A new supply chain IT system means greater speed, efficiency, and profit over the long term. But during the implementation phase, businesses may experience some disturbance as employees cope with a new learning curve.
These five change-management principles will help you slash downtime and significantly improve ROI during the transition period:
1. Build awareness and support.
When staff understand how the system aligns with the company vision and their own goals, adoption levels rise. Sell the value of the system throughout organization using pres-entations, workshops, posters, bulletins, special events, and other communication channels.
2. Create the desire to change.
Equip managers and supervisors with the tools they need to lead change and engage employees. Allowing employees to be part of activities such as designing, testing, and develop-ing the system can reduce fear and foster a sense of ownership, competency, and optimism.
3. Prepare users adequately.
Have training materials and processes in place to fit a range of user prefer-ences, including cheat sheets, checklists, knowledge tests, one-on-one coaching, and group training. User groups and forums are also a great way to crowd source knowledge and empower employees.
4. Support and monitor usage.
Post-launch, ensure users are given hands-on training in a safe, stress-free environment where mistakes can be made (simulations and role-plays, for example). Ongoing per-formance monitoring is also needed to ensure users are performing at an optimal level.
5. Celebrate success.
One of the most effective ways to increase adoption levels is to recognize milestones and reward performance. Make sure you celebrate and publish success, and look at ways to build in some early wins during the transition process to build momentum and user confidence.