Understanding how to define your change management process

As defined by TechTarget, change management is a systematic approach to dealing with the transition or transformation of an organisation’s goals, processes or technologies.

The purpose of change management is to implement strategies to:
• Effect change
• Control change
• Help people adapt to change

However, a Gartner report has cited approximately 50% of all organisational change initiatives as being unsuccessful. This staggering figure highlights the importance of planning your change management process in detail to achieve mission success.

A very simple formula for success is who, what, when and how.

• Who needs to know?
• What do they need to know about?
• When do they need to know by?
• How will the detail be communicated – how physically and by who?

Key stakeholders should be identified, project managers selected, and a communication structure put in place. For more detailed information on what to include within the communication structure, take a look at our 7 Practical Steps to Non-Profit Finance Transformation eBook.

The complexity of change management

The way people feel about change does not remain static. The change curve, illustrated in the eBook, shows how people’s emotions change over time and if they are communicated to effectively, they become positive and accept change.

Finally, for effective change management, in addition to setting a communication strategy, it is also good practice to determine the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, such as the project manager, leadership sponsor and testers.

The change management process is the final step before your implementation begins, so it is crucial that the project plan is watertight, and tasks are well defined to ensure they can be monitored.

Effective planning and communication will decide whether your change management process is successful or not.

If you are considering changing your finance software and would like to know how CPiO can help, get in touch. Our knowledgeable project management team are experts in delivering Sage projects on time, to budget with minimal business disruption.