Managing Change

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” ― Charles Darwin

I don’t know exactly what it is, but there is something about human nature that resists change. We all can be stubborn creatures of habit and we’ve all heard the old idiom “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” There is a certain comfort that comes with what we know, and it’s a sound decision for any rational person to prefer the “devil that they know” to a potential Pandora’s Box.

Often times organizational changes, like rolling out a new ERP system such as NetSuite, can face resistance from employees who are comfortable in their place or role at an organization, and are too busy “fighting in the trenches” every day to appreciate or realize that the new ERP rollout can make their daily work lives better and be essential to keeping their current organization alive and competitive.

ERP implementations which solely focus on the software (requirements and configuration) can fail because they are neglecting “the human factor” and the ultimate reality that change doesn’t happen without individual people changing their thinking and understanding regarding their role within a larger organization. There can be aspects of a job or function under their “old” existing ERP software that may be good for an individual, but these aspects ultimately must be weighed against (and should never take precedence over) what is good for the organization as a whole.

Often times, employees will view an ERP software implementation project as additional, unnecessary work that will make their jobs more difficult. Perception can be more powerful than reality, and a competent consulting firm that is doing an excellent job on a software implementation can end up in trouble over inaccurate perceptions that aren’t addressed.

Usually, the capturing of business requirements and the configuration of the software is to help customize your new ERP software solution, which should eventually make you and your organization more competitive. Requirements gathering can also serve as an excellent opportunity for an individual to realize their specific role in a larger organization and asses its impact and recommend improvements.

Many times, employees don’t realize that the changes in their operations are necessary, in order to stay competitive and scalable in an ever-competitive global environment. These changes can not only serve to make your day to day life “fighting in the trenches” easier, they can also be essential to maintaining or growing your organization’s business.

For evolutionary law dictates that if we do not change and adapt to our environment, we run the risk of becoming extinct.

MIBAR.net provides ERP & CRM software programs and consulting services to help your business improve decision making, build stronger customer relationships, and go mobile. To get started, please schedule a free consultation.