The 3 main causes of failure in the adoption of digital tools (and how to turn them into opportunities)
Against a backdrop of accelerating digitalization, companies are investing massively in business tools such as ERP, CRM, HRIS and collaborative platforms. Yet over 70% of transformation projects fail to achieve their adoption targets (source: McKinsey). This is a worrying finding, especially for BU managers, who must guarantee both operational performance and team buy-in.
Why do these failures occur? And above all, how can they be transformed into levers for success? Here are the three main causes of failure in tool adoption, and concrete solutions for converting them into sustainable opportunities.
1. 💡 An underestimation of change management
The problem:
Many projects are carried out from a purely technological angle, forgetting the human dimension. Business departments are not always sufficiently involved from the outset. As a result, end-users either don't buy in or make poor use of the tools, which is detrimental to productivity.
The opportunity:
A tool's success depends first and foremost on user commitment. By integrating a change management strategy from the outset, business departments can :
- involve teams upstream,
- identify business irritants,
- co-constructing user paths.
👉 Do: rely on a digital adoption platform like K-NOW to run targeted, interactive onboarding campaigns directly in the tools.
2. 🧩 Generic training, disconnected from business needs
The problem:
Training courses are often too standardized, far removed from the field and poorly adapted to a BU's specific processes. Users find themselves left to their own devices once they are alone with the tool.
The opportunity:
Training must be immersive, contextual and aligned with business use cases. By placing employees in realistic situations, they really learn to master the tools.
👉 Do: adopt simulators like K-STUDIO, which enable you to create 100% realistic, risk-free training scenarios, faithfully reproducing business environments. This drastically reduces errors, speeds up skills development and makes learning easier.
3. 📉 A lack of measurement and monitoring of adoption
The problem:
How do you know if the tool is being used? Many business departments lack visibility of real user engagement after deployment. Without reliable indicators, it's difficult to take effective action or make adjustments.
The opportunity:
Implement data-driven digital adoption management. By accurately measuring the use of tools and discrepancies by profile or by site, you can identify friction points and adjust support actions.
👉 To do: integrate an analytical cockpit like K-VALUE, to :
- measure actual adoption rates by BU, region or business line,
- analyze the impact of training and contextual guides,
- adjust change management actions in real time.
🎯 BU managers: become players in digital adoption
As business unit managers, you are at the heart of the success of digital projects. Your teams use the tools on a daily basis, and it's your role to ensure that they are understood, mastered and valued.
Turning obstacles into opportunities means :
- consider the user as the starting point, not the final stage of the project,
- training with realistic, engaging and personalized tools,
- drive adoption with clear, actionable data.
Knowmore supports you in this process with a comprehensive, user-centered approach designed to adapt to your business needs.
🔚 Conclusion: adoption can't be decreed, it has to be built.
The failure of a tool is never inevitable. It's often the symptom of a lack of support, inadequate training, or absent management. But every difficulty can be transformed into a lever for success, as long as users are put back at the heart of the project.
➡️ Would you like to identify the obstacles specific to your BU and turn them into drivers for adoption?
Make an appointment with a Knowmore expert and let's discover together how to make your digital tools a real business success.