---
id: "action-require-adoption-threshold"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["§ Advice for Other Organizations"]
tags: ["deployment-strategy", "scaling"]
related: ["framework-hbs-ai-adoption-playbook", "claim-value-requires-usage", "question-matrix-adoption-gap"]
action: "Halt wider deployment of AI tools until pilot markets achieve an 85% adoption rate."
outcome: "Prevents the premature scaling of flawed tools or ineffective change management strategies."
sources: ["adoption"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-adoption"
originDay: 9
articleStem: "hbr-edu-41-french-spirits-employee-buy-in"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/12/how-a-french-spirits-company-created-employee-buy-in-for-ai"
sourceTitle: "How a French Spirits Company Created Employee Buy-In for AI"
---
# Require 85% Adoption Before Expanding Rollouts

**Action:** Halt wider deployment of AI tools until pilot markets achieve an 85% adoption rate.

When piloting a new digital tool in a specific market or department, set a strict adoption threshold (e.g., 85%) that must be met before the tool is rolled out to the rest of the company. This ensures that both the technology and the change-management processes are truly effective before scaling.

**Outcome:** Prevents the premature scaling of flawed tools or ineffective change-management strategies — step 5 of [[framework-hbs-ai-adoption-playbook]] and the operational expression of [[claim-value-requires-usage]].

**Counter-perspective.** A single numeric threshold may not generalize — rigid targets can produce superficial compliance (clicking through without genuine use) or ignore legitimate local constraints; experts suggest context-dependent metrics weighing quality-of-use and impact (see [[question-matrix-adoption-gap]]).