The Problem
Data analytics platforms generate revenue when customers utilize their technology. Large corporations that handle vast amounts of data often have teams of administrators dedicated to optimizing data flow, and multiple technologies embedded to achieve their goals.
Upon being hired, technical administrators contribute their knowledge, expertise, and previous workflows to the new company. While developing a foundational course for this audience, our technical SME shared the discovery that unless platform administrators understand the “Why” (value) of using our solution they might choose to utilize a different platform they already are familiar with or, worse, create workarounds (shadow IT) to solve their business needs.
When customers select alternative paths to meet their data analytics goals, two outcomes might occur. On the customer side, the already complex technical ecosystem, which consists of multiple third-party tools, poses a risk of operational inefficiencies.
For vendors who rely on usage to generate revenue, the potential loss from these scenarios could be significant. It was crucial to address this gap quickly to maintain anticipated levels of income.
The Solution
It was determined that informing administrators during platform onboarding of the benefits gained from using our product over other technologies and workarounds was crucial for successfully avoiding the downfalls of other options.
Design Approach
I designed a multi-phase approach to bridging this gap, as follows:
- Rapidly develop a public-facing blog post incorporating content supporting our platform value.
- Create an eLearning module utilizing this content in the onboarding course.
- Record a podcast that would be the first in a new learning approach for our customers.
Results and takeaways
Out of the three phases mentioned earlier, only the blog was approved and finalized for development due to resource limitations. However, we identified an opportunity to incorporate the blog as additional reading within the course. Additionally, we provided the content to our team of technical SMEs for them to share with customers as needed, thus enhancing the accessibility of the content.
Final takeaway: This solution effectively addressed a gap for both the customer and our organization.
