Success path

Maximizing the value gained from SelfGuide can require more than just a few clicks. Based on the prior experiences of our customers that we have collected through conversations and observing their implementations, we have compiled the following success path. This path will not suit every situation, but we believe that the majority of our customers will find many benefits by following the path.

The success path is shown in the infographic below. The key factors as well as the details of the infographic are explained below the infographic.

Key factors

There are four factors directly impacting the success of using SelfGuide:

1. ‍Urgency: as soon as a change does impact the behavior or knowledge of users, urgency towards sharing knowledge grows. Such a change may be in an application or a process but could also be a change to team or the organization. Without urgency it can be hard to get the resources and involvement required to reach new goals.
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2. Ambassador: the organization and its people need to start moving towards using SelfGuide. This requires vision, motivation, alignment and sometimes a good discussion to emphasize the importance of the transition. There should be an ambassador who sees this as a challenge, takes responsibility, gets enthusiastic and perseveres.
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3. Step by step: working on multiple facets at once often results in getting less done overall. It may be better to work step by step, reaching intermediate goals, experiencing success and getting things moving. As soon as momentum has been gained, the process can continue to speed up by itself as people become more motivated.
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4. Take your time: as the arrow visualizes, it takes time to gain value from using SelfGuide and to work towards a long-term vision. When using SelfGuide, the way people work, the way knowledge is shared and even the culture changes. All of these aspects need time to change and grow.

Pre-kickoff

Each new implementation starts with a pre-kickoff, an important moment to ensure a solid foundation. This meeting is used for:

• Handover from sales to operations
• Introduction of the ambassador
• Sharing and talking about the vision so consultants get to know the customer and the needs
• Discussing technical implementation & configuration
• Alignment of the expectations towards the consultant
• Setting out of a global plan

Tenant deployment & configuration

SelfGuide is a SaaS product. Deployment is quite simple and can be completed in a few minutes, however the the configuration is different for each customer. During this phase, we collaborate with the customer to take care of initial tasks such as adding the first administrator(s), configuration of integrations (like Azure AD and TOPdesk KB) and the installation of the Recorder for editors. Based on the workplace concept in use by the customer, this can be a straightforward process where each editor should install the Recorder themselves, but in some cases there might be a need to package the Recorder such as when  concepts like SBC or virtual desktops are in use.  

Kickoff

At this point, the SelfGuide tenant should be ready for use and the ambassador will have communicated with all their directly involved colleagues. During the kickoff, the ambassador shares their vision, the short-term goal(s), the planning for training and other sessions, etc. Everybody involved should be enthusiastic , understand their own responsibilities and know the timeline to completion.

Organizations already working with SelfGuide might find it necessary to repeat this phase at a later date. This is normal and may even can happen multiple times. Restarting with a kick-off might for example happen when involving a new department or team to expand the scope of usage, or perhaps when a higher level of content quality is desired.

Training

To get up and running quickly and be able to create good content, editors should have knowledge about SelfGuide, including the available functionality and when and how to use this functionality. An instructor led training ensures that all editors reach the same level of knowledge in a short time. During the training, the main functionality is explained and attendees will have the opportunity to make their own first content.

Goals

Feeling success makes people enthusiastic and motivated. By keeping goals small and attainable in the near future, people will quickly reach these goals and experience that success. Setting and completing new goals will become easier each subsequent.

By working in gradual and small steps, the ambassador is encouraged to make choices. Which needs should get priority attention, which people are struggling the most during their work, and what's the next step in reaching the outlined vision. If too many steps are taken at once there is a risk creating a hierarchy, where strict orders are given and people become less involved, which might result in lower overall quality and usage.

Vision

A vision should be set, in the form of a long-term goal for the next 1, 3 or even 5 years. Example goals might be:

1. Users are more self-reliant
2. Projects implementing software are more successful due to a happy end user
3. Instructions are always up to date

Having a vision helps to communicate the path to all involved people so that over time they can continually know what they are working on.