How Campus IT Teams Can Reduce Friction in Digital Experiences

Friction can also arise on systems that are rarely used. When the University of Maryland surveyed faculty, staff and graduate assistants after implementing new enterprise resource planning systems, they discovered a gap between system performance and user perceptions. While the systems performed well technically, users reported negative experiences. Areas of friction were most apparent in tasks users performed only occasionally.

“A lot of these systems are there to engage you for what we call ‘common but rare’ tasks, which sounds like an oxymoron,” said Jonathan Engelberg, research analyst for academic technology experience at the University of Maryland. “They're common in the sense that a lot of people have to do them, but they're rare in the sense that they don't have to be done very frequently — things like booking travel, or more episodic things like conflict-of-interest reporting, which we have to do once a year.”

By the time these tasks come around again, users may have forgotten the process, terminology or even which system to use. That experience can shape the user’s perception of the system.

Friction might also appear when a change is made that users are not ready for. Fatima explained that users may work around a new tool if they find that it adds extra effort. IT teams need to help people use it and make the change stick. 

DISCOVER: Reducing friction starts with outcomes, not technology.

She suggested employing a friction map prior to making a change to get a clearer view of where issues could lie. A friction map identifies inertia, effort, reactance and emotion as four categories of barriers that can make a change harder to adopt. 

“This map helps leaders anticipate resistance early and make trade-offs more intentionally,” she said. “Then they can acknowledge pain points instead of being surprised by them.”

Take Note of End-User Needs

Understanding user needs is vital to creating frictionless digital experiences. 

Engelberg quoted a marketing philosophy coined by Harvard Business School Professor Theodore Levitt: “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.” He likened this quote to the digital experience. 

“It's not just about the system,” Engelberg said. “It's about what people's needs are, and whether that system is meeting those needs. Is there a better way for people to get supported in full than that system that they'd rather not use?”

At Northwestern, Fatima’s team engages in stakeholder mapping to identify impacted groups and tailor communication and guidance accordingly.

“Identify who's impacted, their managers, their influence level: bystander, helper, champion, critical to the success,” she said. “Because you want to make sure the people you identify as critical to the success are in alignment throughout the project. People who are bystanders, you can send more general communications to them. And then you also want to highlight your champions because these are the people who are more boots on the ground and can help drive and sustain that change.”

READ MORE: Modern collaboration depends on a unified digital experience.

Listen to Feedback to Make Meaningful Change

Feedback is one of the most useful tools for identifying friction. Surveys can reveal a difference between how well a system performs and how people feel about using it. 

The University of Maryland’s survey gathered feedback from users about the new ERP system’s pain points. The team considered how to address the responses via software updates or support protocols.

“We met with all of the system owners of the nine systems covered in the survey,” Engelberg said. “We briefed them on the next steps and follow-up actions they could take and grouped those into several categories of action.” Categories included timing guidance around recurring tasks, centering the user experience with a more integrated and searchable resource hub and clarifying IT versus business office support roles. The team will continue to monitor user experiences via additional surveys.

Fatima recommended using resistance to inform future updates. Asking open-ended questions, and using feedback can help IT teams adjust communication and support. And asking questions before changes are implemented about what people expect to become harder, slower or less clear can expose challenges before they become obstacles and while there is still time to respond. 

“You want to listen to the feedback and friction, and then adjust your support and processes accordingly,” Fatima said. “It's an ongoing cycle. Listen, learn and implement. Reinforcement ensures that changes become embedded and sustained rather than fading away.”