Redefining 'live' customers and value realization in SaaS

In SaaS, a core focus for Customer Success (CS) teams is ensuring customers achieve value.

Yet, defining "go live" while balancing the onboarding journey with long-term value realization remains a challenge. These decisions impact customer satisfaction, retention, and overall success.

This topic was a recent point of discussion in the Preflight community with industry experts Grant Millington, Alison, Katelyn Fadeev, and Jeff Kushmerek contributing their insights. They shared how their organizations approach defining "live," managing onboarding and navigating multi-product complexities. Their knowledge sheds light on strategies for CS teams to drive meaningful outcomes for customers.

Defining a "live" customer

What does it mean for a customer to be "live"?

The answer varies widely based on the product, customer's goals, and organization's processes. For some, a customer is "live" once they complete Phase 1 of onboarding and start using the product. Others define "live" status on a product-by-product basis, especially with multiple modules.

Labeling a customer as "live" doesn't always reflect their readiness or satisfaction. Some organizations have adopted clear pre-sale agreements to define "live" criteria upfront. This ensures alignment between customer expectations and internal processes, preventing misunderstandings during implementation.

While creating "super users" through extended onboarding can be beneficial, it's important not to prolong the process unnecessarily. The general agreement leaned toward getting customers live with core functionalities quickly, followed by a phased approach to deliver additional value.

The role of onboarding in delivering customer value

The onboarding process is crucial in setting the tone for a customer’s journey. However, there is often tension between delivering immediate value and ensuring the customer receives the full product benefit.

Many organizations are adopting an MVP (minimum viable product) implementation model. This approach prioritizes delivering critical functionality early, aligning with the promised value propositions during sales. Advanced features or complex configurations are postponed until the customer is comfortable and ready to expand their usage.

Enablement tools like webinars, self-service guides, and targeted campaigns drive advanced feature adoption post-onboarding. These resources empower customers to explore and implement features at their own pace while equipping CSMs with the tools for additional support.

Another practice discussed was maintaining light-touch onboarding team involvement during the customer’s initial adoption cycle. This ensures a smoother transition and provides context for CSMs and technical support teams to address challenges.

Shifting focus from TTV to TTL

Traditionally, onboarding success has been measured by time to value (TTV). However, the conversation revealed growing interest in time to launch (TTL) as a more practical alternative. TTL measures the time for a customer to fully deploy the product and transition off their previous vendor, a critical milestone for SaaS customers.

TTL offers a clear, tangible metric, unlike TTV, which can be subjective and vary by customer. It aligns with customer priorities, especially in scenarios with multiple products or modules. TTV remains valuable for tracking product success, but TTL provides a more immediate measure of implementation efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Key strategies for customer success teams

Here are some actionable strategies for CS teams to improve customer outcomes:

1. Define “live” early and clearly: Establish measurable criteria for “live” status during the pre-sale stage to align internal and customer expectations.
2. Embrace an MVP onboarding approach: Prioritize delivering core functionality quickly, while planning for advanced feature adoption later.
3. Invest in enablement resources. Provide webinars, guides, and self-service tools to help customers maximize the value of advanced features.
4. Support post-onboarding adoption: Maintain involvement during the customer’s early adoption phase to ensure a seamless transition.
5. Track TTL as a success metric: Use the time to launch as a primary measure of onboarding efficiency, complementing TTV for product outcomes.

Wrapping up

By establishing clear definitions, focusing on MVP implementations, and investing in effective enablement strategies, SaaS organizations can optimize customer journeys and drive exceptional results.

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