Adoption & Change: Make the New Way the Normal Way
Introduction — “Technology Ships Fast. Habits Board Later.”
The hardest part of any FP&A transformation isn’t the model — it’s the people. Rolling forecasts, driver-based planning,
and slick dashboards won’t help if teams keep emailing templates called vFinal. Adoption is the bridge between “we built it” and “we use it every month without thinking.” This post gives you a practical playbook: who does what, how to train without boredom, how to communicate without spam, and how to use CCH Tagetik to make the right way the easy way (which is the only way that sticks).
Why Adoption Matters (and What It Looks Like)
Adoption isn’t a training session; it’s a behaviour change. You’ll know it’s working when business partners update drivers without reminders, execs ask for the same three charts (and get them), and the monthly ritual runs on rails. In other words, the process survives vacations. Tools help, but defaults and rituals do the heavy lifting.
CCH Tagetik helps by making the path of least resistance the correct one: workflow nudges, role-based forms,
version locks, assumption logs, and dashboards that tell the same story every month (your future sanity says thanks).
Stakeholder Map & Talk Tracks
- CFO: “We’ll publish cycle time, forecast accuracy, and decision conversion monthly. Same pack, faster choices.”
- Sales: “You own price/volume inputs; finance shows them verbatim. No translation, no rekeying.”
- Operations: “Freight, yield, capacity live in one place. See margin & cash impacts within minutes, not weeks.”
- IT: “One integration set, audit trail out of the box, fewer macro emergencies. Tickets go down, sleep goes up.”
- Controllers: “Actuals flow straight in; less reconciliation, more analysis. Governance without the headache.”
Keep the pitch to outcomes and time back — adoption accelerates when people see their pain shrink (surprise).
RACI That Actually Prevents Chaos
| Workstream | Responsible (R) | Accountable (A) | Consulted (C) | Informed (I) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price & Volume Inputs | Sales Finance / Sales Ops | VP Sales | FP&A, Marketing | Executive Team |
| COGS & Freight Drivers | Operations Finance | COO | Procurement, Logistics | Executive Team |
| Opex & Headcount | HR & FP&A | CHRO / CFO | Business Unit Leaders | Executive Team |
| Scenario Setup & Governance | FP&A | CFO | Sales, Ops, Treasury | Board / Exec |
| Reporting Pack & KPIs | FP&A Reporting Lead | CFO | BU Finance, Controllers | All Stakeholders |
Publish this RACI where people actually look (inside the planning platform, not an orphaned slide). In CCH Tagetik,
map roles and workflow to mirror this table so the system enforces the intent (polite, relentless).
Training Plan: Snackable, Role-Based, Repeatable
- Role paths: separate journeys for Sales, Ops, FP&A, and Execs. Teach only the screens they’ll use.
- Short bursts: 20–30 minute sessions with a single outcome (“enter price/volume,” “clone a scenario”).
- Job aids: 1-page PDF per task with screenshots and a checklist (laminated in spirit).
- Office hours: weekly drop-in for questions; publish the Q&A so it compounds.
- Refresher cadence: 1 month post-go-live and quarterly thereafter (muscle memory is a team sport).
Bake these into CCH Tagetik via embedded help, form instructions, and workflow comments; reduce the need for “Where do I click?” emails.
Comms That Move Behaviour (Not Just Inboxes)
Communication isn’t volume; it’s clarity plus timing. Use templated messages tied to milestones: “window opens,” “reminder,” “window closing,” “approved,” “locked.” Keep subject lines action-first (“Submit price/volume by Friday — 10 min”). Include a single link to the platform.
Let CCH Tagetik do the nudging: automated reminders, overdue flags, and workflow status boards reduce manual chasing (and your inbox can retire from project management).
30–60–90 Adoption Roadmap
| Phase | Focus | Key Moves | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Stabilise & show quick wins | Lock RACI; launch role-based forms; publish KPI glossary; pilot one BU | Confidence; first submissions on-platform |
| Days 31–60 | Expand & standardise | Scale to all BUs; turn on workflow reminders; standard pack layout | Consistency; fewer off-system edits |
| Days 61–90 | Embed & optimise | Publish accuracy & cycle-time scorecard; retire legacy templates; refresher training | New normal; measurable improvements |
Common Pitfalls & Simple Fixes
| Pitfall | Why It Hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow spreadsheets persist | Version wars; audit pain | Retire templates with clear date; lock platform versions |
| “Training day” only | Skills fade; support tickets spike | Role-based refreshers; office hours; job aids |
| KPI definitions drift | Meetings stall on semantics | Publish a glossary; centralise in platform |
| No visible wins | Scepticism grows; momentum fades | Share “time saved” & “decision made” stories monthly |
Real-World Moments You’ll Recognise
- The Template Standoff: A BU insists on “our version.” You set the platform as system of record and map their fields into it. Resistance fades when the old file stops getting accepted.
- The “Quick Fix” Email: Someone asks for a side-sheet tweak. You say yes — in the assumptions log, with an owner and date. The habit changes because the path is official (and visible).
- The Deadline Drift: Late submissions creep in. Workflow reminders and a visible status board nudge behaviour (peer pressure, but nice).
- The Definition Debate: Two teams use “margin” differently. The glossary link in the pack ends the detour in ten seconds. Bliss.
Metrics That Prove It’s Sticking
- Adoption rate: % of submissions via platform (target > 90%).
- Off-system edits: % of numbers changed outside the platform (target < 10%).
- Cycle time: Close-to-forecast & close-to-pack in ≤ 5 business days.
- Decision conversion: % of reviews ending with owners & dates (target > 80%).
- Support volume: Training-related tickets per month (trending down is the goal).
Where CCH Tagetik helps most: workflow reminders & status boards, role-based data entry forms, version locking, assumption change logs with audit, reusable dashboards, and embedded guidance. Translation: the right behaviour becomes the easy behaviour.