In recent blogs, we’ve explored how organizations can boost user adoption and value of SharePoint, Teams and Office 365 overall. In today’s post, we examine ways companies can get more out of OneDrive for Business.
Compared with other Office apps like Excel, SharePoint and Teams, OneDrive for Business is undeniably less complex. But organizations should not assume it is plug-and-play simple—employees will still need guidance and support to use it effectively. Here are three ways companies can get started:
- Provide communication, training and support from day one. Explain why they need to use it—access to the most recent version of files from any device, security, integration across Office 365, and countless other reasons. Provide training that is tailored to individuals and to organizational departments, and be sure to provide specific use cases. Finally, provide employees with easy access to support and coaching to eliminate frustration and downtime.
- Give employees context—explain how OneDrive for Business can improve the way they work. Change without context can deliver undesirable results—people may actively resist the change, or they may be confused about how to best use the technology. Be sure to explain how OneDrive for Business works, why your organization is using it, how it can increase productivity and foster collaboration, and how it can improve the way they work. Provide them with best practices and tailored training—be sure to focus on top features and functionality such as:
- Versioning: How it works, how to modify individual settings, and how to restore previous versions.
- Sharing: The difference between using OneDrive and SharePoint for collaboration, how to share files with people inside the organization and with external partners.
- Notifications: When changes are made to shared files, OneDrive can alert users by email, within an app (Excel, Word, etc.), or in the Windows 10 Notification Center.
- Integration: OneDrive is fully integrated with Office 365, but users need to take certain steps to ensure seamless access across all their devices.
- Enable users to keep up with changes. Microsoft rolls out updates to OneDrive and the rest of Office 365 on a regular basis—that’s why it’s critical that organizations inform users about the changes and equip them with the knowledge they need to stay productive. Keep a keen eye on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap and ensure you offer relevant training and support.
A Gartner study conducted early last year identified a substantial gap between OneDrive for Business usage and value. For example, almost 80 percent of respondents said they use OneDrive for Business, but they gave it an average of 12 points out of 100 for value.
Organizations should not assume OneDrive is plug-and-play simple—employees will still need guidance and support to use it effectively
The fact that OneDrive is set as a default save location in Office may explain its high usage, according to the report. Regarding value, the report echoes the conclusions of countless previous studies—that without nudging in the form of communication, training and coaching, most people will stick with what they know when using technology. That translates to low adoption, ineffective usage, and very little value to the organization. Business leaders, it’s time to start nudging.
Jen is an award-winning journalist who writes about workplace productivity and technology for Vitalyst. She believes in the power of using plain language, especially when writing about technology, and lists “achieving and enabling clarity” among her life goals.
