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Best Practices: Organizational Readiness
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Individuals
Successful content management starts with individual stakeholders and their willingness and ability to support the new roles, processes, and behaviors required by the technology change. Success comes when the front-line user chooses to adopt and use the system. Front-line users have the most to gain or lose by the system's success or failure. The project team must identify the informal leaders - those who get it a little quicker, use new technology a little faster, need the benefits of new technology the most, and whose lead is followed by the work group.
Change Management
Change management addresses the ability and skills of the organization to successfully transition the people, processes, and technology from their present state to the desired state. The organization must recognize that small steps gain success, one person at a time. If a person uses the system and understands the benefits, they will tell 2-4 people, who will tell 2-4 people. The use of the system will propagate like a virus. Identify people to "clean up the mess," who don't want to keep "throwing stuff in the file room or the on-line shared directory." They'll file their documents, with meaningful names and profiles (with a little pain at first) so they can get the benefit of finding it fast when they need it.
Choose a "vocal group" for the pilot team, not necessarily where the processes supported by system are most visible and critical.
Focus on "reluctant people" on the front lines. Give them more attention, coach them, and physically spend time with them. No one gets left behind. Everyone has a positive experience. The first pilot groups should be smaller groups of people who can attest it was hard at first, but it was worth it. They can say with confidence that "It is now much easier" and worth the effort.
Create testimonials in pockets, then people will ask for it. They will want the benefit. Avoid starting with Administrative Assistants. When the project encounters trouble, that's all the executives will know. These people are not really stakeholders. They probably have an already well-organized file system, and this project may be seen as a threat to that file system. Set expectations early. Explain the patterns of investment and of "pain," explaining this is the way it will be. The results are worth it.
Culture
Culture is the intangible set of beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions that guide people’s day-to-day activities. Care must be taken to ensure they are in alignment with those needed to support the technology change. Sponsors and change agents must lead by example. "Do as I say, not as I do." doesn't work. CEO's and their direct reports become readers; don't expect them to be authors. Senior Executives will get reports from the enthusiastic people on the pilot's front lines. These are the individuals who need Content Management, and are willing to work hard and endure a few hardships to make it a success. Identify and support the front line champions who will carry the messages of success to the senior executives.
Leadership
This is the organization's intent to create change, facilitated through sponsorship, change agent effectiveness, and the foundation for change. The project team should be an early user of the system. Even if it is in a small way, they need to know what their customers are experiencing. The solution development group must lead, and not be led by business areas that are too concerned about "look and feel." Leadership needs to ensure the system fits their way of doing business rather than changing their ways of doing business to fit the system. This is core to reaping the benefits.
Business Process
Determine if the business processes currently in place are adequate to support the optimization of business results using the new technology. Changes in business practice depend on the pilot. Authoring may not change much, except for naming and categorization when storing in the system. Processes for document consumers can change substantially. This is a benefit that should be expected. Map the business processes into the system's processes, rather than vice-versa.
Solution Development
Is the solution development process for applications and/or infrastructure adequate to support the effort required by the technology change? Convert only necessary documents to the system. Leave the rest on the shared servers as Read-Only. The Solution Development Team must be cross-functional: both business and technology people. A key successful practice is not modifying the core of the solution; rather, customize it using the "hooks" designed into the application that accommodate additional processes. This avoids re-testing the core code to ensure modifications do not affect any other functions, and fitting them into every subsequent release. The solution development group must constantly avoid being driven too hard by the business areas that may be too concerned about look and feel. Consultants can help with the impacts of change. Training should be cascaded using a Train the Trainer approach.
Information Systems Operations Process
Be sure the information systems operations processes are adequate to support the effort required to develop, deploy, operate, and optimize the technology change. There should be little impact on IT Operations if the underlying server technology is already in use.
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