Swanson & James Ltd

Change Management

The diagram below details Swanson & James’ approach to an assignment and its management.

The process taken in implementation projects is through the ‘7 C’s of Consulting’:

	Identify and understand the client’s needs.
	Clarify the root or issues to be addressed.
	Create a solution to resolve the problem.
	Manage the change process.
	Confirm that the transition has taken place according to plan.
	Ensure that the changes will continue once the project is complete.
	Close the project.

Within every stage of this implementation process the ‘Hard’ and ‘Soft’ change issues are closely managed:

‘Hard’ Change Management

Hard Change Management covers all aspects that require a tangible and visible change. With the rise of E-commerce and a freer global trading environment, many companies are being forced to reconsider the future of their revenue streams. Maintaining a competitive advantage will often require ‘Hard’ changes in a companies infrastructure, such as a new IT system, a global strategy or physical reorganisation.

‘Soft’ Change Management

Soft Change Management covers all aspects of intangible ‘people issues’ such as culture change, empowerment, leadership and transferral knowledge. This is arguable the most important aspect to manage because even with a state of the art ERP package implemented, if the ‘people’ issues are not addressed then employees could easily be either inadequately trained or under motivated to use the new system.

Overseeing the implementation plan is an Overall Management Programme

Overall Programme Management covers all the critical issues of bringing together all the Hard and Soft changes to ensure an assignment is kept on time, on budget and that all members of a clients organisation are kept informed of the changes and what they will mean.