success of digital adoption?

Gather employee and leader feedback on satisfaction, usability, and impact to measure digital adoption success. Use tools like Hotjar or a DAP to monitor behavior and platforms like Tableau to aggregate and analyze usage patterns across applications.

3. How does digital adoption help achieve digital transformation? 

Digital transformation means integrating technologies to reshape business operations. However, these technologies remain dormant without successful digital adoption. Digital adoption ensures users use tools effectively, driving innovation, efficiency, and true digital transformation.