The Journey: #34 The Adoption Audit

One of the biggest challenges we faced with our customer base was this: on the surface, things looked fine.

Customers had configurations in the platform, but they were lighter than we’d like. Adoption was happening, but just okay. And when it came to executive stakeholders, the very people we needed to be aligned with we simply didn’t have the access we wanted.

We knew offering another QBR wasn’t going to fix these problems. QBRs often end up being backward-looking status updates, not forward-looking strategy sessions. What we needed was a way to elevate the conversation, prove value in a way that executives couldn’t ignore, and uncover opportunities to go deeper.

That’s when we designed the Platform Success Audit (PSA).

What Is the PSA?

The PSA was our way of turning data into strategy.

It gave customers a clear, objective view of:

1. How the platform was configured

2. How it was being used day-to-day

3. Who the strongest adopters were and what that looked like

The goal wasn’t just to show them a snapshot. It was to hand them a comprehensive, personalized report that revealed where they were today and how they could maximize their investment moving forward.

And we did it at no cost.

While the audit began as a structured template, our CSMs, armed with knowledge of the customer’s business, use cases, and goals, made each report feel custom. The end result was a deliverable that not only told the story of how the customer was performing, but also gave them a roadmap to unlock more value.

Why It Worked

Rolling out the PSA over the past several years has created significant impact across the board:

Adoption: Customers gained clarity on how to deepen usage and drive outcomes.

Perceived Value: They could tie platform activity directly to ROI.

Engagement: Reports opened doors to executive conversations we hadn’t been able to access.

Growth: Natural expansion opportunities surfaced through data-backed recommendations.

It was so effective that we eventually tied it directly into our health score. Customers who had a PSA within the past 12 months consistently showed higher engagement, stronger adoption, and better value realization.

Scaling the Approach

At first, we only rolled this out with larger customers where risk was present. But the results were undeniable, so we extended it to all customers.

It gave us a scalable, repeatable way to showcase value, strengthen relationships, and anchor ourselves as a trusted advisor.

AI has made it significantly easier for us to scale this initiative and to offer it more frequently, every 6-12 months instead of just once a year.

How You Can Get Started

If you want to bring something like this into your business, here’s a simple roadmap:

1️⃣ Define Core Metrics

Pick 3–5 signals that represent platform health (configurations, usage depth, adoption patterns).

2️⃣ Create a Repeatable Template

Give your CSMs a structured starting point.

3️⃣ Add Context and Personalization

Empower your team to tailor the report to customer goals.

4️⃣ Deliver It as a Strategic Asset

Package findings into a branded, actionable report that can land with executives.

5️⃣ Measure the Impact

Track engagement, adoption, and retention for customers who receive audits vs. those who don’t.

The Takeaway

When adoption feels shallow and executive engagement is limited, a QBR won’t cut it. Customers need a fresh lens to see where they stand and what’s possible.

The Platform Success Audit (PSA) gave us that lens and gave our customers a reason to lean in.

Sometimes the best way to drive adoption isn’t by asking customers to do more. It’s by showing them how much more they can do with what they already have.