Microsoft 365 Implementations Can Fail without Training, Adoption, and Information Governance, Says Info-Tech Research Group

The firm shares in a new resource that while it is not up to IT to ensure every user is well-trained on M365, it is their initial responsibility to find champions, SMEs, and business-based trainers and to manage information governance from the backup, retention, and security aspects of data management.

TORONTO, April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - With hybrid work now the default for most organizations, digital solutions are essential to enabling the digital employee experience. Microsoft 365 is one of the leading solutions adopted globally, offering a full suite of tools for collaboration, communication, and productivity. However, organizations implementing it often have challenges with training and achieving mass user adoption,  preventing them from using it effectively and getting full value from the license subscription. To help organizations define and build their M365 post-implementation tasks and projects, global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has published its new advisory deck, Create a Post-Implementation Plan for Microsoft 365.

"M365 is a powerful suite of tools, and taking advantage of all that it entails should be IT's primary goal," says John Donovan, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "Deploying Microsoft 365 is driven by three main goals. Firstly, from a business perspective, the goal is to enhance productivity. Secondly, from an IT standpoint, the goal is to achieve IT efficiencies, ensuring security and compliance. And finally, from an organizational perspective, the aim is to deliver a digital employee experience and enable collaborative functionality."

The newly published resource acknowledges that migrating to M365 is a disruptive move for most organizations and poses a risk to untrained IT staff, including admins, help desk, and security teams. Organizations, especially in this newer hybrid workspace, aim to maintain efficiencies through collaboration, share information in a secure environment, and work from anywhere, at any time. However, organizations must manage their licensing and storage costs and build this new way of working through post-deployment planning. By reducing their hardware and software footprint, they can ensure they have earned these savings and efficiencies.

Info-Tech's research explains that failing to understand any shortcomings M365 poses can harm an organization's chances of a successful implementation. Commonly overlooked expenses include backup and archiving, especially for regulated organizations; spending on risk mitigation through third-party tools for security; and paying a premium to Microsoft to use its Azure offerings with Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender, or any security add-on that is not included in the license.

Furthermore, the firm outlines in the advisory deck that understanding business processes is key to anticipating how end users will adopt M365. By spending time with the staff and understanding their day-to-day activities and interactions, training scenarios can be developed to best suit their needs and help them understand how the apps in M365 can help them do their job.

Info-Tech recommends the following approach for organizations to define their M365 post-implementation tasks and projects:

• Define the Vision – Define the vision and the priorities for implementing M365 and understand how to reach this vision.
• Build the Team – Ensure there is an executive sponsor, develop internal champions, and build a team of subject matter experts.
• Plan Projects – List all projects in a to-be scenario, then rank and prioritize each project to understand its impact and difficulty.
• Execute – Build the roadmap, create timelines, ensure there are enough resources and time to execute, then communicate clearly how these plans will impact the business.

A clear understanding of the business purpose and processes, along with insight into the organizational culture, will help align the right apps with the right tasks. The recommended approach will bring about better adoption and collaboration and cancel out the shadow IT products we see in every business silo.

To learn more about the best practices for implementing Microsoft 365, download the Create a Post-Implementation Plan for Microsoft 365 advisory deck.

For more information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group