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Why are my users missing out on new features in our business software?

Sep 8, 2025 | News articles

Business software, whether HRIS or ERP, is constantly evolving. Updates are now released quarterly, sometimes even monthly. Yet one persistent problem remains: your users rarely discover these new features… or only long after they’ve been released.

This disconnect between tool evolution and actual user uptake results in lost value and reduced productivity.

Table of contents:

  1. Classic communication: why it no longer works
  2. The impact of non-adoption on performance
  3. How usage context transforms feature adoption

1. Classic Communication: Why It No Longer Works

Application managers often rely on traditional channels: release notes by email, internal newsletters, or shared documents on the intranet. On paper, these methods seem to cover all the bases. In reality, they get buried in overflowing inboxes, are overlooked due to lack of time, or are read too late.

Two major reasons explain this gap. First: information overload. Users receive dozens of emails a day and only have a few minutes to spot what’s relevant. They no longer have time for long, generic communications. Their days are filled with multiple tools and shifting priorities. Mass email no longer fits their habits.

Second: lack of contextualisation. The shared information isn’t connected to how they actually use the software, making it hard to remember or apply. Eventually, users stop paying attention altogether.

💡 Tip: Prioritise communications embedded directly into the relevant screens. A contextual notification bubble shown at the moment of action makes the information useful and actionable in real time.

2. The Impact of Non-Adoption on Performance

When an update is not understood or adopted, the consequences ripple across the organisation. Features designed to boost productivity go unused. Users continue following outdated processes, often longer and less reliable, and contact support for issues that could have been anticipated.

This has hidden costs: repeated support tickets on the same topics, lost time in retraining, and reporting issues because data from the tool doesn’t reflect new practices. On a human level, it creates frustration: the tool evolves, but users don’t see the added value.

💡 Tip: Track new feature adoption by monitoring usage volumes per functionality and analysing support tickets generated after each update.

3. How Usage Context Transforms Feature Adoption

The key to successful adoption lies in when the user discovers the new feature. If informed too early, they’ll forget. If informed too late, they’ll already be frustrated. The goal is to synchronise communication with real usage.

A digital assistant like Shortways Assistant allows notifications or help bubbles to appear directly on the relevant screen, at the exact moment the new feature comes into play. This targeted, contextualised approach increases retention and supports immediate hands-on use. Users are guided without extra effort, and application managers see fewer tickets related to confusion over updates.

💡 Tip: Configure notifications by role and user journey so that each person receives only the information relevant to their profile.

Conclusion

Traditional communication methods have reached their limits in the face of fast-paced software evolution and users’ expectations for instant access. By integrating information directly into the workflow, at the moment it’s needed, you transform the user experience and maximise adoption of new features from day one.

Most of the time, application owners or project teams assume users are trained regularly when new features are introduced. In reality, users are often left to figure it out on their own.
👉 Want to go futher ? Our next article will focus on: “why Your Software Training Fails to Drive HRIS Adoption