Page 30 - MetalForming-Sep-2018-issue

FABRICATION
Managing
Organizational Change —a.k.a. Juggling
What is organizational change and why it matters, or should.
BY JEFF CARR
Fact: No newly deployed enter- prise-technology solution reach- es its full potential without a cor- responding organizational change. The reason: Even the best technology solu- tion, if not embraced by the workforce within a business-transformation scheme, operates at less than its full capabilities.
This is why forward-thinking enter-
Jeff Carr is founder and CEO of Ultra Consultants, a research and enterprise selection consulting firm serving the manufacturing and distribution indus- tries, headquartered in Oak Brook, IL; 312/319-1411; https://ultraconsultants.com.
prises, when deploying new ERP sys- tems, are wise to consider three vital aspects of organizational-change man- agement: technology, processes and people.
Only by juggling all three at the same time, can momentum develop and continue.
This momentum, which must be greater than inherent resistance to change in workplace processes, results when project teams agree on the fol- lowing elements:
• Shared need and clear reason why the status quo no longer is viable.
• Shared view of the desired future state and a clear sense of direction.
• Clearly defined next actions and ownership.
Organizational Change Management
The 8-Step Process for Leading Change methodology from leadership change expert John Kotter provides a useful blueprint for establishing the necessary framework for successful organizational change.
A recent project with Warren, ME- based Knox Machine Co., a make-to- order machining company, provides one example. For more than 40 years, it supplied close-tolerance machining to the defense, communications,
28 MetalForming/September 2018
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