The $40M IT Mistake: The One Question No One Asked

The $40M IT Mistake: The One Question No One Asked

Every IT implementation hinges on one critical factor: getting people to actually use the system. But far too often, organizations focus so much on the technology that they completely overlook what it takes to drive adoption.

The Costly Oversight in IT Projects

Years ago, I was brought in eight months before launch to develop a training and change management strategy for a major IT project. The technical team had been working on it for four years, yet no one had a plan for ensuring people would actually use it.

Why? Because they were completely focused on building the system, getting it live, and making sure it functioned—not on what would happen next.

They assumed that once the system was launched, people would naturally start using it and value would follow.

But that’s not how user adoption works.

That’s a $40 million mistake waiting to happen.

The Question That Exposed a Major Problem

During a workshop, I asked a simple yet powerful question:

“What else needs to happen for you to be able to use the system?”

The response? Chaos.

• One department alone had over 30,000 lines of custom code that would need rewriting—after the system went live.
• Only the internal team had the expertise to do it, and outside help wasn’t an option.
• The team had to juggle this massive workload on top of their normal responsibilities.

The C-suite expected adoption by February. The earliest possible reality? September.

The project manager pulled me aside and admitted:

“People get fired over this.”

What You Need to Do Instead

Don’t let this happen to your IT projects.

Here’s how to avoid these costly mistakes:

• Start change management and user adoption efforts from day one. Don’t wait until after the system is built—start before you even select a vendor.
• Understand that training and communication alone won’t drive adoption. You need a strategy that actively removes barriers to use.
• Identify adoption blockers early. There will always be obstacles—uncover them before they derail your project.
• Set realistic executive expectations. Adoption takes time, and ROI doesn’t happen overnight.

Success Isn’t About Going Live—It’s About Driving Impact

Too many IT teams measure success by system deployment. But a system that no one uses is a failed investment.

True success happens when people adopt the system and use it to drive business results.

From the very beginning of the project, the team must be proactively managing leaders (executive sponsors, C-suite, etc.)—not just about what it takes to get the system live, but about what it will take to get it used and delivering measurable value.

• Adoption doesn’t happen on day one. It’s a process that unfolds over time.
• Adoption doesn’t happen organically. It requires ongoing effort and a clear strategy.
• Adoption doesn’t happen unless you are actively focused on driving it and continuously measuring results.

5 Things You Can Do Today to Ensure User Adoption

Want to avoid the same mistakes? Here are five actionable steps you can take today to drive IT adoption:

1. Ask the right questions now. Don’t assume adoption will happen automatically. Start asking users, “What else needs to happen for you to be able to use this system?”

2. Map out adoption barriers early. Identify potential obstacles—workload conflicts, technical gaps, skills shortages—and create a plan to address them before launch.

3. Engage executives in adoption strategy. Ensure leadership understands that success isn’t just about go-live but about driving measurable business impact over time.

4. Build an ongoing adoption plan. Define specific post-launch actions, resources, and accountability measures to ensure sustained engagement and usage.

5. Measure and optimize continuously. Track adoption metrics beyond initial deployment and adjust your strategy based on user feedback and system usage data.

The sooner you focus on adoption, behavior change, and eliminating barriers, the faster you’ll see real results.

Are you asking the right questions in your IT projects? 🚀