When you add new software to your company, it is exciting. Naturally, once you decide on using the technology, you want it available immediately to use. Unfortunately, implementing new software takes time and patience if you want to get it right.

It’s no different with ScreenSteps. With ScreenSteps, we’ve created processes to streamline the implementation timeline for companies. But, there is still no bippity-boppity boo process where your technology fairy godmother waves a magic wand and everything is set. It takes time.

As I’ve helped hundreds of companies implement ScreenSteps, I’ve seen the value of taking the time to set up their knowledge base software.

So, how long does implementing ScreenSteps take?

Below, I give a general overview of the implementation timeline. Then I explain the three phases of implementation so that you can determine how long it will take your company to implement ScreenSteps.

Jonathan DeVore

By: Jonathan DeVore on October 7th, 2021

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How Long Does it Take to Implement ScreenSteps?

ScreenSteps implementation timeline

From start to launch, it will take about 5 weeks to 6 months to implement ScreenSteps in your company. 

Exactly how long it takes your company to implement ScreenSteps is dependent on many factors. Some of those factors include:

  • If you already have standardized procedures
  • How many documented procedures you have
  • How many employees are working on content
  • If you are using the ScreenSteps coaches to implement the software

By looking at the three phases of implementing ScreenSteps, you can better estimate how long it would take your company to implement the knowledge base software.

3 phases of implementing ScreenSteps

There are three phases to implementation — with the first two phases being pre-launch and the final phase happening post-launch. Those who take the time to follow these steps are able to see the effects of ScreenSteps on their employee performance.

When you follow these phases in order, you prepare a ScreenSteps site that will serve as a reliable one-stop shop of resources for your employees.

1. Determine the strategy (1 week)

Before you start using ScreenSteps, it is important to lay the groundwork. This part should only take about a week.

Identify performance goals

What performance goals do you have? How do you hope ScreenSteps will help you achieve these performance goals?

The performance goals you set should be measurable. So a goal like, “We want better training,” isn’t specific enough. You’ll want to identify a statistic that helps measure the success of that generic goal.

A statistically-based performance goal could be, “Employees can complete all Tier 1 tasks without mistakes the week after onboard training is complete.”

Identify what employees need to do to hit those goals

Once you know the end goal, you can create a map for how your employees are going to achieve these performance goals.

This goes beyond what people need to understand or know. Pick apart what they are doing vs. what they understand.

Identify the tasks/questions required to hit those goals

From typing information into a system to answering questions, what tasks do your employees need to complete as part of the process?

These tasks and questions employees ask while on the job will become the articles you document in your knowledge base.

Determine if there are any gaps

Perform a gap analysis of your content. What content do you already have? Which essential policies and procedures aren’t documented yet?

Answering those questions will help you prepare for phase two of implementation.

🔍 Related: 3 Steps To Set Up ScreenSteps For Cloud Implementation Training [VIDEO]

2. Create the knowledge base (1-6 months)

Building your ScreenSteps knowledge base is part of your pre-launch plan.

Depending on how much existing content (i.e. documented policies, processes, and procedures) your company already has, this phase takes anywhere from 1-6 months.

Set up your account/site

Before you can do anything, you first have to set up your account. This involves:

Getting the groundwork for your site only takes an afternoon to implement. This is typically a one-man job. Whoever is in charge of your ScreenSteps site can handle the initial setup. However, they may need IT support to arrange the single sign-on.

Once you’ve set up your site, the rest of the implementation process can be a team effort.

Import your existing content

The next step is to migrate your existing content into ScreenSteps. Many factors that affect how long it takes to import your content, including:

  • How much content you have
  • How formalized those procedures are
  • What format they are in (ie: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

If you have all of your content, then this takes one to two weeks.

If you don’t have existing documentation and are writing everything from scratch, then it will take longer. In these scenarios, it can take up to two months to get your content added to your ScreenSteps site.

ScreenSteps offers migration services for an additional fee. When you use ScreenSteps migration services, it shortens the migration process to days instead of weeks or months.

Modify the formatting

After importing your documents into ScreenSteps, you’ll want to optimize them. Optimizing your content means reformatting the articles so that they are easy for employees to read the instructions and follow them while in the workflow.

This could mean adjusting the articles to call flows, workflow articles, checklists, or other article types. Another way to optimize content is using the content creation tools (ie. bolding, foldable sections, screenshots) to write clear instructions.

This part of building up your knowledge base takes between 1 week and 4 weeks.

Fill in the gaps

Once everyone starts to see the content in ScreenSteps, they will see that it is incomplete. And that’s okay! There are always going to be more policies and procedures to add to your knowledge base.

Identifying these gaps and adding the content to your ScreenSteps site is an ongoing process. Initially filling the gaps takes between one week and six months depending on how big the gaps are and how available your team is.

User testing

Test your knowledge base content in a variety of situations with employees who have different experience levels.

Have tenured employees use your knowledge base content with their daily tasks. Have new hires try it out in training. If you are a call center, have agents follow your call flows while on a live call.

This step takes a week. It can overlap with filling in the gaps. During user testing, your employees trying the system will probably identify missing guides.

🔍 Related: 5 Steps to Prepare Content For Your ScreenSteps Site (+ Consulting Services)

3. Optimize (post-launch)

This is an ongoing process. You’ll continually be optimizing your ScreenSteps knowledge base for as long as you use the articles.

Encourage employees to use articles regularly

After you’ve launched your ScreenSteps site, your work is not over. You’ll want to create a precedent for your employees to use your ScreenSteps guides every time they do tasks. This makes it easier to communicate changes to policies and procedures.

Receive, review, and incorporate feedback

ScreenSteps provides two ways for content creators to receive feedback from end-users: comments and revision notes.

Changes to policies, processes, and procedures are inevitable. The end-users are going to be the first to know when something is incorrect or out of date in an article. Have a plan — including a point person — for reviewing feedback and incorporating it into your articles.

Optimize articles

Continue to optimize your articles so that they are simple for employees to find and use. Your employee feedback will be critical to helping you optimize your content.

Add additional keywords to make it easier for your employees to find the articles they need. Add annotations to your screenshots so it is clear in which order your employees need to push buttons.

Need customized guidance on how to implement ScreenSteps?

Ultimately, you are getting the ScreenSteps knowledge base to help your company reach some sort of performance goal. Whether that is achieving better performance scores, reducing mistakes, or some other goal, ScreenSteps helps.

It can be intimidating to implement new software in your company, especially when it comes to documenting and optimizing your procedures. But, you don’t have to do it on your own.

Outside of the initial onboarding introduction, ScreenSteps offers coaching for an additional cost. If you want more support for preparing your ScreenSteps site for launch, a coach provides personalized support that gets to the core of your company’s needs.

See how a ScreenSteps coach can help you reach your performance goals in seven steps.

See 7 Steps

About Jonathan DeVore

Customer Success