Naturally when implementing a new ERPEnterprise Resource Planning software is used by businesses to manage day-to-day activities. More solution the focus is very much centred on the technology and solution. However, no matter how technically capable a system is or how well it aligns with your ‘to-be’ ways of working, failing to recognised the importance of change management can result in significant project and post go-live issues for businesses.
In the most extreme cases this could result in a complete project failure.

What is it?
According to Prosci Inc©,”Change management as a discipline has evolved and matured over the past quarter of a century. Prosci research tells us that for changes to be successful, we must prepare, equip and support individuals moving through changes so that they successfully adopt the changes. Without adoption, changes will not be successful and we will not deliver the desired outcomes.” 1.
I’m sure you’re nodding your head in agreement, but how does this relate to your ERPEnterprise Resource Planning software is used by businesses to manage day-to-day activities. More implementation project and what should you be considering when looking to embed change management into your team.
Timing
Change management should not be a mid-project activity. It should be in place and operating from day 1 and should continue post go-live. An ERPEnterprise Resource Planning software is used by businesses to manage day-to-day activities. More project is not a typical BAUBusiness-as-usual is when an organisation is operating normally, i.e. not undergoing a change project. More activity for most business users and the need for their involvement from the beginning e.g. requirements capture/discovery etc, is new. Failing to recognise that even the early stages of a project has a change impact on business users can result in resistance, manifesting with a reluctance to attending meeting, lack of prioritisation and a general lack of engagement.
Leadership
Humans are naturally resistant to change. Articulating the need for change and the benefits of change is key to gaining engagement with the business users. This needs to be pushed from the top-down with leaders advocating for the new ERPEnterprise Resource Planning software is used by businesses to manage day-to-day activities. More system, articulating why this strategic decision is being made and highlighting the benefits of success.
In addition to this is the need for business change champions. The leadership team may not always be visible, be easily accessible or the most appropriate individuals to understand what its like for people on the ground. Change champions can provide that department level change leadership, but can also act as an advocate for the business users so that they feel part of the process and can gain comfort that their issues/concerns are being heard.
Communication
A lack of, or poor, communication can sow mistrust, conflict and lack of morale amongst your business. The impacts of these side effects when is comes to change management could be terminal for your project. Clear, regular and transparent communication is a significant enabler for change adoption. An internal comms plan to ensure all business users are kept informed in a consistent and timely manner is key.
‘Good’ Change Management Principles
Now that we’ve covered off some of the key areas to enabling effective change management, what does ‘Good’ look like? What should you expect to see as a project sponsor from your Project team, specifically within the change management workstream?
A clear change management strategy
This should include, but not be limited to:
- Stakeholder mapping – ensure your business stakeholders are identified and understood to ensure the impact of changes and any supporting communication will be relevant to them
- Communication plans – Covering regular and consistent updates across the organisation and addressing questions that may arise. Openness is key.
- Change impact analysis – Assess and understand the impact the upcoming system and process changes will have on different areas of the business and even different user groups within those areas. This will inform both the communication, transition and resistance management plans
- Resistance management plan – Resistance will be inevitable, defining how this will be handled in advance will ensure the necessary resources are available (e.g. training, support etc) to allow employees to adapt to the change
Change Champions
Trust is a critical when it comes to users accepting and adopting change. This can be difficult to embed when having change activities led by new or external parties. Change champions are valuable in overcoming this challenge. They should ideally be representatives from across the various departments being impacted by the change (see change impact analysis, above) and be able to act as an advocate for the end users. This role often forms part of a broader project role, such as a subject matter expert, as these individuals are trusted to both understand the business and user requirements and will already have the relationship and communication channels in place to facilitate change.
Employee Involvement
Although expected to be addressed in part by the communications plan within the change management strategy, having a focus on how employees can and will be involved in the change will support its likelihood of success. Providing regular updates and open communication is part of this involvement but ensuring employees are able to raise questions, have clarity on their project involvement, can easily access project information/updates and also have a long term view of the impact to them e.g. testing windows, training sessions etc, will all increase the likelihood of users adopting the change.
Celebrate Milestones
Lastly, but by no means least, there should be a plan for milestone celebrations. Milestones may follow the project phases e.g. successful testing phase, or may be unique to the business, but it is key that the any and all project successes are celebrated. The perceived scale of the milestone will likley infer the level of celebration required. However, ERPEnterprise Resource Planning software is used by businesses to manage day-to-day activities. More system implementations are one of the most demanding and strenuous activities a business can place on its employees so having both a plan, and potentially a budget, to celebrate these milestones is great mechanism for fostering and maintaining change adoption.
This is by no means a comprehensive strategy on how to approach change management during an ERPEnterprise Resource Planning software is used by businesses to manage day-to-day activities. More implementation and is intended to call out both its importance and some of the key components to consider when establishing this workstream within your project.