Full Sail Partners Blog (55)

I think by now we can all agree: The ability to automate proposals with InDesign and Deltek Vision is the greatest thing to happen to proposal creation since the copy and paste function! In this blog we are going to dive deeper in to the realm of automating information out of Vision in to InDesign and take a look at the two coolest ‘outside of the box’ features currently available. If you are just looking to get started with automating information from Vision to InDesign be sure to check out this previous blog.

It is important to continue looking at ways to increase efficiency throughout the entire procurement process. From proposals to the short-list interview, integrating Deltek Vision and Adobe InDesign can give your firm the competitive advantage needed to wow the client. Answer in days, not weeks. Spend less time on boilerplate material and more time on compelling, tailored responses that will further set your firm apart from the competition.

So, how can we use the Adobe InDesign and Deltek Vision integration in new powerful ways? Let’s get started with my two favorite outside of the box features:

1.  Create new, customized, cover sheets while preserving your firm branding.

Utilize the power of integration to create customized cover sheets for each new proposal. By utilizing the powerful template system created by Deltek you are able to wow the client by creating a beautiful combination of your firm branding and project specific information.  This marriage of project-specific information and targeted marketing media will allow you to quickly separate your firm from the competition with the first thing the client sees – the proposal cover!

2.  Stand above the rest and break away from the chains of PowerPoint

You’ve landed that ever elusive short-list presentation. Congratulations! Now you have to win it, or all of the work that you did was for naught. This is your opportunity to separate yourself from the competition. You can basically guarantee that the other short-listed firms are going to present a boring old standardized PowerPoint presentation. This is your chance to stand out and relate to the client on a personal level.

How does the Adobe InDesign and Deltek Vision integration help your presentations stand out from the rest? Simple:

• First impressions are everything | Too many professional services firms fail to differentiate their firm from the competition and let the client mistakenly believe that the decision boils down to price. By creating your presentation in InDesign, you are able to break away from the design restrictions of PowerPoint and instantly differentiate yourself from the competition.
• Eliminate mistakes | How embarrassing is it when our proposals and presentations reflect two different sets of data? Avoid this pitfall by automating all client and project specific information directly from your Deltek Vision system.
• Reinforce your firm branding | Your firm spent countless combined man hours putting together a proposal that got you to the short-list stage. At this point the client likely feels like they know your firm on a basic level. So why change your overall branding now, and start anew? By creating your proposal and presentation from the same set of templates and data-sources, you reinforce your firm branding at every stage of the sales process.

These are two of my favorite ways to use the Adobe InDesign and Deltek Vision integration to make my life easier. Are you thinking outside of the box and using this functionality in any neat ways? We would love to hear - please comment below.

Not currently integrating your Deltek Vision system with Adobe InDesign? Click below to learn how to begin:

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is pleased to announce that Heath Harris, and Wayne Johnstone, have joined the Full Sail Partners’ team. These new hires highlight a continuing effort to further bolster the information technology service offerings of the firm. Both of these employees have the skills and knowledge to help clients optimize their IT solution systems to grow and enhance their operations.

Heath Harris is a well-rounded network specialist with 10 years of experience focused on providing Deltek Vision installations, data migrations, upgrades, and customization for small to medium sized firms. As an IT Consultant, Heath will help firms leverage their investments in the Deltek Vision platform by ensuring that systems are optimized for efficiency and advising clients on how to use technology solutions to meet their business objectives.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Full Sail Partners’ team," said Heath Harris. “I am excited to join a company with the passion for helping clients utilize technology to drive and manage profitable growth. I look forward to collaborating with clients and implementing the right solution for their needs.”

As a Product Developer, Wayne Johnstone assists in the development of custom solutions to automate critical business processes for professional services firms. His extensive background in .NET development, SQL programming, and solution architecture surrounding Web based development technologies provides Full Sail Partners with the expertise required to provide solutions that will bridge the gap between independent silos of information.

"Becoming a part of the Full Sail Partners’ team is a wonderful opportunity," said Wayne Johnstone. "In both the professional services industry and the technology community, the Full Sail Partners’ team is known for developing innovative technology solutions to assist professional service firms optimize their business. I'm really looking forward to working with the talented product development group to advance our offerings and continue to deliver solutions that help our customers grow their firms, and get better business results."

As business continues to grow for professional services firms, these recent hiring’s are indicative of Full Sail Partners’ commitment to helping clients excel in today’s quickly-changing economic environment

“Historically, automation has focused on the reduction of manual processes internal to Deltek Vision,” said Wes Renfroe, VP of Technology, “but many of our clients are embracing next generation solutions in the cloud to further augment their processes. With the addition of Wayne and Heath, Full Sail Partners’ development efforts are focusing on enabling clients to integrate their data in Deltek Vision to and from other disparate sources.”

Interested in meeting the rest of the crew? Check out are updated staff page!

In the modern business environment, decision makers observe daily how technology is driving business transformation. More and more CFOs, CMOs and business leaders with IT leadership roles are having the conversation about how their businesses are growing and the impact the cloud is having on their organizational IT plans.

I often speak with customers about the ways we are helping organizations transform into digital businesses and how that enables greater responsiveness in a mobile-driven, cloud-first world. As there becomes less separation between our digital work and digital life, enabling experiences delivered across devices and through the complete cloud is vital.

But what is the ‘complete cloud’? While it is tempting to think of the cloud as a single-entity consisting of raw processing power; the truth is that the complete cloud is more of an ecosystem with many distinctive parts that interact with each other.  To take things a step further, the complete cloud allows you access to your entire technology setup, and all of your data, from anywhere, on any device!

Complete Cloud Solutions - What does this even mean?

So, how is the complete cloud changing the way firms do business? Let’s first examine three aspects that define what exactly a complete cloud solution is:

• A truly complete cloud offering includes everything from SPAM protection to server intrastructure and software in one package.

To get even more specific, when you utilize a complete cloud solution, your technology package should minimally include hardware like an LCD monitor, a cloud-computer with the latest operating system, virus and SPAM filtering, and Microsoft Office. You should also be given unlimited storage with a server plant fit to run all of your business applications.

 

• Ability to unite all of your systems and processes with one single contact.

Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to wade through several phone numbers when you have a problem, negotiate with several vendors when costs start to rise, or read through mountains of separate manuals when you need specific product help?  When you have one phone number for all your IT needs, the gift of time is given back to you.  

• Managed by a true partner whom has your best interest in mind.

It’s more than just throwing together a list.  It’s really about vendor management.  Being that partner who works on your behalf.  A partner who is technologically proficient to make sure you’re getting the best technology and services available allowing you to focus your energies on what you do best.  And what’s more is having a partner who knows your business, your industry so that the IT offerings in your complete cloud solution truly reflect what you need to get your work done.  

So, what is all the hype about with the complete cloud?

Now that we’ve discussed what real, complete cloud solutions are, let’s talk about the benefits:

• Reliability – 24/7 access

In-house problems:  Systems go down but your IT department can only work so many hours OR disaster strikes in the form of Mother Nature.  How long will it take to get everyone working again?

Complete cloud solutions:  You know those factories that put up signs indicating how long it has been accident free?  That same concept exists in the technology world – except they are virtual signs denoting the complete lack of interruption in service.  In this world, they take 24/7 seriously.  And as a complete cloud customer, you will never lose access, have data issues, or lag times.  Never.

• Mobility – access anywhere, anytime.

In house problem:  Ever been in front of a client trying to answer a question, but you can’t access your data either because the VPN is lagging or the data isn’t synchronized?

Complete cloud solutions: We live in a mobile world.  We have tablets, smart phones, and virtual offices.  We need access from anywhere – Carolina to California – at any time.  We need systems that are optimized for uniform performance with no lag or data conflicts, as if we are in HQ with our servers next door.  With the complete cloud, your data is, in fact, accessible wherever you are.  

• Fixed cost – no surprises.

In house problem:  How often did you think you were getting an all-inclusive cost?  Or, how difficult is it to manage the contracts and costs of multiple IT vendors; pay thousands of dollars in technology upgrade costs, licensing fees, and unexpected technology replacements (printer died, monitor cracked, etc.); or cope with expensive IT management issues (human, technology, and vendor)?

Complete cloud solutions:  With a complete cloud solution, all costs are detailed up front. Period.  No surprises, no emergent expenses. 

Evolve with the future

Business is evolving, so should your technology! Server flexibility, storage and memory are the life-force that drives modern business. Successful business leaders have identified the need to be able to react to the changing requirements of their technological environment. Lack of resources can impact business, and stump growth. Today, the complete cloud solution is the perfect marriage of business with modern technology.
 

 

 

To thrive in the professional services industry, client satisfaction must always remain a top concern. All successful project-based firms have the resources and ability to deliver high quality projects. This ability does not separate truly successful firms – it is the bare minimum needed to enter the conversation.

What truly separates one professional services firm from another is the capability to understand how they are perceived by their clients and utilize this information to build more meaningful relationships. How many people reading this blog can truly say that they know how their clients perceive them? I’d guess not many of us could answer that question.

Unfortunately most firms fail to recognize the impact that the client experience throughout the lifespan of the project plays on the overall perception of the firm in the clients mind. This failure to leverage feedback and ensure a positive project experience equates to a failure in your brand.

Utilize feedback to dig in to the client mind

So – how DO we utilize feedback to establish our brand in the clients mind, and differentiate ourselves from our competition? Let’s examine three key factors:

• Open the lines of communications between your clients and your project managers – The experience your clients have with your firm is based on communication.  Provide the means for clear, honest and timely communication. 

• Put your clients mind at ease - Improve your bottom line knowing your clients expectations. Avoid dissatisfied clients that can too often become “former clients”. 

• Go above and beyond the standard - Strengthen project delivery by focusing on specific client expectations that can only be identified through open communication channels. Know your deliverables. 

Improved communication between your project managers and your client is crucial to the ongoing profitability and viability of your firm – coincidentally, it just so happens to be a key factor to establishing your brand in the mind of the client and winning new business. So, how do we continue to develop our brand, and improve the lines of communications with our clients? Register for this free webinar on March 4^th to find out:

My momma was always full of advice. Some I took with great results, but others … well let’s just say I had to learn the lesson the hard way. At this stage in our lives, we’ve all moved on from those tender years where momma was our greatest guide, but we are all still attuned to receiving advice from those more experienced. Or at least we should be. Take for example, the ERP Implementation process:

Most savvy business professionals know the ERP acronym, but not all have taken the advice.  But why?  What’s keeping some companies from “pulling the trigger” and bringing this all important piece to their success puzzle – especially when their competitors are?  In my years talking and working with a variety of firms, I have gathered the top five fears why companies, like yours, haven’t completed an ERP Implementation. 

1)      You say: “It’s going to cost too much.”

We hear:  Fear of Being Out of Control

We solve: An ERP system will address this fear by managing costs and stopping       financial leaks.

Problem:  The industry says that ERP implementation can be expensive and many companies wonder where the money is coming from. Many function under the notion that it’s easier to just do the quick fix and move on.

Solution:  The right ERP system, implemented correctly with the aid of the right consultants, will fix those expensive leaks in processes. Furthermore, with a detailed IT growth plan and the information from the new ERP, the initial costs will be recouped and you’ll be well on your way to a better financial and technologically focused picture.

2)      You say: “I don’t have the time to research an ERP.”

We hear:  Fear of Where to Start

We solve:  Taking the first step with an ERP and controlling your future will eliminate this fear.

Problem:  It can be daunting to think about the work it will require to research and discover the right consulting firm who will help find and implement the right ERP. But, in this scenario, consumers are being reactive rather than proactive - spending days living those old clichés “with your head in the sand putting out fires.” 

Solution:  It’s time to take action - focus on goals and the future. An ERP is a planning, forward-looking mechanism designed to give control over an organization’s future. If the research and work is done at the beginning of the ERP implementation, energy will be focused on the future. 

3)      You say:  “It’s going to take too long to implement.”

We hear:  Fear of Failure

We solve:  An ERP system helps you succeed by pulling together all your information for a clear picture of your newly improved organization.

Problem:  When you run a lean organization, all internal resources are at full capacity unable to see the big picture which makes for silo’d company data inhibiting the ability to see the big picture. Not having a clear picture serves only to stunt a firm’s growth:  it’s this lack of encompassing visibility which keeps a firm from being able to make intelligent decisions or to understand trends, because they are lacking departments and systems that are connected to each other.

Solution:  A good ERP system will pull together all this disparate data giving users the clear picture they need to move forward and giving everyone the gift of time. Yes, ERP implementations require some work and time to evaluate and establish new processes, establish goals, and get everything running smoothly, but the more attention is focused on the consultants and the implementation, the faster you will reap the benefits and feel the relief.

4)      You say:  “It’s going to require too much change in my current processes.”

We hear:  Fear of Change

We solve:  An ERP consultant will guide you through change.

Problem:  Even a bad process can feel comfortable, familiar. And in the fast-paced business world, we all have to find comfort where we can. It’s understandable to want to avoid the work, unfamiliarity, and making changes to numerous business processes. But what’s more important is that your competitors are already using their ERP systems. They will be on “the latest and greatest” while you are still floundering with “this is the way we’ve always done it.”

Solution:  Here’s where the right consultant can really help. Someone who knows their way through the maze of settings; who knows the latest and most relevant business processes; and who, most of all, knows YOUR business and YOUR industry. Once the consultant tailors the ERP implementation to what are now highly efficient business processes, you’ll be able to appreciate the value of the phrase, “change is good.”

5)      You say:  “No one will use the system, anyway.”

We hear:  Fear of Unknown

We solve:  An ERP is such a supportive tool, it will quickly become a familiar part of your world.

Problem:  So after all the trouble of researching and implementing and ERP; the real fear is, “Will I really use it or just revert back to our old ways?”  Once the shine wears off of a new ERP system, there will be some effort every person will have to make to make the changes permanent. HuffPost Healthy article, “How Long Does It Actually Take to Form a New Habit? (Backed by Science)” tells us that, “On average, it takes more than two months before a new behavior becomes automatic -- 66 days to be exact.” 

Solution:  That’s great news, because in a little over two months, with a focused effort, everyone, including you, will have turned these new processes into automatic actions. What’s more, the new processes will have included regular reviews of data giving a clear picture of the entire organization allowing responsible action for your future. We also recommend understanding more about the 8 key ways to make your implementation a success. 

ERP Implementation Fears Laid To Rest!

Some (or all) of these fears may have indeed been on your mind as you contemplated your company’s future success. To learn more about ERP implementation, the benefits and the return on the financial and time investment, check out Full Sail Partners’ whitepaper, “Could Your Firm Benefit from an Enterprise Resource Planning System?”

In the end, while momma’s advice may not have included an ERP implementation, her wise words still resonate and are perfectly applicable to this journey “Nothing tried, nothing gained!” Obstacles are just opportunities waiting to be discovered!

Full Sail Partners, Deltek Premier Partner, is pleased to announce the addition of Gina Stamper to the client services team. Gina has joined the firm in the role of West Coast Account Manager and will provide account services for Full Sail Partners’ clients in the Mountain and Pacific regions. She will work as a liaison between Full Sail Partners and clients, helping to build an openly collaborative community.

Gina joins Full Sail Partners with 15 years of accounting and finance experience in the technology, mortgage and telecommunication industries where servicing client needs is essential to success. Gina previously spent five years as a senior account manager servicing Deltek Vision Clients.

“I’m very enthusiastic about the opportunity to continue working hand-in-hand with Deltek Vision account holders,” said Gina Stamper. “The professional services market is rapidly developing and so are the needs of our end users. I look forward to this opportunity to help customers as their companies evolve.”

Full Sail Partners’ Account Management Program is designed to serve the needs of the Deltek client base and promote greater engagement. This position will serve as an additional resource to address client questions and provide a dedicated resource for those on the West Coast. Full Sail Partners now provides account management services from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, extending its service availability an additional three hours.

“Gina’s work ethic, experience, and passion for customer service make her the ideal candidate for this position,” said Wendy Gustafson, Full Sail Partners’ vice president / general manager. “We’re confident in Gina’s knowledge of the Deltek Vision product set and her proven ability to maintain great relationships with existing customers, while helping to develop new accounts.”

For more information, please email Full Sail Partners’ Marketing Communications Department. Interested in meeting the rest of the crew? Check out the link below!

It’s that time again: year end.  No, not year-end resolutions, but the time of the year finance is stressing about year-end close and emphasizing that a 2015 marketing budget is needed.

So how many of you look at last year’s numbers and slap on an increase and submit? Be honest! However, how many things have changed since your last budget? The competitive landscape has completely changed for us and many of our clients. So we thought we might do a review to remind firms to get back to the basics when planning your marketing budget. 

Marketing Budget Methods

There are several budgeting methods when putting together your marketing budget. The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Marketing Handbook for the Construction and Design Professional, 3^rd Edition by BNi Building News, 2014 highlights 4 different methods: 

1. Projection Method – is for steady businesses with well-established marketing approaches and which relies on costs from prior years separated into soft or hard costs.
2. Percentage Method – allocates a fixed amount of resources dedicated to acquisition and total net service revenue to fund activities that support getting work
3. Goal-based Method – bases “bottom up” budget based on revenue goals and the implementation tasks that need to be accomplished to meet them. 
4. Ratio Method – is a more complex method incorporating ROI mentality with a strong ability to meet revenue goals and with every dollar spent being tied to a return.  This is for more mature market segments and fairly large projects.

5 Practical Tips

Developing a marketing plan is more than what conferences will you attend and what cool promotional items can we buy this year. When planning your marketing budget for the year it’s important to think about the long-term financial success of the firm.  Below are 5 practical tips for professional services firms to help guide you as you develop this year’s marketing budget: 

1. Analyze the current state of affairs – Internal and external research should be conducted. This includes doing a SWOT analysis. The SWOT should be conducted with all leaders within your firm and is a great starting place to start your strategic marketing plan.
2. Tie your marketing budget to you marketing plan – The most basic mistake is not understanding what your goals are. Your budget will come from the tactics you plan to take to accomplish your goals. Be sure to translate goals into day-to-day actions. Here is more on how to establish goals or Key Performance Indicators and establish goals based on the SMART guidelines.
3. Budget for nurturing existing clients – Firms are always thinking about how to catch the next big fish and commonly overlook where most of their revenue comes from. At the end of the year evaluate where most of your business came from. What would happen if you lost that business? Firm should budget for client nurturing not only throughout the year, but on a daily basis as they execute their projects. It costs a firm 5-7 times more to gain a new client then to keep an existing one. One way of nurturing clients is to be proactive and institute a client feedback process.  
4. Execution is key – Communicating what is expected and following up monthly and quarterly helps you change course when something isn’t working. It takes everyone understanding what is expected and then executing on their part. This includes billing your time to the right code and evaluating your goals versus actuals. If it doesn’t line up then what needs to change? A budget isn’t set in stone, you can make modifications throughout the year when something isn’t working. Knowing it isn’t working is what is critical.
5. More is not necessarily better – Spending more does not equate to achieving more success. To prove this, Deltek conducted their annual clarity report among its clients and found that high achieving firms did not spend more on their marketing budget then those of their counterparts contrary to belief.  They found that high achieving firms however are able to differentiate themselves by focusing on executing more efficiently.

In planning for the upcoming year, we hope these five tips help you develop your marketing budget. Be sure to check out our past webinar crafting a marketing plan and be sure to add a comment to share your tips! 

Are you ready? Year-end is upon us. As part of a yearly tradition, we are providing you with resources and reminders to assist your firm with year-end processing. Check out the information below, and let us know if you have any questions.

Don't Forget Your Deltek Vision Year-End Processes

As we come into the holiday season many of us in accounting face the coming season, not only with the joy of family and friends coming together, but with a sense of impending dread – YEAR-END and TAX SEASON are looming – ugh - have another drink.

W-2s - 1099s - journal entries - checking and double checking each number!  Auditors - shareholder meetings - endless explanations’ of what the results mean (even though you have been saying for the past 6 months) - Oh the joy of the season!

As we go through the year-end process there are mistakes we (and others) make that are easy to recover from like entering the 15 page depreciation journal entry “backwards” at midnight sitting in your semi dark office chugging your 15th pot of coffee.  Some are more difficult – like removing all the lower levels of your work break-down structure (did that once – glad our backups worked). So outside of deleting the database, what are some of the items in Vision year end processing that are hard to recover from?

>> Learn more

Is Your Deltek Vision System Year-End Process Stress Free?

Year-end is always a stressful time of year, but it doesn’t have to be.  As with everything else in the world of Accounting, planning and preparation is the key to a successful and stress-free year end. Check out this article talk provides a few tips to make your year-end close just a little easier.

>> Prepare more

Webinar: Stress Free Year-End Process - Yes You Can!

Join our on-demand webinar to see how you can make your year-end stress free.  Our panel will provide insight into best practices, tips to close your books with ease, and focus on those “gotchas” on year-end processes. See what our panel says about the following year-end items:

1. How to make your process efficient
2. Avoid disruption to production
3. Communication topics to provide your staff and management
4. Saving money by evading closing obstacles

>> View more

Deltek’s Year End Resources

Deltek Customer Care is working to assist you with year-end activities. You can now take advantage of year-end resources:

• Year-End Forums
• Phone Menu Guidance
• Year-End Info Center
• Quick Chat Guidance
• Year-End Guides & Videos

>> Know more

We hope these resources serve as good reminder. Best wishes from the Full Sail Partners' staff! Wishing you a prosperous 2014.

It’s Time to Upgrade! Regulatory and Year-end Updates Available ONLY on Vision 7.2 or 7.3

Working in the most recent release of your Deltek solution ensures your firm is benefiting from all the features and enhancements engineered into the latest versions of Vision. Your support and maintenance plan entitles your firm to download the latest version of your product here if you're not up-to-date!

Important Note Regarding Year-End Regulatory Updates in 2014

Year-end updates in 2014 will be supported only on Vision 7.2 and Vision 7.3. Regulatory updates for releases prior to Vision 7.2 will not be delivered.

Check out the Deltek Support Assurance Product Lifecycle on the Deltek Customer Care Connect website for the latest information on your product's status and definitions of the support delivered in the Active, Maintenance, and Sustaining phases.

Is Your Firm Prepared for Deltek Vision 7.3?

Because of Microsoft’s de-support of Windows XP in April 2014, Deltek can no longer support the Windows XP client operating system beginning with Vision 7.3 and extending to future releases. 

The following client operating systems will be supported for Vision 7.3:

• Windows 8 or 8.1
• Windows 7
• Windows Vista

Additionally, to use this new version you must ensure that .NET Framework 4.5 or 4.5.1 is installed. For more information on the .NET Framework and to determine how best to deploy the 4.5 or 4.5.1 release within your organization, please refer to the Microsoft web site at http://www.microsoft.com/net.

We have reached it, the exciting conclusion to our series on Management of Change.  It is here where we will reiterate our most important change messages and send you on your way to successful changes in your organization. 

We started our series defining crucial concepts, i.e. change includes anything that takes a company from its current state to a new, desired state and that it takes the buy-in and adoption of the people in the company in order for change to be successful.

This statement encompasses several ideas and focused areas, each of which we explored during this series.   

• The executive piece focused on the leadership required as company change agents – establishing goals, creating clear direction and modeling the new, desired behaviors.
• Our financial commentary focused on the numbers of change: establishing numerical baselines, checkpoints, and the financial ranges indicating success.
• The project management information recognized your company’s project managers as those best suited to manage and evaluate the change process, since that’s what they already do for your clients.
• The marketing article acknowledged the multifaceted role marketing plays: the industry researcher who sees the need for change; the communicator/positioner for your company, your clients and your employees; and an area that needs to embrace the change themselves.
• Our final focused blog piece from the human resources perspective really explored the people – the most important part – of change.  If the people in your company aren’t clear on change, all the spreadsheets and tools in the world won’t make it work.  

Information Technology – yet another key aspect of change

We investigated, at a high level, about each area and their responsibility toward change and the adoption of that change.  We also made reference to some of the tools that can contribute to this change process. For example, in the executive focus we made reference to an executive dashboard to help leaders keep abreast of their company changes.  Furthermore, project managers are very technically savvy with their project management software.  Marketing, also, has technology that they have to employ to keep abreast of changes in their jobs.  The common denominator to all this and more is … technology.  Partnering with your IT department allows for smoother change.  And, like all the other roles, technology plays a dual role offering technology that empowers employees in potentially two ways: 

1) As a new technology that companies can now use, changing the way they do their work.

In Aaron Jones’ article, “Change Management: 8 Tips to Successfully Implement a New Technology” he states “Companies that have been through successful implementations of new technology understood employee concerns and addressed those concerns early in the process” and offers the following steps for successfully integrating a new technology.

• Select the Right Technology
• Check References
• Involve Employees  
• Get all Personnel Involved Once a New Technology is
• Focus on Training
• Document Everything
• Create Short Terms Wins
• Demonstrate No Fear  

2) As a technology that helps manage the change process itself. 

In Henry Hornstein’s article, “Using A Change Management Approach To Implement IT Programs” he explains, “The importance of managing organizational change effectively has compelled a growing number of organizations to incorporate the discipline into major initiatives of all sorts, from the introduction of IT software packages to business process and organizational structure changes. The contribution of effective change management/leadership to the achievement of positive results cannot be ignored … when combining high usage of innovative Human Resource Management (HRM) practices with high usage of information and communication technologies (ICT), in change initiatives.” 

The single most important thing to keep in mind when implementing change is to understand why the change must happen.  There are three steps to implementing change:

1. Un-Paralyze your Organization - Develop a persuasive reason both why the change must happen and if it weren’t to happen, what would the negative impacts be. This creates a motivating reason why the change must happen. 
2. Show Benefits to Individuals - Individuals that are impacted by the change need to understand how it will benefit them. People want to be in the know. So communication and managing expectations are key.
3. Re-establish Standards – When employees feel they are constantly in flux and don’t know what to do, it creates uncertainty. Implementing change in a phased approach with continued reinforcement of those expectations helps people feel they know what is expected. Change will happen once you have a good QC process and a well-established protocol of what is expected.

Change in the end

It all leads to one conclusion.  Change is never done alone.  It takes the interactivity of every aspect of an organization (leaders, individual contributors, tools) to make change management successful. 

Gone are the days of five year plans.  Today’s speed of business requires an agile organization who can change even as frequently as 12 – 18 months.  Having a comprehensive and thorough management of change process is the only way businesses can survive … and flourish.

And remember that friend who asked about the investment return from the beginning of our series?  After reading each blog piece and taking the time to process each area’s responsibility toward the success of change, you can now tell your friend that the initial investment may indeed be huge, but because you have been given the necessary information for effective change management, we will ALL be able to prove enormous returns!

 

 

This series has been exploring how change management is viewed by a variety of perspectives: executives and finance to date with marketing, HR and IT yet to come.  We’ve advocated that change must be understood and handled differently from each department’s “normal” day to day activities.  However, for our focus on project management, this series will take a somewhat different turn.  Project Managers already have, in their very work DNA, the ability to see, to scope, and to manage change.  It’s what they do on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis: it’s what project management is all about.  

The specifics

Let’s first take a closer look at our terms – project management and change management – in order to make the clear connection.  Tim Creasey, Director of Research and Development for Prosci Research takes us through this process.  

From these terms, he offers next the vital connecting visual and description.

“As shown in this image, both project management and change management support moving an organization from a current state (how things are done today), through a transition state to a desired future state (the new processes, systems, organization structures or job roles defined by 'the change'). Project management focuses on the tasks to achieve the project requirements. Change management focuses on the people impacted by the change.

Any change to processes, systems, organization structures and/or job roles will have a 'technical' side and a 'people' side that must be managed. Project management and change management have evolved as disciplines to provide both the structure and the tools needed to realize change successfully on [both] the technical and people side[s].” 

But there’s more

In our first piece, we offered a definitions of change management with user adoption as the important second step in the management of change.  Once again, project managers are well positioned to ensure that not only are the processes of change implemented correctly, but that the people involved in the change are empowered to take full advantage.   

As we’ve discussed, both project management and change management have as their leading characteristic, a specific focus on the people involved in the change.  Also we stated in beginning of our series, user adoption requires a clearly defined and financially measured goal with training, clear communication/marketing and leadership buy-in as necessary parts to be successful.  Each of these attributes is an important part of ensuring that the people part of change is not only smooth but wholly embraced:  there is, after all, good reason that the company utilized valuable energy scoping out the change that will take your company from its present state to its future, more desired, state.  And since a company is really the embodiment of the sum of its employees,   

The company will only change

 when the individuals fully and entirely

commit to the change.

Final phase

No project would be complete without this all-important final phase - project review.  We all well know that no project would be complete without really looking at those phases which were well executed and which were not:  it is here in the post-mortem where real learning occurs and where there is a final determination of success and of change.