A project is only truly successful if it is accepted and supported by all stakeholders, and we can only reap the benefits of a digital solution, for example, if it is properly adopted by all its users. This is why we are convinced that change management is a strong competitive advantage in the context of growth, process optimization, digital or cultural transformation.
If the employees do not adhere to the changes undertaken during a project, the investment, sometimes substantial, will have been in vain. This is why we have built a pragmatic methodology based on the best practices available on the market, which we adapt according to the size of the organization, the scope of the project, the corporate culture and of course, the available budget.
How do our services translate?
- Detailed planning of all change management activities based on the project schedule and its main milestones, but also based on a detailed analysis of all stakeholders interested and/or impacted by the change. The objective is really to adapt all the activities according to the concerned audience in order to guarantee the impact and the added value.
- Strengthening project sponsorship by focusing on a :
- ” bottom-up “The first is to ensure that the project sponsors and top management are aligned and involved in identifying the project’s impact on their teams and their way of working, and that they are informed of the project’s progress and the need to mobilize their resources to ensure that the objectives are met in terms of deliverables and schedule.
- ” top-down “, on the other hand, so that the sponsors and top management are the spokespersons of the project to inform their teams of the benefits of the project, of the impacts on the organization, as well as on the processes and tools used.
- A communication plan adapted to the company’s culture, the traditional communication channels of the company and/or new channels to be defined with the client and the HR and Marketing departments, which is broken down according to the different stakeholder groups and their level of involvement and need for information.
- Training planning and supervision:
- key usersThis is a relatively common approach to guarantee a more thorough appropriation of the solution, with the specific vocabulary of the client, better internal support in the long term and a reduction in the project budget, which is generally not negligible since it allows the intervention of external trainers to be limited.
- end-users, who must be trained as close as possible to the date of release and/or actual use of a feature or process. We make sure to schedule trainings early enough, usually 4 to 6 weeks in advance, given the generally high volume of trainings, in order to maximize the participation rate. We also monitor the evaluations of these trainings, so that we can plan additional training, practice or Q&A sessions when necessary.
- Monitoring the adoption of the solution and/or new processes:
- During the project, through surveys to verify the increase in the propensity to change as we get closer to production, and therefore to validate the effectiveness of change management activities to adapt them to the need
- After the project has gone live, through solution adoption surveys, which are qualitative in nature, but also through quantitative adoption measurement indicators (KPI).
Adapting to the needs
At GCP Consulting, we systematically adapt our approach to the needs, the size, the culture and the means of the company which calls upon our services. In addition to the role of Change Manager that we regularly play for our clients thanks to our expertise in the field, we also provide training to internal resources, with individual coaching if necessary, on change management or project management in general. For more information, please visit our website.
Bringing value
In conclusion, we pay close attention to the distinction between the notions of “Delivered Successfully” and “Successful delivery”. In the first case, the project is simply finalized and no further attention is paid, whereas in the second case, the project is finalized and adopted by all stakeholders, ensuring its sustainability over time and proving the added value of our consultants’ work.
Christelle ERNOTTE, Senior Consultant specialized in the management of transformation programs and projects for 12 years, as well as in change management and strategic diagnostics combining definition, implementation and monitoring of strategic objectives.
