From c6352bf31bcd4db523cbc350339a8a76198d824d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Michael Davis <MichaelBDavis@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2026 19:10:35 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] Create v2/customer-adoption-model.md

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+# Customer Adoption & Maturity Model
+
+## Purpose
+
+This page defines FlowFuse’s Customer Adoption & Maturity Model for Node-RED–based solutions in manufacturing and industrial environments.
+
+The model provides a shared framework used across Sales, Solution Engineering, and Customer Success to:
+
+- Understand a customer’s starting point
+- Align engagement strategy to customer maturity
+- Select the appropriate sales motion and evaluation approach
+- Anticipate organizational and operational risk
+- Guide customers toward scalable, governed adoption
+
+This is a **segmentation and decision model**, not a sales stage or qualification checklist.
+
+---
+
+## The Two Axes
+
+The model evaluates customers along two independent dimensions:
+
+### Node-RED Adoption Maturity (Technical)
+
+- **Low:** Isolated experiments, local usage, individual projects
+- **High:** Broad Node-RED usage across teams, sites, or use cases
+
+### Manufacturing / Operational Maturity (Organizational)
+
+- **Low:** Ad hoc processes, limited governance, inconsistent ownership
+- **High:** Standardized operations, defined governance, structured decision-making
+
+Customers can be technically advanced but operationally immature — or vice versa.
+
+---
+
+## The Four Zones
+
+### Z3 — Experimental / Tooling (Local Use)
+
+**Profile**
+- Individual engineers or small teams experimenting
+- Ad hoc projects and local success
+- Limited organizational visibility or sponsorship
+
+**Characteristics**
+- Low operational maturity
+- Low Node-RED adoption maturity
+
+**Typical needs**
+- Education and enablement
+- Use-case validation
+- Proof of value at the local level
+
+**Primary motion**
+- Early discovery
+- Solution-led evaluation
+- Education-focused demos
+
+---
+
+### Z2 — Manufacturing-First (Solution-Led)
+
+**Profile**
+- Outcome-driven manufacturing or operations teams
+- Structured buyers solving specific problems
+- Clear business objectives, limited platform thinking
+
+**Characteristics**
+- High operational maturity
+- Lower Node-RED adoption maturity
+
+**Typical needs**
+- Solution alignment
+- Business impact validation
+- Confidence that the approach will scale later
+
+**Primary motion**
+- **Edge Connectivity sales process**
+- Solution-focused PoC
+- Outcome-based evaluation
+
+---
+
+### Z4 — NR Scale, but Ops-Immature
+
+**Profile**
+- Widespread Node-RED usage across teams or sites
+- Organic growth without centralized governance
+- Increasing operational, security, and reliability risk
+
+**Characteristics**
+- High Node-RED adoption maturity
+- Low operational maturity
+
+**Typical needs**
+- Governance and control
+- Standardization
+- Risk reduction and operational visibility
+
+**Primary motion**
+- **NR Scale sales process**
+- Risk- and governance-led evaluation
+- Platform and operating model alignment
+
+---
+
+### Z1 — Platform-Oriented Manufacturers
+
+**Profile**
+- Node-RED adopted as a strategic platform
+- Governed, standardized operations
+- Central ownership and clear operating model
+
+**Characteristics**
+- High operational maturity
+- High Node-RED adoption maturity
+
+**Typical needs**
+- Optimization and expansion
+- Platform hardening
+- Long-term roadmap alignment
+
+**Primary motion**
+- Expansion and scale
+- Strategic platform discussions
+- Multi-year value planning
+
+---
+
+## How to Identify the Zone (Pre-Meeting Questions)
+
+Use the following questions **before or during early discovery** to determine a customer’s likely zone.
+
+### Node-RED Adoption Signals
+
+- Where is Node-RED running today?
+- How many teams or sites are using it?
+- Is usage centralized, shared, or entirely local?
+- Who owns Node-RED standards, if anyone?
+
+### Operational / Organizational Signals
+
+- How are deployments governed today?
+- Who is responsible for security, access, and updates?
+- How do teams ensure consistency across projects?
+- What happens when something breaks?
+
+### Decision Framing Signals
+
+- Are they trying to **solve a specific problem**, or **define how problems should be solved going forward**?
+- Is risk a growing concern, or is speed the priority?
+- Is leadership asking “does this work?” or “can this scale safely?”
+
+The goal is **not to label customers**, but to select the **right engagement strategy**.
+
+---
+
+## How This Model Is Used
+
+This model is referenced across the Commercial Organization to:
+
+- Select the appropriate sales process (Edge vs NR Scale)
+- Shape discovery and PoC design
+- Anticipate organizational friction and objections
+- Guide Customer Success adoption planning
+- Align internal teams on customer context
+
+This model should be revisited as customers mature over time.
+
+Customers can — and should — move between zones.