So, your company has decided to purchase a connected worker solution. Congratulations on your foresight and determination to digitally transform your enterprise. However, your job’s not done. There’s more to implementing a connected worker solution than making sure the software works. You also have to manage the change process and ensure your frontline workers know both how to use the solution productively and feel comfortable with it, too.
Innovapptive, a connected worker solution leader, recently participated in a technology webinar hosted by Reliability Web that discussed many ways to manage change successfully during a digital transformation. Let’s review a few of them.
Why You Need a Change Management Program to Implement a Connected Worker Solution
Consulting giant McKinsey found that 70% of all organizational transformation efforts fail. That’s because they have:
- Poorly conceived aspirations and expectations
- A lack of internal skills to implement change
- No change management structure
It’s not enough that your new connected worker solution functions like a finely-tuned Swiss clock. There’s more to achieving a positive return on investment than software. That software must be accompanied by a change management program that explains why the company has adopted a new solution and how that will help the frontline worker. Otherwise, you risk failure.
Change Management’s Numerous Benefits
A well-conceived change management program delivers several advantages to the company:
- Aligns resources throughout the organization
- Reduces the time needed to implement change
- Decreases risks associated with change
- Offers a way to quickly anticipate and respond to challenges
- Enables better cost control and containment
- Boosts positive return on investment
That’s not all. A sound change management program also helps frontline workers:
- Minimizes frontline worker resistance to change
- Increases acceptance of transformation efforts
- Establish a positive image for the transformation initiative
- Improves management/worker cooperation, collaboration and communication
- Cuts work disruptions
- Improves productivity, efficiency and morale
Three Steps to Starting a Successful Change Management Program
Change management is a journey that starts with a single step. How can you ensure you won’t trip on your first stride? Here are several ideas on what you should do before initiating any change management program for a connected worker solution.
Determine a clear vision for change:
- Know what you want to achieve with digital transformation
- Make that vision simple, empowering, exciting and futuristic
- Create a simple, easy-to-understand plan outlining the future
Understand that successful change management starts at the top:
- Executives must lend guidance, support and inspiration
- Upper management has to present a committed, unified front
- Leadership must be visible, transparent and open to insight and feedback
Realize that change has to include frontline workers to succeed:
- Change management is ultimately about people management
- Include employees in the planning, buying and implementation process
- Employees who feel a part of the process will become drivers of change
Finally, establish precise, measurable goals:
- Goals allow for tracking of progress and holding people accountable
- Goals should be specific, quantitative, adjustable when needed and achievable
- Use goals to not only measure progress but to also gain insight
View the Webinar to Learn More About Connected Worker Solutions
Innovapptive CEO and co-founder Sundeep Ravande served as a panelist in Reliability Web’s Accelerated Asset Efficiency with Connected Frontline Worker Solutions webinar. This discussion covered:
- Why you should consider a connected worker solution
- What to look for in a solution
- The importance of rapid implementation
- How to realize wide adoption
- How to drive continuous improvement
Click here to access a free webinar recording.
Ready to Start Your Change Management Program? We’re Here to Help
Innovapptive, a digital transformation leader and connected worker solution pioneer, has helped numerous global industry titans jump from slow, cumbersome manual processes to mobile data collection and sharing. To get you going, we’ve published an ebook on successful change management. Download your copy here. Once you’ve read it, schedule a free demo of a world-class connected worker solution your frontline workers will want to use or call 888-464-6668 to speak to our industry experts.
