- Outdated and inefficient legacy systems that often don’t communicate with one another
- Distributed workforces operating across multiple shifts and geographic locations
- Complex logistics system for keeping vehicles, routes, and drivers on track and on time
- Government regulations that impact safety and operations
- Skills divide between “office” workers and operators
- Limited administrative resources
Assess Current State Logistics
Within the transit industry, the logistics of public transportation play a pivotal role in enabling smooth operations. When embarking on an enterprise-wide ERP transformation, a key initial change management activity is to assess the current state of the organization. Instead of looking at the logistics of routes, vehicles, timetables, and driver schedules, the change team will work with leadership and the project team to assess “organizational logistics.” Such assessments can include an analysis of any number of the following: the corporate culture; current business processes, policies and procedures (how “work” gets done); how prior changes have been managed (well or not so well); whether there is effective sponsorship/leadership for the change; if a clear vision for success has been articulated, how important information is shared with employees; whether there are enough project resources to enable success; and finally, what the real-time change impacts will likely be from such a transformation.
Analyze your Route
Every change has a starting point and an endpoint, just like a transit route. After the initial assessments are completed, the change management team will use the data to map the best route for creating a change strategy and roadmap, in essence, how to get your people from the starting point — awareness of the change — to the endpoint — the willing adoption and sustainment of the new business processes and practices the new ERP system will demand.
Identify Potential Roadblocks
While the change strategy will present a people-centered approach to leadership alignment and organizational change readiness, communication and training, and sustainment and knowledge transfer, another activity that is critical to supporting success is identifying potential roadblocks that can derail the project. By acknowledging points of resistance early in the process, through stakeholder interviews and the organizational assessment, the change team can plan and deploy mitigation strategies and tactics that will help overcome or avoid the inevitable roadblocks.
Plan Detours and Create Alternate Routes
Sometimes, project risks and employee resistance present formidable roadblocks. So, planning detours or creating alternate routes may be necessary. By engaging stakeholders and understanding the organization’s culture and capacity for change, the change team is positioned to help identify and deploy the new routes. Developing an organization-wide change network of employees who are motivated to drive change toward a successful outcome often plays a key role in guiding the agency through seemingly impossible roadblocks.
Engage Your People
Investing in change management during a large-scale ERP implementation can mean the difference between success and failure, between leaving your people behind or delivering them safely and securely to the end of the line. Don’t let a failure to invest in the people side of change prevent you from reaching your destination—the realization of the highest possible return on your ERP investment.
To learn more about how change management can support your ERP implementation, get in touch!
Cynthia Hartman is a principal consultant with Avaap’s Organizational Transformation Solutions Business Unit with a focus on organizational change management. With more than 20 years of experience in academic, corporate, and government environments, Cynthia has most recently supported municipal government and transit industry clients as they navigate enterprise-wide Workday implementations.