There is one ETO implementation scenario that we have seen occur with a few organizations (fewer and fewer, thankfully) that is truly heartbreaking: an organization did not build a solid data culture, or the executive team did not set adequate expectations. Soon after implementation, users go from sparsely using their ETO system to abandoning it altogether. In the end, the organization will have spent tens of thousands of dollars, lost a year or so of time, and will have nothing to show for it. This is why ETO data quality monitoring as well as outcomes reporting is crucial.
There are thousands of blog posts and articles out there which stress the importance of data culture to successful outcomes achievement, but the ETO administrator can only do so much. For a detailed jump into the world of high performing organizational culture and practice, check out the Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community.
To help focus your time and energy right out of the gate, consider some of the following:
1. Identify and Document Critical Data Processes for Users
Your users must be clear about how they are supposed to use the system. This requires good training, and strong documentation.
As an ETO administrator, you must identify those critical processes where either (a) the user is likely to fail to successfully document their work, and/or (b) outcomes data is wholly dependent on successful data entry.
Once identified, you can develop reports that help managers enforce proper data entry policies, thus ensuring data quality in ETO.
2. Quickly Respond to New Configuration Needs
In the critical few months after Go-Live, the users need to feel supported, and they need to know that someone is helping to care for the system while they get comfortable with it.
Often, users will complain about small things, and the faster you can help them, the more confident they become in both you as an administrator, and in the system itself.
Don’t let the loud voices in the room poison the whole organization’s opinion of the system that you maintain. You can easily turn those voices into full fledged loud supporters by making a few little things in their life much better.
3. Set Regular Outcomes Meetings with Managers, Executives and Users
You implement a system like ETO in order to showcase the outcomes that your organization achieves. Keeping staff focused on achieving those outcomes requires the oversight of managers and directors.
Set meetings with all of your stakeholders, up and down the organization. At each meeting you should present always cover three items:
- Presentation of live outcomes achievement data
- Collection of feedback about the ETO configuration
- Ask if there’s anything that you can do to help them
Regular meetings are the only way to know whether there are problems, and help you identify gaps in your ETO data and reporting.
By appropriately focusing your time and energy from the start, you will ensure long-term success with your users and ETO solution.
Want to learn more? Explore the entire Post Go-Live Roadmap Series.
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