Adopting SaaS

The working model I'm currently using for the SaaS Customer Adoption Lifecycle looks something like this:

Frankly, I saw this somewhere online and played with it for a bit.  Seems to work pretty well, so I'm using it with gratitude to the unrecalled author.

Note that most of the risk in this model appears early in the game.  Also note that there is no recovery path once the customer's SaaS experience goes off the rails.  The lack of any recovery path is one of the reasons why account churn (customers dumping one SaaS vendor for another) is so prevalent


So my thinking is that SaaS vendors should be focusing on making the transition from "Start" (which is really the moment a customer decides to subscribe) to "First Use" (the first use by customer users...not people on the implementation team) as quick and easy as possible.

That's really a critical component for success with SaaS, whether you are a vendor, implementation partner, or customer:  make that path from "Start" to "First Use" in fastest and cheapest manner possible, while still providing users with the best possible overall experience at the time of "First Use."  Fast, inexpensive and high quality...that's a tough balance to strike.  How are you doing it?  Share in the comments.