Synapse implementation success methodology: Perform user readiness and onboarding plan review

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Note

This article forms part of the Azure Synapse implementation success by design series of articles. For an overview of the series, see Azure Synapse implementation success by design.

Training technical people, like administrators and developers, is important to deliver success. Don't overlook that you must also extend training to include end users. Review the use cases and roles identified during the assessment stage, project planning, and solution development to ensure that everyone is readied for success.

Evaluate your project plan and prepare an onboarding plan for each group of users, including:

  • Big data analytics users.
  • Structured data analytics users.
  • Users of each of your identified data consumption tools.
  • Operations support.
  • Help desk and user support.

Onboarding and readiness

It's unrealistic to expect that users figure out how to use Azure Synapse, even when they have experience with similar technologies. So, plan to reach out to your users to ensure a smooth transition for them to the new environment. Specifically, ensure that:

  • Users understand what Azure Synapse does and how it does it.
  • Users understand how to use the Azure Synapse service or the platform that uses it.
  • Onboarding of users is a consistent and continuous process.
  • Users see and understand the value of the new environment.

The onboarding of users starts with explanatory sessions or technical workshops. It also involves giving them access to the platform. The onboarding process can span several months depending on the complexity of the solution, and it should set the right tone for future interactions with the Azure Synapse platform and services.

Take tracking steps and make sure users are capable of completing a set of core tasks that will form part of their daily operations. These tasks will be specific to different groups of user groups, roles, and use cases. Be sure to identify:

  • The core actions users need to be able to perform.
  • The steps users must take to perform each action.

Focus your efforts on the tasks that users struggle the most with. Be sure to provide straightforward instructions and processes, yet be mindful of how long it takes for users to complete specific tasks. It's always a good idea to request qualitative feedback to better track user readiness and improve the onboarding experience.

Next steps

In the next article in the Azure Synapse success by design series, learn how to monitor your Azure Synapse solution.