How To Ensure New Analytics Dashboards Get Adopted

When undertaking any kind of initiative, the importance of “starting with the end in mind” is a well-regarded principle famously attributed to author Stephen R. Covey. The end goal of investments into most new data and analytics (D&A) solutions is not to generate data-driven insights — it is to have users generate these insights for themselves. Optimizing for adoption is a crucial yet often overlooked success factor here.

In the Information Age, data is often referred to as the new oil. Enterprises are investing more than ever in solutions to expedite and enhance the process of extracting actionable insights from their data.

In our daily roles as consultants at Lingaro, however, we often see that not enough of those significant solution development resources are going into streamlining workflows.  We frequently encounter situations where users are not taking full (or any) advantage of the latest and greatest D&A tools their employers have put significant time and money into developing. 

What is behind this behavior? What can be done to avoid these types of scenarios? What are the challenges when it comes to using intricate analytical solutions? Is there a lack of proficiency in using these tools efficiently, or is there simply no necessity for such complex solutions? Could it be that the development process progressed too rapidly and did not factor in proper user experience (UX) design? This article aims to address these questions and provide insights into the pertinent issues.

The top reasons for poor adoption

There are many variables involved in designing and implementing new D&A solutions. One variable is obviously the scale of the investment. Another is the overall project approach taken, which might involve building applications in-house from scratch or hiring external vendors to build complex solutions for thousands of people around the world. And yet another is employee engagement when it comes to learning new skills. 

Regardless of these variables, if a new D&A solution is poorly adopted then — in our experience — it almost always is because there was too much focus on delivering the product and not enough on embracing the design process. 

De-emphasizing the design aspects of the project is like expecting someone who has never ridden a two-wheel bike before to be able to do so immediately once he has one. Disappointment is practically guaranteed. 

Here are the top reasons for disappointingly poor adoption of D&A solutions:

1. Development was based on assumptions rather than actual needs

Users are often compelled by managers to use applications that do not actually enhance workflow efficiency and might even create additional work. 

For example, users might rely on a new tool just to extract data for download and then work with it in the basic spreadsheet applications they’ve been using for years. 

Usually in such cases, managers are commissioning digital products that they will not actually use themselves. They are deciding that their teams should use the products anyway. 

Technology partner product teams face a dilemma here. When they gather requirements, they often have to comply with a managers’ preferences even if business analysts see extremely divergent needs among end-users. 

This scenario is not a result of any ill intent on the part of managers. It’s more about basic psychological dynamics. People tend to view things from their own perspectives. 

Using an example from everyday life, parents often forget that their children have limited knowledge, experience, resilience, and emotional maturity. Consequently, adults view their kids’ needs and behavior through the lens of their own experiences. Despite their best intentions, they often forget how they felt at their child’s age, how they experienced emotions as immature youngsters, and how little they knew about the rapidly changing world. 

How do these psychological dynamics play out in D&A app projects? During the design process, these important considerations often get overlooked:

• Actual business needs of different roles.
• How people in different business roles interact with data.
• Users’ experience and skills.
• Alignment of the application's functionality and options with its ultimate usage. 
  
  

Some managers might argue that they used to be in the roles of the app’s target users. Going back to the parent analogy: every parent had a vastly different childhood to what his or her child is having. The world changes fast. In business, after sufficient time has passed, the market, business needs, digital tools, and environment have changed so much that managers’ experiences are vastly different to those of their subordinates.

2. Applications are often overly complex

One of the most common missteps in development is bypassing the creation of simple minimum viable products (MVPs), prototypes, or wireframes and testing them before the development begins. When a team initiates building a solution based solely on assumptions, the likely outcome is poor user adoption.

The paradox is that Goliath-like applications can in theory meet all user needs but are usually challenging to use in practice. Sure, it is possible to incorporate a myriad of features, filters, and hundreds of visualizations onto a single page. But the real question is: Will it be user-friendly and the most effective way to interact with the data?

Consider the world's most visited webpage, Google.com. There's a stark contrast in the number of functionalities it offers compared to many other webpages. Google.com is designed for a single purpose. It is easy to use, clear, and intuitive. Users can perform actions swiftly and without hesitation, with results delivered after a single click. From a user's perspective, it is a pleasure to use and is great at what it does.

While some business roles may require a solution to have "turbo admin" features, in most cases creating them doesn't add value. People often feel overwhelmed and lost when presented with too many choices. Imagine how challenging it would be to dine at a restaurant with a menu featuring hundreds of options — it's far easier to choose from concise, clear menu with just a few options.

Ease of use is a critical factor in building a digital solution for an enterprise. The goal is to make a solution like those found in the B2C market, where companies invest millions in UX enhancements to reduce the number of clicks needed to perform a task from five to four. 

In the D&A environment, there are business roles instead of users, so the products must be tailored to these roles. It's worth considering creating separate pages for different roles rather than trying to fit everything onto a single page.

3. New technologies are completely unfamiliar to their intended users

New isn't always better. Users frequently face challenges when confronted with completely new technologies. While change and technological adaptation to market trends are essential for companies, forced change without adequate training and preparation can lead to confusion and potential setbacks.

There are often overlooked psychological mechanisms at play behind resistance to learning new tools and technologies. Take, for example, the steering wheel. Why haven't car manufacturers replaced the traditional steering wheel, gearbox, and pedals with a simple joystick? Instead of operating three separate components with both hands and feet, drivers could theoretically use just one hand to control all movements. Even so, traditional driving methods have persistently remained more popular than alternatives in countless tests over the years. The simple explanation lies in the power of user habits.

The story is similar when it comes to the development of D&A solutions. Frequently, trusted solutions that have served users well for years are abruptly replaced by entirely new products that bear no resemblance to the familiar tools. The change is often too sudden and radical. For instance, transitioning from traditional Excel files to an online Power BI application can be jarring. While the dataset remains the same, from the user's perspective these two solutions operate in drastically different ways.

New, unfamiliar applications often have high “entry barriers” for users. Learning new features while maintaining efficiency in ongoing tasks can be challenging. Therefore, it's worth considering the preservation of some key features in the new design. Even minor changes like maintaining the order of filters or keeping button names and placements consistent with the previous version can save a user several hours in the span of a month and significantly reduce the risk of errors that could impact the business.

Steps to increase user adoption

After an application is deployed, multiple issues can appear and complicate usage or deter users from adopting it. Common issues include poor data quality, extended data loading times, and missing records. Even the best UX practices can't rectify these problems.

However, adhering to a few fundamental rules during the processes of gathering requirements and development can help avoid most problems that can lead to lost time and money over the long term.

1. Always start with understanding the actual needs of business roles

Gathering requirements is essential at the onset of the development process and can save millions of dollars and thousands of hours spent on avoidable corrections. A deep, thorough research phase could involve interviewing actual business users to understand their needs and the results of a business analyst’s work. 

This exercise may reveal that instead of a complex global solution, a simple one-pager with a few filters suffices. Or, a small local application could scale globally, resolving similar challenges faced by other regions.

Everyday example: Think about how useful it is to check traffic, distance, closed roads, etc. before a commute. It might be faster to take a bicycle or just walk. Assuming that a car would be the best choice regardless of all the factors could lead to a delay. 

 2. Develop an MVP or prototype first

Assuming the first recommendation has been followed and requirements have been properly gathered, it is crucial to ensure that everyone is on the same page. 

Using visuals when working with prototypes or low-fidelity mockups allows development teams and customers to find a common understanding more efficiently than with spoken or written explanations. Stakeholders can comprehend the basic look and feel, see what to expect in the final application, and interact with the mockup to improve the flow at an early stage. 

The more time and focus devoted to building and testing prototypes/MVPs, the less expensive future improvements will be. This approach also dramatically increases adoption levels among end-users.

Everyday example: Imagine using email to order clothes that don’t exist yet. The tailor must be told what colors, shades, and materials to use. It is far easier to buy ready-made clothes in the store, where they can be seen and touched. 

3. Test rigorously

Once you have a prototype or mockup, test it extensively. The more feedback is gathered on the design, the lower the costs will be when improving the application post-development. Changes to a mockup image are far easier and cheaper than changes in code.

Here’s a bonus tip: Use a prototyping tool. For example, Lingaro’s Rapido tool helps developers create mockups during the initial design phase. Since it requires no prior design skills or experience, the tool allows developers to take 90% less time drafting mockups than if they were using traditional approaches.

4. Maintain clarity, consistency, and relevance

Once the mockups are tested, adjusted, and implemented, ensure employees have the necessary training and support for learning the solution. 

The layout should be consistent with branding guidelines and use a color set that supports user actions and aids in understanding analytical results. 

Regularly check for necessary improvements and ensure all features are functioning correctly. As markets and technologies continuously evolve, maintaining a well-loved, bullet-proof solution requires keeping it up-to-date and adjusting it to accommodate changes.

Partner with an end-to-end D&A services provider

A partner like Lingaro can not only help you accomplish all of the steps we’ve outlined above but also help you onboard your team to the resulting solution. 

Lingaro boasts nearly two decades of experience in crafting data and analytics solutions for companies in multiple sectors. We are technology-agnostic, prioritizing value delivery via whatever the best tools are for the job. We have comprehensive capabilities in enterprise BI tool UX — which differs significantly from B2C app UX — and can manage the entire design and development process, from gathering requirements to auditing and improving existing solutions.

We also offer a tailored suite of training solutions to help non-designers learn basic UX, skill up on self-service BI, and more. Our workshops focus on fostering design thinking and enhancing (or sometimes discovering) creative problem-solving capabilities. Participants gain practical skill sets that will assist them in building more effective and engaging tools and telling better data stories.

Talk to our D&A specialists to learn more about what Lingaro can do for you!