The goal of change is to deliver whatever the desired outcome was that precipitated the change. No company implements a new software system just to complete the implementation. Project management criteria such as on time or on budget are necessary but not sufficient for a successful change initiative. Companies implement software to realize financial gain, whether through increased efficiency, decreased cost, improved service, or a mixture of all three. A change initiative should be considered a success only when the originally intended results have been generated. There are three human factors that impact the realization of this return:
1. Speed of Adoption
How quickly people are fully using the new systems, processes, and job roles.
2. Ultimate Utilization
How many employees are demonstrating buy-in and are using the new systems.
3. Proficiency
How well individuals are performing compared to the level that was expected when the change was initiated.
Effective leadership and project management are critical to the success of any change initiative. What we must not forget, however, is that those two without effective change management increases the risk of all three criteria (speed of adoption, ultimate utilization, and proficiency) not being met, and ultimately reduces the likelihood of achieving the expected ROI of the change initiative.
