Project Description
Development of a comprehensive Change Management program to ensure successful end-user adoption of a PLM solution implementation.
The Client
A $3.5+ billion high-end, multi-brand specialty retailer of housewares and home furnishings, operating globally.
The Challenge
After leading the client through the vendor selection process for a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution, Parker Avery was engaged to determine the organization’s readiness for change and to develop a change management strategy and plan for the overall initiative. Business user concerns discovered during the stakeholder analysis included:
- Initiative viewed as benefiting select functional areas and not as an integrated solution
- Key functional teams were not being engaged and lacked understanding of project goals
- Skepticism of new system due to past tools and belief users would continue to work outside tool
- Decision-making abilities would be taken away and the process would become too systematic and rigid
- Perception that leaders in some functional areas were not positioning the initiative as a priority
- Client resources would be either reduced or not sufficient to support the future structure
The Parker Avery Solution
Parker Avery worked closely with the client’s Sourcing, Merchandising, Inventory and Product Development teams, as well as the software implementation vendor to define high-level future business processes, validate the software’s ability to support these processes through conference room pilots, and led change management activities.
Parker Avery performed the following major change management activities:
- Designed communication plan to coordinate project communication efforts pertaining to awareness, training, support and feedback
- Prepared instructional design documents, defining training strategy, approach and content
- Assisted in development of process ownership and data governance
- Outlined training logistics, schedule and resources
- Created end-user training materials and facilitator guides
- Assisted in user acceptance testing and classroom role-based training
- Supported long-term training sustainability efforts