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What to Expect During Your App Implementation

Successful app implementation typically follows a structured framework designed to get your alumni engagement platform up and running efficiently. While the timeline may adjust slightly depending on your team's responsiveness and the timely delivery of assets, the core phases remain consistent. Be prepared for a dynamic process, as external factors like app store review cycles can sometimes introduce minor adjustments.

Week 1: Kickoff and Planning

The initial week is dedicated to establishing a strong foundation. We'll align on your program's unique goals and define key success metrics for your app. A critical step is confirming your App Manager, who will serve as the primary internal owner, driving adoption and engagement within your community. We'll review your desired branding and navigation structure, collect your comprehensive alumni contact list, and finalize the setup of your outcomes survey strategy.

What we'll need from your team:

  • Your brand's logos and visual branding assets.
  • Your complete alumni list in a CSV format, including phone numbers and/or emails.
  • Clear identification of internal decision-makers for timely approvals.
  • Confirmation of your desired outcomes survey instruments and administration strategy.

Prompt delivery of these assets is crucial to avoid delays in development and app store submission.

Weeks 2-3: Build and Training

During this phase, our team configures and tailors your app for launch. This includes setting up your custom tabs and navigation, integrating your branding and desired layout, implementing your chosen outcomes surveys, configuring the notification system, and establishing the user tagging structure.

Your dedicated team members will receive comprehensive Control Panel training, empowering them to manage users, send targeted notifications, access survey reports, update content, and manage events and rewards. To further support your team, we host weekly open Control Panel training sessions on Mondays at 10 AM Mountain Time (MST) for additional assistance and best practices. It's common during this phase for the app to go through initial App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android) reviews, which can sometimes involve iterative feedback and documentation requests.

Week 4: Soft Launch

With your app configured and initial training underway, this phase focuses on the first wave of outreach. We will import your alumni list and send initial invitations via email and/or SMS, carefully monitoring early registration rates. This helps us identify any onboarding friction points and gather initial user feedback.

Your team's active involvement is critical at this stage. The more enthusiastically you promote downloads and encourage early adoption, the stronger your activation rate will be. Early engagement sets the tone for your app's long-term success.

Week 5: Engagement Push

Once your alumni begin registering, the focus shifts to maximizing active engagement. This involves strategically scheduling push notifications to prompt action, populating your event calendar with relevant activities (both virtual and in-person), and triggering outcomes surveys to gather valuable data. Reinforcing consistent communication across all channels is paramount, as engagement consistency is one of the strongest predictors of long-term success. Implementing features like a leaderboard system can also be highly effective in fostering healthy competition and driving participation within competitive communities.

Week 6: Final Review and Transition

In the concluding week of implementation, we generate your Final Implementation Health Report. This comprehensive report includes key metrics such as your app's activation rate, outcomes onboarding percentage (the proportion of users completing at least one survey), and average launches per user, providing a holistic view of your implementation health. You will also complete a brief Implementation Survey to share your feedback before officially transitioning to ongoing account management.

How We Measure Success

We utilize portfolio benchmarks to evaluate your app's health and performance.

  • Activation Rate: Measures the percentage of invited alumni who successfully register for the app. Healthy benchmarks at launch typically range from 25-30%, with successful implementations often exceeding 60-70% from initial outreach efforts.
  • Outcomes Onboarding: Measures the percentage of users who complete at least one outcomes survey. We aim for 20-25% as a minimum standard, as this data is crucial for demonstrating program efficacy and accreditation.
  • Average Launches per User: Measures monthly engagement levels, with at least 10 launches per user per month being a healthy benchmark.

These are minimum standards designed to position your app for sustainable growth and measurable impact.

Your Role in a Successful Launch

The most impactful implementations share three fundamental characteristics:

  1. Clear Internal Ownership: A dedicated App Manager and committed leadership ensure the app's success and integration into existing workflows.
  2. Active Alumni Promotion: Your app will not grow passively. It thrives when your leadership actively communicates its importance and consistently reinforces its value through various communication channels (e.g., social media groups, in-person meetings, discharge processes).
  3. Consistent Notification Cadence: Sending regular, personalized notifications (e.g., 1-2 per week) is vital for keeping users engaged and informed.

Common Questions

  • Low Activation: If initial activation is lower than expected, we will work closely with you to recommend additional outreach strategies, adjust notification content, and explore new promotional channels.
  • Internal Champion Transition: Should your primary internal champion or App Manager transition roles, it's crucial to notify us immediately. Leadership changes are a common cause of engagement decline, and early alignment helps prevent disruption.
  • Adding New Alumni: New alumni can be added at any time through additional list uploads to our collaborative project base or via streamlined onboarding processes integrated into your discharge workflow.
  • App Store Delays: Be aware that app store review processes (for both Apple and Google) can sometimes be iterative, requiring additional documentation or minor adjustments. Our team will guide you through this, but prompt responses to requests are key to minimizing delays.

Ongoing Support

After the initial implementation builds a robust foundation, your dedicated Account Executive will continue to support you with performance reviews, strategic engagement planning, optimization recommendations, and future expansion initiatives. The implementation phase is just the beginning; ongoing engagement strategy is what truly drives long-term success and maximizes the value of your alumni platform.