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Digital adoption solutions vs Digital Adoption Platforms — there’s been a lot of talk about both recently. But which is which? What do they do? And how do you know if your organization should be using one?
These are the questions we’re going to answer in this article.
Digital adoption solutions vs. Digital Adoption Platforms: the basics
What is a digital adoption solution?
Digital adoption solutions is a newly recognized category of technology by Gartner. What is a digital adoption solution? It’s software that improves or eliminates the factors preventing users from successfully adopting technology.
These factors include:
- inadequate training
- complex user interfaces
- lack of time
- frequent updates
“Digital adoption solutions are AI-driven tools that guide users through tasks and workflows on any given app, website, or enterprise software, enabling even a total tech novice to work quickly and efficiently.”
Gartner introduced the category, DAS, in its recent report “Increase Sales Productivity with Digital Adoption Solutions.” The report listed specific examples of digital adoption solutions, such as WalkMe’s Digital Adoption Platform (DAP).
So, the DAP is an example of a digital adoption solution. But the DAP existed long before this new category, DAS, was introduced by Gartner.
What is a Digital Adoption Platform?
In a press release, the President and Co-founder of WalkMe was quoted as saying, “For the past several years, WalkMe has been carrying out its vision to bridge the gap between humans and technology.
“To do so, we invented and pioneered the Digital Adoption Platform, which supports the world’s leading companies in their digital transformation initiatives… Today, we believe that we received another important acknowledgment, this time from Gartner, the leading research firm in the market.”
WalkMe’s own digital adoption glossary defines Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) as, “software platforms designed to facilitate seamless software learning by simplifying the user experience and ensuring proficiency on any software platform, website, or app.”
It goes on to say, “These tools arose to ensure successful digital transformation and to increase ROI on software investments.”
So when it comes to digital adoption solutions vs Digital Adoption Platforms, we’re really talking about the same thing.
“We are excited to see how our original idea has turned into a reality for leading executives worldwide and now into an industry of its own,” said WalkMe.
4 signs your organization needs a DAS
1. Your staff use multiple, complex software systems
In the modern business world, what organization doesn’t use multiple, complex software systems? Today, every company is a software company.
A report by Cloud Security Alliance found that, on average, companies with fewer than 1,000 employees run an average of 22 custom applications. However, the largest enterprises (50,000+ employees) run 788, on average.
This means the average employee is overwhelmed by the number and sophistication of digital tools they have to use on a daily basis. This is a lethal cocktail for productivity and morale.
2. Training doesn’t happen as frequently as software updates
Technology evolves so quickly nowadays that training simply can’t keep up. Traditional training methods are inefficient, costly, and labor intensive, while software updates occur frequently and can be frustrating for users.
Every time something within the system is moved or changed, productivity drops and training is required to optimise it once more.
3. Return on your software investment could be improved
Good enterprise software can be extremely expensive. It’s worth the expense, of course, if you get a good return on your investment. If you don’t, it can be financially crippling and a complete waste of time.
Adoption is the single most important factor in turning your digital tools into worthwhile investments.
So if you’re crunching the numbers, trying to figure out whether your software investment was worth it, chances are you’re in need of a DAS.
4. Your organization is working towards digital dexterity
Digital adoption solutions like WalkMe’s DAP are an essential part of achieving a state of digital dexterity.
Digital Dexterity is “the ability and desire to exploit existing and emerging technologies for better business outcomes.” (Gartner)
90% of corporate leaders view digital as a top priority, but 83% struggle to make meaningful progress on digital transformation.
So there’s a very high chance your organization is in need of a DAS to close the gap towards digital dexterity and improve its digital transformation progress.
Digital adoption solutions resolve all the issues mentioned in this article. As far as Digital Adoption Solutions vs Digital Adoption Platforms goes, the question shouldn’t be which is which; it should be, where do I sign.
