Simply Change Toolkit: A pragmatic guide to successfully adopting Change
To manage change effectively McCoy introduced the Simply Change Toolkit. It’s a comprehensive framework designed to help you successfully implement changes. In this blog we dive into the different components of the toolkit. It doesn’t matter if you are an SAP customer or an SAP partner, this tool will give you some valuable insights and practical tips.
Step 1: Preparation and getting started
First step, also called the ‘discover’ and ‘prepare’ phase of the project is centered around the ‘why’. Why is there a need for change and what is the vision for the project?
To effectively manage change and reach desired levels of adoption, thorough preparation and planning are crucial. This means defining acceptance criteria, creating a detailed change plan, determining the most effective communication channels, conducting a comprehensive stakeholder analysis, incorporating persona user journeys, and a baseline measurement to assess employee satisfaction, with current tools and processes.
[Example from Practice]
In a recent Ariba source to contract implementation, the baseline measurement gave us key insights on what to prioritize from a change perspective. On the question ‘How satisfied are you with the sourcing tools used today?’ The respondents showed an evenly distributed outcome in terms of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. When deep diving into the responses, we noticed that for several regions there was a “need for more automation, lack of e-sourcing tools available, and a cumbersome approval process.” Needless to say, there was room for improvement.
Once the activities are completed, we have established a well-defined change strategy that lays the groundwork for a successful implementation.
Step 2: Executing change, comms & training activities
You can now start the implementation process, which involves designing and configuring the SAP solution, conducting testing, and providing user training. From a change perspective we move into execution mode, with clear deliverables and activities planned during both ‘explore’ and ‘realize’ SAP Activate phases.
Activities include:
Analyzing the change impact by means of impact assessment
Risk evaluation of the change impacts, including the development of a mitigation plan to address them
A communication plan to translate assessments and ensure that all stakeholders are informed and updated
Learning and developing by means of a training plan and a training need analysis. This includes the best suitable training approach for knowledge buildup, such as the Train the Trainer method.
Step 3: Ready for go live
During the ‘realize’ phase of SAP activate, the change management team develops effective communication tools and coordinates the creation of training materials to ensure that all stakeholders understand the change and are equipped to work with the new solution.
A tracking mechanism is put in place to monitor the progress of the implementation and assess the readiness of all the stakeholders. Input for the go/no-go decision is given based on the results of the change readiness tracking and the stage-gate change management acceptance criteria.
Step 4: Preparing for life after go live
Thinking of how change effects day-to-day operations is often postponed until the very end. From our experience we know that the sooner you start the discussions the better. This includes a detailed plan to gather lessons learned and a knowledge transfer to ensure that the new solution is effectively embedded into the organization's day-to-day operations. By gathering those lessons, the teams are equipped for new rollouts.
As change consultants we have specific activities to transfer during handover to the organization, E.g. ownership and maintenance of the communication channels that remain active, but there is more. Below a good example of how our colleagues designed an e-learning solution as a foundation for continuous learning.
[Example from Practice]
For one of our customers, we have designed several modules within their innovative e-learning tool that provides personalized learning experiences to users based on their persona. The platform offers a variety of learning modules on SAP Ariba, enabling users to improve their skills and earn points as they progress through the courses. Our design and set-up were centred around simplicity: focus on each persona learning needs and easy navigation. The engaging and interactive interface, combined with the ability to earn points, creates a fun and rewarding learning experience. The persona-based modules are being used daily by everyone who wants to enhance their knowledge of SAP Ariba in a user-friendly and engaging manner.
Step 5: Reinforcement and sustaining outcomes
We celebrated a successful go live, we exited hyper care, and the new solution is integrated seamlessly into the day-to-day operations. Seems like our work is done, right?
Not quite yet. From a change perspective this is the most crucial time for success. This is the time where we will see if adoption is in line with expectations and if the project’s benefits are reached. The project’s key performance indicators are closely monitored and we – the change consultant- conduct a final stakeholder engagement assessment to analyze the satisfaction levels throughout the project lifecycle. By closely monitoring the adoption and gathering feedback, organizations can ensure a successful outcome and continue to improve the solution over time.
[Example from Practice]
For a digitalization project we transitioned hundreds of vendors from paper/mail invoicing to a new and improved E-invoicing process. A big success! Although we were happy with the results, we knew that Go-Live was not the end. We designed a BI dashboard to monitor adoption of the new way of working and soon found out that not all vendors adopted the new process 100%. Together with category buyers and vendor representatives we analyzed the reasons for deviation from the desired process, and several improvement initiatives were born. The adoption dashboard is still being used by this customer, to ensure that outcomes are in line with expectations.
Want to know more?
The McCoy Simply Change Toolkit can be applied to various project methodologies such as agile, waterfall or hybrid, making it a versatile and adaptable resource for organizations looking to achieve successful change implementation. There is no one-size-fits-all, for each project we assess how to tailor the Simply Change Toolkit to make it fit for purpose.
Are you interested in discovering the benefits of change management for your organization? Connect with Robin Hazelaar or Kimberly van Ooijen We are happy to tell you more!
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