Blue Software Change Management Plan Assignment
Question
Task: You, as a change manager, have been asked by the CEO, Mr Reynolds, to develop a change management plan for his flexible workplace idea that is provided to you in the above scenario.
The detailed change management plan should be 1500-2000 words. You can make assumptions which are relevant and consistent with provided information in the scenario to support for your ideas, provided you clearly state the assumptions. You may argue the pros and cons for any recommendation that is made. If necessary, students are expected to find relevant information in the academic literature to justify their answers.
Answer
1. Overview of theChange
1.1. What is the reason forchange identified in this change management plan assignment?
Blue Software firm is a medium-sized company that operates in Melbourne and employs approximately 80 workforces. The company is planning to grow and expand but it has limited office space which will not support new recruitments of the company.
1.2. Type of thechange
Change is an emergency change as it involves major modifications in workplace settings. The workforce, working from home will require systems with data protection and installed internal communications of the company.
The company selected in this change management plan assignment is undertaking structural changes like the relocation of business practices. The office space will be accommodated by new joiners and collaborators like the UX Design team. The CEO plans to collaborate and recruit individuals from other regions that will help the company in becoming an MNC. Change Management Plan is required for maintaining work productivity while also help the workforce in adapting to the new work practices.
1.3. Scope of thechange outlined in the change management plan assignment
The workforce of the company will be majorly impacted by the change. Staff is concerned about reduced work productivity while working from home. The workforce might face issues like continuous network unavailability, lack of dedicated work area, poor communications, time-consuming online meetings that might delay the work, and hamper the service delivery of the firms. Physical and human resources are assets that will be impacted. It is mentioned in this change management plan assignment that the CEO has decided to incorporate new working practices like work from home services. Thus, the software development team can operate through their home systems and visit the office premises occasionally (attending meetings and other occasions).
1.4. Role and Responsibilities of Change Managementteam
The supervisors will conduct training programs that will enable the workforce to adapt to the work from protocolsthatshould be followed. The workforce will have to align with login procedures and use of the internal communications portal for contacting the senior management when needed.
2. ChangeAnalysis
2.1. ProcessChange
There is a need for work from home services so that the expansion opportunities can take place. The workforce should be communicated about the provisions that will be given while working from home facilities. The workforce should be convinced about the need for change in the organization which will further help them to adapt to the changes that will take place in the workplace.
The company will have to install systems and other office equipment in the residents of the employees for smoothening work from activities.The employee will have adapted home location and reduce disturbance for improving the work. Compensation for internet and electricity consumption should be given along with other Financial inconvenience the employee might face in reallocating
2.2PeopleChange
As mentioned above within this change management plan assignment, the team of software developers will be majorly impacted. The change management will require experienced supervisors for managing the work from home services.
In this regard, the managers and the senior management should be trained about the new working procedures. However, the internal resources like the managers, supervisors, and Hierarchy will be sufficient for managing the change, there is no requirement of third involvement in the change process.
The study developed within this change management plan assignmentsignify that the staff should be trained about using digital communication methods and other online processes that are required while working from home. New working behavior is required from the workforce;thus, they will have to complete the project deadline from a new work setting.
2.2. StakeholderAnalysis
Employees as the stakeholders are directly involved in the change process while clients and investors will be impacted indirectly.
|
Level of Participation |
Who |
Description of Stakeholder |
|
Driving |
Supervisors and managers |
As mentioned herein change management plan assignment, the supervisors and managers are directly impacted as the work process is changing which will require the implementation of new processes and procedures. They have to motivate the employees for adapting relocation that will also provide compensatory benefits to them |
|
Advocate |
CEO and Senior managers |
Since the majority of the existing staff will operate from the work from home, they might have concerns about reduced work productivity, reliable internet facility, and others. CEO and senior managers should motivate and explain the team, about the long-termbenefits of change to the company and the workforce. |
|
Active Participation |
Employees |
Employees and team members will be directly impacted. Since work locations will be changed, the employees might have issues in working home settings with a lack of dedicated working areas. |
|
Willingness |
Supervisors |
It will be essential for employees to be well equipped with systems and internet facilities. Thus, it is clear on this change management plan assignment that supervisors might hire third-party packers/ movers for installing the systems and other facilities at the residents of the employees. |
|
Understanding |
Clients, Investors, and senior managers |
The clients, investors, and other senior managers are well informed about the change but they are not directly involved in the process. |
2.3. ResistanceAnalysis conducted in this change management plan assignment
The relocation of the workplace may be resisted by some elderly employees or workforce that lackproper working stations at home. Changing the workplace might result in a lack of productivity due to a lack of infrastructure. The elderly employees have major issues in adapting to the digitalcommunication and major modifications in the workplace.
The elderly employees and another workforce might not be given work from home in the initial days. The Blue Software Company selected in this report of change management plan assignment should provide time and ample resources for the workforce to relocate the workstations at home. There might be some employees that live in small apartments with huge family members, thus, verification can be done and permanent work from the office can be implemented for only a few of the employees.
2.4. Risk and ImpactAnalysis
The relocation of the employees for work from facilities may impact the quality of work and submission of the projects on time. The communication gap between the supervisors and misinterpretation about the work may reduce customer confidence in the company.
Reduced productivity and late submissions can be analyzed as the potential risks associated with change management. The working habits and quality of work of the employee should be evaluated for six months for understanding major risks of change.
Frequent delay in project submissions or inferiorquality may reduce the client's confidence thereby impacting the revenue margins of the firm.
They can be mitigated by evaluating the efforts of the employees and removing obstacles that impact work productivity whilst working from home. As mentioned earlier within this change management plan assignment, the evaluation can be conducted for six months after the change has been implemented.
2.5. Organizational ChangeReadiness
The organization is in the initial stage in which the senior management are creating plans for future development while they are creating strategies to implement work from home facilities for accommodating future expansion opportunities.
The force field analysis by Kurt Lewin considered in this change management plan assignment helps to identify, discuss, and document aspect that supports the change by the organizations. In this view, the workforce should be made understood about the company's expansion opportunities that can benefit the firm as a whole. The CEO of Blue Software should work together on team building and emotional commitment from the individuals. The company should collect the feedback and concerns of the employee about the change of work setting.Internet facilities and secured office systems can be installed in the homes of the employees so that they are equipped with office tools. The rosters of the employees can be prepared which will contain the working hours, work delegation, and probable relaxation of timings. The CEO should arrange weekly meetings that will keep the employees in track with the organizational goals.
3. ActionPlan
3.1. Change ImplementationPlan
The Action plan has been prepared in the present context of change management plan assignment for months in alignment with Kotter's Change management theory. Most importantly, there will be adopted agile methodology for the change implementation procedure such that flexibility approach can be adopted. An agile technique will not only allow flexibility but also in dealing with resistance to change procedure. In seven months of change implementation, the risks and resistance to change can be identified and resolved. However, the company should evaluate performance after the change has been implemented for reducing the potential risks of the company.
3.2. CommunicationPlan
It is evident in this change management plan assignmentthat the employees should be communicated about the vision of the change. In this scenario, potential issues like work productivity should be considered. The roster of the supervisor should be made in a way so that employees of a Blue software company can effectively communicate about the issues while working from home. In team meetings, regular training should be given about the mandatory usage of internal communication tools. The change management plan assignmentstudy illustrates that this will help in developing new working habits of the employees and will reduce dependence on manual interactions.
|
Date |
Communication will be started from the initiation of change implementation |
|
Audience |
Employees of the Software development team. |
|
Reason for communication |
Informing the workforce about the stages and need for change. |
|
Risk |
Mis-interpretation and miscommunication might occur which might hamper employee retention and profitability of the firm. |
|
Communication Channel/ activity |
Communications will be done through internal communication tools like emails, notice boards, meetings, circulars, and others. |
|
Key message |
Different stages and progress of the change management |
|
Additional info |
The message can invite the employees for contributing their inputs to change management. |
3.3. Business SystemPlan
Blue Software firm examined in the segments of change management plan assignment is a medium-sized company that operates in Melbourne and employs approximately 80 workforces. The company is planning to grow and expand but it has limited office space which will not support new recruitments of the company. The CEO has decided to incorporate new working practices like work from home services. Thus, the software development team can operate through their home systems and visit the office premises occasionally (attending meetings and other occasions). The workforce working from home will require systems with data protection and installed internal communications of the company. The workforce will communicate with their supervisors and colleagues through internal communications platforms.
The office space will be accommodated by new joiners and collaborators like the UX Design team. The CEO plans to collaborate and recruit individuals from other regions that will help the company in becoming an MNC. However, many staff is concerned about reduced work productivity while working from home. The workforce might face issues like continuous network unavailability, lack of dedicated work area, poor communications, time-consuming online meetings that might delay the work, and hamper the service delivery of the firms. Change Management Plan is required for maintaining work productivity while also help the workforce in adapting to the new work practices.
The company will require an online networking system that will track the login and log out the time of the workforce. The HR portal should be improvised as the work settings will be changed, secure data protection software should be installed in the work systems of employees
3.4. TrainingPlan
The study prepared in the change management plan assignmentdemonstrates that training sessions can be organized foran hour or two before the implementation of the change. In the current scenario, the employees work from the office while interacting manually for communicating with colleagues and HR.
The workforce will be made aware of the developmental plans of the company how it will benefit the firm as a whole.
Several training sessions will be arranged for adapting digital communications in the workingscenario.
Training strategies will include the management of work from home, the use of digital platforms for inquiring, resolving issues, and reporting other work-related issues. The barriers should be checked and agreeableness of the employees should also be considered.
The training material will involve the examples of companies that operate through work from home, motivational speeches, and evaluation form that will access the feedback of the training.
The training will be conducted by the project managers and HR almost every day until the change is implemented.
3.5. ChangeEvaluation
3.5.1. Criteria forEvaluation
Productivity, project gaps, a cost analysis can be identified as change evaluation criteria.
3.5.2. Evaluating theChange
The employees can be provided with feedback and surveys through which the success of the change can be evaluated. The differences between the revenue and cost incurred can be evaluated for examining the financial stability of the company after the change has been implemented.
4. Post Implementation Plan/ ChangeClosure
The post-implementation of change management should be addressed within 6-7 months after the change has been implemented as mentioned in the change management plan assignment.
Conducting gap analysis – The Blue Software should analyse the gaps like the impact of change on productivity, employee motivation, low performing employees, workforce attendance, and others.
Determining the achievements of Goals- The productivity of the employees and the success of the projects undertaken will determine the achievement of change. Short goals should be made in the initial months on which the achievements can be gauged.
Determining stakeholder’s satisfaction- The change management should be made considering the satisfaction of all stakeholders. Thus, after a change has implemented various stakeholders can be contacted for addressing their feedback and complaints.
Determining the project costs- The success of the change and cost allotted for the change should be compared for determining the potential profits and loss of the introduced changes.
Identifying Developmental areas- The gaps identified and the estimated costs of the project examined in the change management plan assignmentwill help in formulating plans for further improvements in the work settings.
References:
Queensland Government Chief Information Office, Change Management Plan Workbook and Template
