EUCOPS10-BP01 Encourage user participation during service development and rollout to maximize engagement and project success
Encourage users to participate in online and in-person training for any new service to promote trust in the new service, increase employee engagement, and reduce support overheads.
Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: Medium
Implementation guidance
Following the design and initial implementation of a new AWS EUC service, implement a structured plan to train and prepare users impacted by the introduction of the new service prior to production launch.
Provide timely and effective user training to avoid overwhelming support teams during rollout, identify usability issues, and promote employee engagement. If users are well-educated in the use of new systems, the chances of project success are enhanced.
Many approaches can be taken to provide users with the knowledge they need to adapt to a new environment, including:
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Rollout communication: As the date for production rollout becomes imminent, keep users up to date with plans and changes to build trust. Use collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Zoom, or a series of lunch and learn activities, for example, to communicate planned changes to your user population.
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Key users: After a solution is designed and initially deployed, initiate a pilot production phase. During this period, provide access limited key user access to the new systems to test the new services, verify that desktops and applications are delivering the expected functionality and performance, and check that peripheral devices and user data access are working as expected.
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You can also use your key users when a full production rollout is underway to assist with deskside or departmental support, as they will already be well versed in your new AWS EUC services.
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Face to face: If there will be significant changes to the way desktop and applications are delivered, or if the functionality of familiar applications will change due to upgrades or replacement, plan formalized face to face training for groups of users to provide them the opportunity to use the new services in a controlled environment. Verify that experience trainers or key users are in attendance and provide space to ask relevant questions.
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Floor walking: For office-based employees, provide floor walkers for the first few days of a deployment who can react and respond to user questions. This process is a great way to build trust and engagement with the user population.
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Online or web-based: Develop web-based training materials that allow users to consume training at a more convenient time if your user working patterns are unpredictable. Online training is also a good way to augment face to face training, as users can reinforce their skills and return to the courses when needed. Issuing certificates and small incentives to complete training courses is also a good way of building employee engagement and confidence in a new desktop and application deployment.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ): An FAQ is a well-established and highly successful way of allowing users to help themselves, reducing support calls and wait times for users with more complex issues. Gather a comprehensive list of the most common support questions at the pilot phase as key users start to use the new systems and add to it as you identify and resolve new common issues. Deliver the FAQ as a web page to allow the information to evolve quickly and be immediately available for consumption.
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Chatbot: With the evolution of AI/ML and generative AI, delivering an interactive user support capability may be possible for larger deployments. There are many services like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Amazon Q
that can accelerate the delivery of online assistance.
People consume and retain information in different ways. Offering them varied and complementary ways to build their knowledge of new and improved desktop and application delivery services contributes to a more engaged workforce and a successful deployment.
