1. What business problem(s) did your organization / project face, and why did you choose a digital adoption strategy to help you solve it?
The biggest issue we faced was the overall adoption of Salesforce. W.L. Gore has several divisions using Salesforce in different ways. With frequent process changes and new features being added all the time, it was difficult to not only communicate these updates, but also train the end users on how best to use the tool for their specific role or division. Communications were a struggle. Email blasts were not resulting in the desired outcome, because users wouldn’t log into Salesforce to see the changes. We needed something to help us with effective, segmented, internal communications. Live trainings proved to be difficult, time consuming, and ineffective. Being a global company, scheduling live trainings for each time zone was not easy, and as per company policy, we could not force people to attend. Even those end users who did attend the trainings would later contact the trainers with questions that were covered in the trainings. Training materials were also very difficult to manage and maintain. When users tried searching for help guides on their own, they found outdated content. This is because the tools were changing faster than our training team could keep up. Lastly, it was hard for our development team to determine next steps for different features, because it was difficult to know if Salesforce was being used, and equally important, how it was being used.
2. How did you use WalkMe, in conjunction with other strategies and technologies, to address your challenges?
Now our entire digital adoption strategy is in WalkMe, and the change in our organization has been remarkable. Communications are now done with a clear in-app messaging strategy. We use ShoutOuts both leading up to new feature releases and changes, as well as post go-live. The ShoutOuts link to various Resources or open the WalkMe Menu directly, so users have the information they need when they need it. Live trainings have been eliminated completely. Rollouts are now 100% through WalkMe, consisting of “tour” style Walk-Thrus, showcasing new features, as well as key SmartTips and Launchers that help users get the answers they need quickly and in the flow of work. Each digital rollout is tracked through Insights, so we know exactly who did not complete the training. We then use Behavior Based Segmentation to send targeted follow-ups to these users. Gathering feedback is now easier than ever. Users now have a channel to our development team through buttons that link to Smartsheets. After seeing poor participation in our regular NPS surveys, we added a Launcher to Salesforce that only disappears once the user has taken the survey. Since enabling WalkMe and using internal NPS surveys, we have had a 92% increase in Salesforce satisfaction! Lastly, Digital Experience Analytics and Tracked Events have helped our development team and leadership gain the visibility they need to make important decisions, which is key in forming our ongoing adoption strategy for Salesforce.
3. How does your digital adoption strategy, especially with regard to WalkMe, impact or benefit your end-users (customers and/or employees), your team, and leadership? RM Front End empowers RMs to deliver excellence in Wealth Management: To perform daily activities more efficiently and to deliver a differentiated client experience. WalkMe aids our end-users by ensuring:
This has been one of the most amazing transformations to watch. Due to our company’s vision and values, we have many associates that have been here for 20 years and are set in their ways. The speed at which they adopted this new strategy is staggering. We were expecting more of a pushback or to see many concerns arise, but it was exactly the opposite. Now, users have come to expect the in-tool messaging and have even asked “So the next rollout will be the digital way again, right?”. They really enjoy being able to train when it fits best into their schedule. The time savings have been tremendous. Previously, they would have attended a 60–90-minute live training session, but now it takes about 15 minutes to go through the content, which leaves them a lot more time to get back out and keep selling. We have effectively saved 75 training minutes for one group of 260 users, equaling a savings of 325 training hours in sales and 10 trainer hours, just for one feature!
4. How has your digital adoption strategy, especially with regard to WalkMe, helped your organization better achieve its mission, goals, or values?
WalkMe has filled a huge void for leadership. Previously, it was very hard to track both training initiatives and overall software adoption, as well as to know who is doing what. For us, success is not just taking the training provided and engaging with WalkMe, but actually using the tool. We want our users to adopt new features and updates, which development has put so much time, effort, and money into creating. Having all of the associates now using these features daily has given leadership so much more visibility. They no longer schedule endless one-on-one meetings (one new feature saved 400 meeting hours!), now they quickly look into Salesforce for the data that they need. After each digital rollout, weekly stats are sent out, which have been gathered through Insights, allowing leaders to quickly follow up with key members of their teams. Many leaders even reach out to me directly, asking for stats on this or that, now that they know we have this capability.
5. What about your implementation or success makes you most proud? Why?
My proudest moment simply has been helping the team realize their digital adoption goals. I have been able to unite the three separate divisions, with a clear message and consistent strategy. We now have a 100% digital approach for new features and updates, and live training has been eliminated – a savings of 10 trainer hours and 75 minutes per associate. Anywhere from 250-500 users need to be trained through 10-20 live sessions per feature. Users can now quickly find the support that they need in-tool, with no interruption to their workflow. Introducing the tracking capabilities of Insights has been key in the decision-making process. I continually listen to user feedback and improve their daily Salesforce experience. I have built great relationships with each division and meet regularly with them to align on next steps and our roadmap. I very much feel like an integral part of this team and know that we will only grow and refine our strategy for 2023.
6. Please share any additional information about your role in the project, your results, and/or your vision for the future that supports your submission.
I am the WalkMe Administrator and sole builder. We have an 86% WalkMe interaction rate from our 2,290 associates using Salesforce, spanning 71 countries. Having 152 Tracked Events in place and stats on all content now being sent out monthly is key to both stakeholders and developers in their decision-making process. They now know that we have tracking capabilities and have that in the front of their minds. In my vision for 2023, I will focus heavily on adding more automations to both to the existing division that uses them, and also to our two other two divisions. I currently have Case automations available for four countries, but will be expanding to others as well, they all want in!
7. OPTIONAL: If you're using WalkMe outside of the project described in this submission, please share additional examples.
We have also had tremendous success with automations! After accidentally hearing complaints on a meeting, I found out that it took users 15-26 repetitive clicks to set up a Salesforce form to disposition cases! A process that used to take 3 minutes manually now takes 30 seconds automated. In the 9 months since launching, we have saved $64k and over 585k clicks! The feedback has been amazing, more automations are in the works as we speak! As a bonus, our data quality is impeccable!
8. Company Blurb
W.L Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. With more than 11,500 Associates and a strong, team-oriented culture, Gore generates annual revenues of $3.8 billion. At Gore, we innovate to enhance everyday experiences, repair hearts, explore space and so much more.