Any project with the scope of an IT implementation will introduce change into an organization, and you need to use this opportunity to review existing processes, and adopt best practices where they provide benefit and can be implemented with reasonable effort. These kinds of changes can impact both individuals and departments, and may affect departmental interactions, working habits and even institutional culture.  Institutional change must be carefully managed to ensure that the outcome of any change is positive.

A strong Change Management program will include an integrated communications plan, training and documentation plan, and an organizational development plan, which will be tied into the overall project so that activities take place at appropriate times.

Once the project moves into the implementation planning phase, you should plan for, and develop a support structure for the following general phases of a Change Management process:

Planning the Change Program: Developing a dynamic change plan with milestones and feedback loops tied to the phases of the system implementation.

Generating Sponsorship: Ensuring that the leadership teams are on board and committed, and that they understand and act on their roles as required for the successful outcome of program.  The project Steering Committee and Project Sponsors will need to fill this role.

Managing Organizational Impacts: Determining the extent to which current processes and institutional characteristics are aligned with the requirements of the planned business processes.  Understanding the new work processes that will be implemented, and defining the job and workplace skills required to support the new organization.  Assessing the current level of skill within the affected user population and comparing current to desired skills.

Preparing End Users: Providing stakeholders with a clear understanding of specific changes, how the changes affect them, and how the changes fit into the bigger picture is imperative to create end user acceptance and advocacy.

Providing Production Support Post Go-Live:  Because you might implement several major systems, applications technology and reporting tools in overlapping phases or migrations, there will be a need to provide production support for some migrations while others are still being implemented. The organizational and staffing impacts of these competing needs have to be considered and managed.

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