We were assisting with the Change Management effort for a project, not specifically the training. Unfortunately, the training for the system roll-out was planned over the entire weekend.  The training participants were unhappy and not receptive to the training.  When planning training, be sure to make attending and participating easy and accessible.  Otherwise, you may have people “miss” the training or show up unwilling to engage.

We worked on a project to deliver training and it became evident that significant organizational changes had not been communicated to individuals.  It made for an awkward exchange.  Since then, we try to conduct audience analysis at the individual level to ensure we don’t miss a critical piece of communication.

After working on a project and coming incredibly close to losing executive sponsorship, we have learned how to set ourselves up for success in the future.  A key factor is sharing with the executive sponsor why their support is so critical to the project and potential consequences if we don’t have their support.

Thribe helps organizations manage, implement and maintain the organizational changes required to make an ERP implementation successful. When planning an ERP project, we recommend you consider the following key elements:

1. Define a Benefits Realization Plan.
   What gets measured gets done. Identify the benefits you expect to achieve from the ERP. Define metrics to measure the benefits. This will help you quantify the impact at go-live, evaluate locations that might be struggling, and define a continuous improvement plan once the organization is stable.
2. Engage Leaders.
   Identify the individuals across the organization that need to visibly support the change. Engage them early. Persuade them to help you engage others.
3. Standardize your Business Processes.
   Understand what business processes will need to change to accommodate the new system. Establish a standard process across the organization. Measure adherence to the new process. Help people adapt to the new process; define consequences for those who don’t.
4. Plan Globally; Implement Locally.
   Efficiency drives us to plan/develop many activities centrally (user requirements, leadership engagement, communications, training, etc). Allow for localization, particularly with end-user touch points like communication, and training.
5. Use Local Change Teams.
   Local change agents, supported by local leadership, serve as liaisons between local offices and the project team. They assist with local requirements, validation of business processes, and important extensions of the project team who explain impacts of the ERP system to their local peers.

Most organizations celebrate their project successes and try not to dwell on the projects that fail.  A frightening 70% of change programs fail to achieve lasting results.  So why are these programs failing?

From our experience it is typically:

1. Lack of senior leader sponsorship
2. Undefined future business state or processes
3. Poor communication with those impacted
4. Irrelevant or insufficient training

Change Management as a discipline has changed dramatically over the last 15 years.  Individuals and organizations are taking a more serious look at how they plan for change and execute programs.

What we have observed over the years:

1. Greater awareness of the people side of change
2. Speed and degree of change has increased
3. Development of specific change management processes and tools

The attached video provides greater insight into our perspective.

ERP engagements are often challenging for all employees. We’ve found that “engaged” employees will go above and beyond what is required of them, and put in the extra effort to correct data inconsistencies, re-key a list of configuration values that are blocking a key batch process, or take time to help a peer troubleshoot an issue that is preventing them from completing their work.

The following will help engage your employees:

1. Explain why the change is happening and how they will be impacted.
2. Create a feedback mechanism for two-way communication.
3. Be flexible and adapt communication to user groups.

This video shares more insight around these 3 suggestions.

Sponsor engagement and ongoing support might be the most important factor in an effective change program.  Sponsors typically have a lot on their plate, so how do you ensure they engage and help drive lasting change?

1. Engage sponsor early.  One of the first things that should be done is to engage the sponsors.  Help them define the goals and success of this change.
2. Create a plan for them.  Develop a plan for them with timing, what, and how you need them to do things.  Give them a very clear idea of how much time is involved so they can plan for it well in advance.
3. Check in regularly.  Make it a point to check in on a regular basis to update them on progress and make changes to their action plan.  This can help if you run into some unplanned circumstances or roadblocks.

The attached video has further explanation on each of these tips.

Are you facing an ERP implementation?  Have you implemented a new ERP, but you are looking for better results?

ERP systems are implemented to improve business performance, to integrate and standardize operations across multiple geographies, to replace legacy systems, and to improve company-wide reporting. Based on over fifteen years experience in implementing ERP’s across a variety of industries, we find the following critical success factors:

1. Define success and plan to measure and track the benefits of the new system
2. Define or update your business processes to reflect the new system
3. Don’t skimp on organizational change management
4. Find a program manager who has a track record of implementing ERPs

Watch the video to learn more about these four success factors. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this further: (312) 772-6466 or ERP@thribe.com

Thribe is a management consulting firm that helps businesses change and thrive. Our change and project management services help executives improve their organizations. We are known for our personal commitment to achieving the goals we share with our clients.