This is the third piece in Projectline’s series on early adoption programs. In this post, Derek Mathis explains why product evaluation programs are an important step in the release readiness management process and highlights the benefits that these programs offer.

In a previous post, we defined TAPs (technology adoption programs) as one type of pre-release readiness program that allows you to validate the features and functionality of your products. Once this type of program is in place and the feedback is streaming in, you will want to start thinking about the next stage in early adoption. There are a number of programs in this area, such as rapid deployment programs (RDPs), which present a great way to move from product validation to the generation and capture of customer evidence, such as case studies, customer quotes, customer references, and testimonials. This collateral will be invaluable for product launch and post-launch promotion.

While product validation programs typically run early in the product life cycle and aim to gather customer feedback on new products and/or features, product evaluation programs generally begin a bit later and aim to build a pipeline of customer references and marketing materials.

As the product launch date approaches, a number of PR requests will need to be fulfilled, and this is where product evaluation programs can really pay off. Having a strong pipeline of customers willing to provide references and participate in the creation of marketing materials that cover your key messaging and positioning points will not only ensure that these requests can be filled, but also that there is ample support for any and all launch and post-launch events.

Key reasons to implement a product evaluation program:

• To continue to gather feedback from product validation customers who have moved out of the testing phase and deployed into a live or production environment
• To build trust and strengthen customer relationships through the program engagement, facilitating product buy-in and overall brand loyalty
• To develop a range of marketing materials critical to supporting the product launch and post-launch, including but not limited to case studies, solution briefs, customer videos, and business value studies
• To build a pipeline of references for launch and post-launch related events, such as customer quotes, press releases, customer-to-customer referrals, analyst references, and keynote speakers

It’s now probably obvious that there are benefits to the company implementing a product evaluation program, but what about the participating customers? What’s in it for them?

Benefits for participants:

• As with product validation programs, customers get to test-drive a product prior to the public release
• Customers are typically provided with dedicated technical assistance in the form of consultants and also given access to a team of developers and testers to facilitate their rapid deployment
• The marketing materials created, such as case studies, press releases, blog posts, white papers, and business value studies, can also be leveraged by participating customers to promote their own companies, showcase innovation, and drive sales
• Participation in launch events provides great publicity for participating companies

Have you run a product evaluation program? We would love to hear about your experience, how it impacted your business, what worked well, and what didn’t work so well. We realize that the ways these programs are run can vary depending on the size of a company, available budget and resources, coverage of the product launch, and many other factors.

Interested in this topic? Find me on Twitter and let’s chat.

 

Projectline’s Customer Engagement Group is excited to present a blog series exploring what a Technology Adoption Program is and how it can benefit both you and your customers. The first installment provided an overview of Early Adoption Programs. Here is the second installment in the series.

Now that we’ve heard what Early Adoption Programs are all about, I’d like to focus on one of the two previously mentioned types of EAPs: the TAP, or Technology Adoption Program.

I’m a big fan of www.acronymfinder.com. If you plug the ‘TAP’ acronym into that site, you will find “Technology Adoption Program (various companies)” as the second entry.

This definition is found in the following Acronym Finder categories:

• Information technology (IT) and computers
• Organizations, NGOs, schools, universities, etc…
• Business, finance, etc…

So if you’re working with or for a business or organization that needs to vet a technology product prior to its formal commercial release, one of the best ways to do so is via a TAP.

A TAP is a type of beta or pre-release program that allows a business or organization to collaborate with its customers and/or partners by making pre-commercial release software available to them for testing and evaluation in a controlled environment. Both the business and its external TAP participants benefit.

Let’s look at what a TAP does:

• Captures valuable feedback about the functionality of a single technology product or suite of products, which allows for product improvement. This feedback typically comes by way of the submission of “bugs”, which are issues or problems found by participants during testing.
• Validates the usability of feature sets or the functionality of the pre-release product in a customer’s own environment and compatibility with other systems.
• Helps businesses identify which features are most important to their customers, as they typically begin when product teams are seeking this early feedback.
• Builds trust and creates product buy-in by allowing for a limited set of a business’s influential customers and/or partners to act as trusted advisors.
• Helps to create a feeling of partnership with a business’s customers and/or partners by engaging their participation to help make the product better and specifically suitable to their own needs.

Now let’s look at how a TAP is administered:

• A TAP can be administered (or put in front of) a business’s customers and/or technology partners, using any number of IT infrastructure tools and communications mechanisms, but the broad objective is to make pre-release software available to a limited set of external organizations.
• A TAP’s exposure and access to software should be strictly controlled, using legal nondisclosure agreements for participants, to limit the risk of leaks to the broader public.
• TAPs typically offer a support channel to their participants, so that all technical questions can be quickly addressed and remedied.
• TAP rules, restrictions, and duration should be clearly and explicitly defined to all participants in advance of admission to the program.

All Technology Adoption Programs are a little different, so we’d love to hear from you. What benefits have your business and its customers realized as a result of running TAPs? How did the TAP experience impact your business? What worked well? What didn’t work so well?

And if we can help, please don’t hesitate to ask…

 

Projectline’s Customer Engagement Group is excited to begin a blog series exploring what a Technology Adoption Program is and how it can benefit both you and your customers. Here is the first blog in the series.

For any product, the weeks and months leading up to launch can be a stressful time. Before the product has reached the public, it may be hard to tell how well the development team has identified and addressed the needs of the end user. Technology Adoption Programs help address these concerns and provide valuable feedback before the product goes to market.

In essence, an Technology Adoption Program (TAP) connects the product owner with feedback and guidance, starting early in the process and continuing through launch and distribution. Depending on the type of program, benefits can include anything from technical feedback to in-depth knowledge of how the product is actually used and how it impacts users in their day-to-day tasks.

Technology Adoption Programs take two primary forms:

• Product Validation: the primary goal is to ensure that the product is technically sound and ready to be released into the marketplace.
• Early Adopters: provides early access to customers with the potential to be key references and product supporters as a result of customer experiences.

Here are a few things that Technology Adoption Programs can accomplish:

• Confirm that the technology meets the needs of the marketplace. While a great deal of research is conducted in the beginning phases of development, the months just ahead of launch are a key time to test and look at the product again, ideally through the eyes of the user. Although the technology may meet customer needs on paper, hands-on experience and daily usage will reveal whether the technology is on target.
• Gain early feedback. Utilizing feedback early and throughout the development cycle allows changes to be made, even changes in the concept of exactly how the product is going to be used. While no team wants to have their product be a moving target, the reality of a rapidly evolving technology market requires that newly released products come across as truly “new”.
• Ensure product readiness. Few things can do as much damage to the reputation of a new product as releasing something that is “buggy” or nonresponsive. Technology Adoption Programs provide a controlled environment for additional testing, at a point when additional changes can be made before the final release.
• Give customers an early view of new technology. Customers value any edge they can gain in a competitive marketplace. Having early access to the latest technologies, along with the technical support that comes with many programs, gives customers the ability to be confident in their deployment and the peace of mind that they will be up and running ahead of their competitors.
• Accelerate adoption and gain public references to support marketing efforts. Most people have heard of the “cutting edge” vs. the “bleeding edge.” By using early adoption programs, teams can differentiate their products as the former rather than the latter. Case studies, videos, and customer references associated with a new product are priceless and can be the key differentiator to prospective customers.