Change. It’s something that is welcome to some but feared by many. But, like it or not, it’s necessary for any organization to grow and survive difficult periods — like the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. It can also boost your organization, allowing it to reach new heights.
As a host of businesses across industries are seeking to digitally transform, they are looking for solutions to help them embrace new opportunities and overcome a range of obstacles. Change management software has proven enormously helpful in escalating processes, improving performance, and otherwise transforming operations and strategies. From small project tweaks to company-wide overhauls, it can aid numerous responsibilities and transactions.
There are plenty of existing change management platforms, such as:
- BMC
- BOSSDesk
- ChangeGear
- Freshservice
- JIRA
- MicroFocus
- Whatfix
- Wrike
You can also employ software developers to build custom software specifically created to meet your individual business needs. So, is this a solution for your business?
What Is Change Management?
Change management is a set of approaches and procedures used for ushering businesses into new eras and helping them realize their goals. The structures it puts in place help organizations adapt to challenging circumstances and find new opportunities.
Change management can also occur at an individual level. People can spearhead the transformation of their own lives — personally and professionally — through different practices.
This is a multi-stage process involving extensive preparation and execution. It does take time and a lot of patience, as you won’t see results immediately. Leaders must continue to monitor progress as well.
What Is Change Management Software?
Change management software enables businesses to facilitate, monitor, track, and oversee change processes and initiatives.
This umbrella term refers to a wide array of tools that assist with these aspects of organizational transformation. No matter what type of change you’re looking to spearhead — whether you’re undergoing a digital overhaul, initiating a new program or project, or modernizing tools and procedures — they will prove useful.
Benefits of Change Management Solutions
• You’ll Gain Visibility Over Your Organization and Its Inner-Workings
Change management software can give you insight into how your organization is operating at the present. You will have oversight over the various operations, particularly those that will lead to or help you track how the transformation is going.
• It Will Facilitate Communication
These tools also facilitate stronger communication within your organization. For example, you’ll be notified when initiatives are taking place and will have the ability to see their progress. You’ll also be able to track various changes. This will better equip you with the means to see how your strategies are paying off and what still needs resolving.
• It Will Inform Your Strategies
This software leads to accruing enormous amounts of data. This will allow you to see the big picture of your efforts and determine how you can best proceed. It’s key to decision-making and understanding the effects of different processes and procedures.
• You’ll See How Your Efforts Are Paying Off
Data also lets you know how you are doing as an organization — and change management software allows you to gather this information. You’ll see the impact of various efforts — marketing campaigns, advertisements, website initiatives, social media posts, individual projects, and so on — have had a direct effect on your bottom line.
The software offers features like reporting and visual representations that will equip you with the information you need to track your efforts and decisions.
• It Encourages You to Monitor Your Progress
In order for you to improve and grow as a business, you need to be able to see where you are at any given time. Change management software allows you to monitor your progress as an organization or team. That way, you can see what’s happening in real time, informing your overall strategy and that of individual efforts.
• You’ll Have More Documentation of Your Efforts
One noteworthy aspect of change management software is that it keeps a record of your efforts and progress. Having this documentation is critical for a variety of initiatives, whether you’re looking to make large-scale changes to the structure of your organization or spearheading new efforts. With this record, you’ll have visibility over your entire organization.
• It Allows You to Connect Efforts Across the Organization — Leading to Greater Productivity
Change management software also acts as a connector among your various efforts and departments. While business units may function independently, they are better able to work cohesively as a company using these tools. They will have access to the same data and information, as well as be able to consolidate operations.
This leads to better productivity. There will be less confusion, and teams will be able to find the tools and information they’re looking for in one place. Ultimately, the quality of work is often superior as well.
Challenges of Change Management Solutions
Still, there are some challenges business leaders will need to overcome in order to implement change management software and practices at their organizations. They include:
- Lack of buy-in/employee resistance
- Compliance issues
- Lack of support from leaders
- Communication hiccups
- Steep learning curves
- Difficulty properly implementing tools
Of course, business leaders will need to take strides to address these challenges, putting plans and practices into place to ensure everyone understands the need for change management and how they can make it a smoother process.
Still, the benefits can outweigh the challenges. Remember that this is a long process — change doesn’t happen overnight. But many businesses reap rewards in a relatively short time.
