Why Adoption Is the Ultimate KPI for Value in Your Tech Stack

RevOps leaders can evaluate the value of different tools in their tech stack in many different ways, but one signal reigns supreme: user adoption.

If no one uses a tool, its value is negative. If only some of the team use it, there’s work to be done to maximize ROI. But find a tool everyone can integrate seamlessly into their workflow and you’ve struck gold. 

As Salesloft’s VP of Revenue Operations Scott Nehnevajsa explains, the key to driving value with your tech stack lies in laying the groundwork for success before you choose a new technology and continually working to maximize adoption post-implementation. 

Read Scott’s insights and discover how to make your revenue tools worth the investment by boosting adoption. 

Why new tools get adopted

Any new technology will require effort and expense. These two hurdles aren’t impossible to overcome, but they can be the downfall of many worthy solutions. Cost and effort need to be balanced with a clear path to driving revenue or making people more efficient in their roles. 

Some tools can be directly tied to revenue, but in other cases, you need to develop a strong understanding of the path to impact. 

“With tools that require a larger effort or cost, it really comes down to balancing company priorities,” Scott says. “The level of complexity in these tools, their deep data structures, data cleanliness, and lack of structured internal documentation and enablement drive further adoption challenges.” 

Look for these signs that a complex new technology is worth pursuing:

• It meets your current needs, but will also grow with your company and offer more value over time
• It integrates smoothly with your existing tech stack, particularly your CRM system, marketing tools, and reporting systems
• The vendor regularly releases user interface and product updates to stay competitive in a fast-changing market
• The vendor has a positive reputation for support, user experience, service, and company culture

Once you’ve identified that a tool is worth focusing on from a business perspective, your next challenge is to demonstrate its value to your stakeholders, including the end users. 

As a RevOps leader, you have an important role in helping your team see that the effort required to get up to speed with new tech will be more than worth it. 

“Resourcefulness and relationships are key to driving outcomes,” Scott says.

Sure up the likelihood of technology adoption before making a purchase

To ensure the success of any new tool, you need to understand how it will impact your team’s success and the bottom line. 

The first step is to demonstrate the business case. Start by defining the problem you're trying to solve and how the tool will address it. Look for value in the short and long term, and be as specific as possible.  

Scott explains, “Even when you are familiar with the general architecture and capabilities of these tools, the real superpower is context.” 

Consider these questions to tease out how the technology will play out in your particular data ecosystem:

• What is the data source of truth and how does it cascade?
• What are the business-specific situations and nuances that could change the context of the data? 
• What are the desired outcomes and how might nuances impact the accuracy of your results?

It can be tempting to jump into trendy technologies that boast impressive results. This is compounded when there’s pressure from above. 

For example, many RevOps leaders are encouraged to implement AI tools to improve efficiency, but it can be difficult to separate the real-value drivers from the redundancies. If something can be done using your existing tech stack, start there before adding something new. 

Driving technology adoption at Salesloft 

At Salesloft, we know how valuable new systems and tools can be, but we’ve also seen what happens when companies find themselves with bloated tech stacks. This is why our RevOps team works so diligently to manage the technology adoption process. 

We asked Scott to walk us through how he and his team managed a technology implementation that required company-wide buy-in. This highly complex initiative was successful, but it didn’t happen overnight. Scott explains: 

“To better serve the needs of our growing Enterprise customer base, we decided to overhaul our quoting, contracting, and billing processes. This initiative presented significant challenges, particularly in terms of change management and customer adoption.

To mitigate these risks, we began by identifying the specific pain points and challenges the new system aimed to address. After evaluating potential solutions, we developed a strong business case that highlighted the expected benefits and ROI. This case was crucial in securing executive buy-in and mobilizing the necessary resources.”

It was RevOps’ ability to communicate the value of the solution that ultimately drove the success of this initiative. The following critical considerations from our process can also be applied to yours:

• Effective communication and stakeholder engagement
• Proactively socializing the changes with all impacted teams
• Clearly articulating the benefits, risks, and rationale behind strategic decisions
• Involving stakeholders early and often to address concerns, gather feedback, and build consensus

A 4-part framework to maximize adoption of new tools

Once a tool has been introduced, adoption doesn’t happen overnight. As the example above illustrates, it is the direct result of strategic initiatives to communicate the value that will be delivered once the technology is in play –– not just upon implementation but on an ongoing basis.

We've implemented a structured framework that ensures new tools are used efficiently and effectively at Salesloft. Over time, this has led our RevOps team to earn trust and credibility for delivering value. Here’s how you can use this proven framework in your organization:

1. Standardized dashboards: Create consistent dashboards that provide clear and actionable insights. This ensures everyone is aligned and can easily track progress.
2. Comprehensive training: To ensure long-term success, continuous learning is crucial. Regularly provide training opportunities and resources to keep teams engaged and skilled in using the new system.
3. Continuous feedback: Actively seek feedback from users to identify pain points and areas for improvement. This iterative approach helps refine processes and ensure value is being delivered.
4. Celebrate wins: Create a positive feedback loop with the C-suite by highlighting specific examples of how previous tools have led to performance improvements, cost savings, or increased efficiency. This can help build trust and facilitate future approvals.

Make your tech stack work for your business

Tools are only as effective as the people using them. A robust, modern tech stack can revolutionize your operations or it can drag down business efficiency and profitability. 

A tool's potential is only realized when it's actively used and integrated into daily workflows. This doesn’t happen by accident. As a RevOps leader, you’re in the position to drive adoption by choosing the right tools and guiding your team to see the value in them.

Want more practical advice on getting the most value from your tech stack? Read the RevOps Leadership Handbook for step-by-step guidance on forecasting, adoption strategies, and maximizing your tech ROI.