The first in a series of three webinars was held Wednesday, July 28 at noon EDT. There were 220 in attendance and I’m told there very few drop-offs (despite the fact that my phone cut out just as I was being introduced and it took me four minutes to get back in).
The content of the webinar is summarized in this white paper
http://snipurl.com/zv7ea but I was also accompanied by Kerry Brown, SAP’s Global Vice President for Enablement. Kerry and I find that we are in VIOLENT agreement about many of these subjects and her perspective was a true contribution to the webinar.
In the course of the webinar, I referred to a study I led some years ago regarding the relative competency of end users. The most damning results of this study were:
- Of 133 firms responding, 101 (76%) characterized their end user population as sub-standard (64%) or failing (12%). Chilling, no?
- In response to questions as to who in the firm was responsible for end user competency and who had the budget to maintain it, more than 75% of the responses were “No one” or “Don’t know”.
- Only 13% of the firms provide continuous end user training.
In order to get a clearer idea of how bad things are, and to provide a useful tool to individual clients, I have partnered with Zieta Technologies and 3V Solutions on an SAP End User Maturity Assessment. Collective responses from firms that complete this assessment will provide us an updated and detailed look at the state of end users and end user supports.
I have used the tool in question since 2002 for a variety of assessments:
- Organizational Readiness to Launch a Project
- SAP Go-Live Readiness
- SAP Maturity Assessment
Zieta Technologies is converting my Excel/Survey Monkey tool into a slick web-based tool. It will be available in mid August. In the interim, we are offering use of a beta version at no charge and I am offering a free copy of The SAP Green Book, Thrive After Go-Live to any firm that completes an assessment by August 8, 2010. The offer is valid for the first hundred firms that apply.
I must stress: the assessment is very easily accomplished. You choose 25-40 respondents from your firm who will be given a survey that takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Once all surveys are in, you receive results and diagnostics relative to how well you are adhering to 40 best practices.
Anyone interested can go to this link to download a 17 page overview and/or to register.
http://www.3vsolutions.com/html2/EndUserAssessment.php
In the course of the second webinar, scheduled for August 11, 2010, I will be presenting collective results.