A large university has deployed a new IT solution designed to improve the overall student and staff experience. Which approach will best measure success?

The most effective method for measuring the success of a new IT solution is a holistic one that combines both qualitative and quantitative data. A combination of tailored surveys captures subjective user satisfaction and perceived value from both students and staff. Simultaneously, IT tools-based metrics provide objective, quantitative data on system performance, feature adoption rates, uptime, and support ticket trends. This dual approach provides a comprehensive and balanced view of the solution's impact, directly aligning with the core Customer Success principle of data-driven value realization.

A. This approach is too infrequent and superficial. Two questions twice a year will not capture the necessary detail or provide timely feedback for a large-scale university deployment.
B. Measuring only complaints is a reactive, negative metric. It ignores positive experiences, adoption levels, and provides no insight into the value being delivered, only the problems.
D. While feedback from Super Users is valuable, it represents a small, potentially biased sample of the user base (only staff) and is not a comprehensive or systematic measurement strategy.

1. Cisco Systems

Inc. (2023). Customer Success Manager (CSM) 820-605 Exam Topics (v1.0). The official exam blueprint emphasizes key competencies in the "Adoption" domain

including:

Section 3.2: "Identify appropriate metrics to measure success."

Section 3.3: "Describe the process to measure and report on customer value."

A comprehensive process

as implied by these topics

requires more than a single data source. It necessitates a blend of metrics to accurately report on value

supporting the combined approach in option C.

2. Cisco Systems

Inc. (2022). Cisco Customer Experience (CX) Partner Success Guide. This guide outlines the Cisco CX lifecycle

which includes the "Use" and "Engage" stages.

Page 5

"Use" Stage: This stage focuses on driving adoption and is heavily reliant on "analytics and insights" (i.e.

IT tools-based metrics) to monitor usage and performance.

Page 5

"Engage" Stage: This stage involves proactive engagement to ensure value realization

which includes gathering direct customer feedback through methods like surveys and business reviews. The combination of these stages validates the dual approach of using both tools and surveys.