Don’t Just Train, Enable: How To Build System Superusers

When you think about it, a lot of companies invest heavily in technology training. New software gets rolled out, users attend workshops, they sit through training sessions, job aids get distributed, and everyone goes through a process just to check a box that says, "Yes, I’ve been trained!"

And then time passes. A month, a quarter and then a year goes by.

That’s when it becomes evident that adoption is uneven. Workarounds start to appear. Shadow processes creep in. The system that was supposed to make work easier still feels like a bottleneck instead of a force multiplier.

The issue isn’t effort. It’s focus. Training alone creates competency. Enablement creates capability. That difference matters more than most organizations realize.

One of the most critical roles that organizations consistently overlook is the internal superuser—or champion. When built intentionally, superusers can become advocates for the product. They can elevate system adoption, negate the naysayers, reduce reliance on external support and turn technology into an asset rather than a sunk cost.

But a superuser is not just someone with a cape who knows where the buttons are.

A true superuser sits at the intersection of system knowledge, business context and influence. They understand not only how the system works, but why it works that way—and how it supports operational outcomes. They don’t just execute transactions; they understand the mechanics behind them.

Characteristics Of A Superuser

Strong superusers share a few consistent characteristics. First, they have deep functional understanding of the organization. They command their domain, whether that domain is finance, operations, HR or another discipline. Every organization has someone like this: the person who truly understands how the work gets done.

Second, they have above-average system capability. That might come from configuration knowledge or simply from using the system deeply and consistently. They understand the philosophy of the system, know it inside and out, and use that understanding to solve problems as they arise. They know how to make transactions work properly within the confines of the systems' internal controls.

Third, they have credibility with their peers. Everyone has worked somewhere that has a “go-to” person for technology. That’s what a real superuser looks like. People trust them, not because of their title but because they know the system and the business.

And finally, they have a strong bias toward continuous improvement. They look at the way things have always been done and say, "Okay, great, but this time, we’re going to do it a little differently." They don’t resist change; they drive it.

Identifying Superusers

Superusers are typically not in IT and they are not a proxy for it. They are business users who operate the system and demonstrate daily how the power of that system can actually be harnessed by those around them. They bridge the gap between theoretical system design and implementation tasks and the practicality of how the system is used in real life.

The problem is that most organizations assume superusers will fall out of the sky. They rarely do. They must be identified, grown and developed.

Instead of looking at titles or tenure, leaders need to look at behavior signals. Look for people who ask why, not just how. When someone questions why a process exists or why the system behaves a certain way, that’s a signal they’re trying to understand the mechanics.

Look for people who experiment beyond minimum system requirements. That experimentation might make others uncomfortable, but it’s how real learning happens.

Look at who people naturally go to with questions. That tells you who truly understands both the domain and the system. And look for people who spot inefficiencies and suggest improvements, especially those who understand upstream and downstream impacts.

These individuals exist at every level of the organization. Some are high performers. Some are quiet. Their suitability for the role isn’t obvious unless you’re intentionally looking for it.

Enabling Superusers

Once identified, the role needs to be defined.

Building superusers is not about sending someone to a training class and hoping for the best. It requires a deliberate enablement strategy. That starts with role clarity. What does being a superuser actually mean? Are they responsible for coaching peers? Acting as first-line support? Owning change and advocacy?

They also need deeper system access. Superusers don’t emerge from basic user rights alone. Giving them greater visibility into system logic, workflows and design decisions accelerates their ability to understand why the system works the way it does.

Knowledge outcomes should be framed around the business first. Superusers should understand how cycle time is reduced, how compliance improves and how margins are protected—not just how to execute tasks. That context transforms tactical knowledge into strategic capability.

And they need recognition. The unsung hero often sits in the corner, knowing everything about the system and getting credit for none of it. Recognition reinforces the behavior you want to scale.

The Value In Building Superusers

I've found that the return on investment for strong internal champions can be astronomical. You can see faster adoption of new releases. You can reduce external consulting and support costs. Shadow processing tends to decrease because the system is actually used as intended. Data quality can improve. Reporting confidence often increases. And new employees tend to onboard faster.

This is the shift from training events to capability building. It must be purposeful to be effective. If systems are central to how work gets done in your organization, building superusers is not optional. It is foundational groundwork for success.

Read the full article from Forbes Business Council.