Menu
Vitech
Software for Insurance, Retirement and Investment Administration
Search
  • Products
    • V3locity
      Overview
      CoreAdmin
      Digital
      ClaimsCenter
      CampaignCenter
      DataInsight
      Industries
      Group Insurance
      Annuities & PRT
      Retirement
      Alternative Investments
  • Technology
  • Services
  • News/Events
    • News
      Events
      VitechCONNECT
  • Resources
    • Resources
      Blog
  • Careers
    • Careers
      Careers in India
  • About
    • About
      Leadership
      Partners
      Customers
      Contact
  • Contact Us
Close Menu
June 7, 2021

Change Management: The Softer Side of Software Implementations

As a rule, human beings are resistant to change. We know that once we are comfortable within a routine, it can be difficult to modify. In a large-scale system implementation, this isn’t any different. The degree to which employees change their routines and adopt new processes can significantly impact the success of an implementation and rollout to end-users. Change Management initiatives are key to assisting the organizational adoption of the new platform and processes. Hence, the “softer side” of an implementation can often be the harder side if not executed properly.

Change Management 101

First, let’s define the concept of “Change Management.” Change Management is an umbrella term for approaches that implementation teams use for facilitating employees’ introduction to new systems or processes. This could include:

  • Establishing the necessary steps for change;
  • Preparing and supporting employees through the transition (surveys, interviews, demos of the new system’s functionalities and advanced features, etc.); and
  • Measuring success factors and monitoring pre- and post-change activities. These change efforts are critically important to help ensure a successful implementation and ultimately adoption by end-users.

Organizational change presents an entirely different level of challenges. Established processes, some which are manual and may have been in practice for years, are now being upended. This change can be intimidating to those who have been using previous, entrenched methodologies for years. So, how do we counter resistant employees, especially those who interpret “change” and “system upgrades” to mean “disruption” at best, and “layoffs” at worst? In a word, communication.

Effective communication is one of the most important factors for change management to work. Research also shows that employees prefer to receive messages about organizational change from leaders at the top of their organization. This is why it’s critically important that our organizational leaders understand the reason for change and are able to clearly articulate it in a manner relevant across the organization. We’ve also observed that employees especially need to hear from the top down that the new platform does not signal job elimination. Instead, a modern system will empower the employees to do their jobs more efficiently and grow the organization without putting undue burden on existing employees.

Communicating this shared vision across all constituents is critical, as well as sharing the idea of what success will look like at the end of the project and rollout to end-users.

The Power of Relationships and Key Internal Resources

At the heart of the role as a Change Management practitioner is the understanding of interrelationships between organizational units and processes, and the impact these relationships have on quality, productivity, and cost. In learning more about these relationships and how they interconnect, it is critical to get key employees on board with the new system and vision for the company. In our experience, long-time employees may initially be the biggest change detractors, but they are often subject matter experts on established practices and can usually provide valuable insights. For these reasons, it is a real asset to involve them from the start. Converting change opponents into change champions early is powerful in setting the right tone for the organization and getting everyone excited for the new system rollout.

Effective Leaders, Effective Success Factors

It’s one thing to talk about a vision for a transformed organization, but quite another to ensure that it’s occurring and cascading down the organization until it becomes the “new normal.” Having “success champions,” or leadership from an accountable person(s) along the way is important for continued buy-in. Having those success champions share the reason for change, celebrate positive Change Management performance metrics (e.g., performance improvements, adherence to the implementation timeline, project KPI measurements, and employee attendance at training sessions) will be inspiring for all involved.

Another great point about performance metrics: just like on the technical side of the implementation, it is important on the Change Management side to measure and document progress. Sharing and celebrating positive results that indicate improvement is a great way to boost company morale throughout the duration of the project, as well as build anticipation for its successful conclusion and rollout.

Conclusion

As Change Management champions, we can attest that the process has its own set of specific challenges, and as such its successes and failures can boost or inhibit an ongoing engagement. However, investing the time and effort into helping employees embrace the change that is part of any implementation, is an investment in our clients’ success –  which we know is ultimately Vitech’s success.

For additional items to consider during your transformation journey, see Vitech’s recent blog post, What Group Insurance Companies Should Consider When Selecting Administration Systems.

MELISSA DOBBIN

Melissa Dobbin is Director of Sales at Vitech Systems Group. She manages various relationships with companies across North America and helps lead new business efforts for the insurance benefits market. Prior to joining Vitech, Melissa was responsible for new business development and customer relationship management for a Disability, Life, Absence Management and Supplemental Health Insurance software provider. Melissa has extensive experience in Group Insurance benefits, business and core system transformations, relationship building, as well as lead generation and competitive analysis. Melissa can be reached by email or on LinkedIn.

JACOB EDDS

Jacob Edds is a Sales Associate at Vitech Systems Group. He manages and executes V3locity sales strategies in the Group Insurance market. Before joining Vitech, Jacob spent over seven years working for an international Group Insurance carrier. Jacob has significant experience in Group Insurance transformation, as well as a deep understanding of Change Management initiatives, Group Carrier operations, and finance. Jacob can be reached by email or on LinkedIn.

MELISSA DOBBIN & JACOB EDDS

Todd Eyler is Vice President of Strategic Marketing at Vitech Systems Group. He manages Vitech’s strategic marketing efforts including analyst relations, industry communications, competitive analysis, ecosystem partnerships, and thought leadership. Todd has held leadership positions at top-tier software companies and systems integrators and has extensive experience in identifying/analyzing market trends and aligning business priorities with the right technology.

Sign Up For Updates

Stay up-to-date on the latest industry news,
digital products and innovations.

    V3locity

    CoreAdmin
    Digital
    ClaimsCenter
    CampaignCenter
    DocCenter
    SalesCenter

    Industries

    Group Insurance
    Annuities & PRT
    Retirement Administration
    Alternative Investments

    Technology

    Services

    News/Events

    News
    Events

    Resources

    Careers

    About

    About Us
    Leadership
    Partners
    Customers
    Contact

    © Vitech Systems Sub LLC 2022. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy. Vitech refers to Vitech Systems Sub LLC and may sometimes refer to VSG Hosting Sub LLC. Vitech Systems Sub LLC is a separate legal entity from VSG Hosting Sub LLC.

    Please fill out this short form:

      Please fill out this short form:

        Please fill out this short form:

          Please fill out this short form:

            Please fill out this short form:

              Please fill out this short form:

                Please fill out this short form:

                  Please fill out this short form:

                    Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Life Insurance Policy Administration Systems, North America, Richard Natale, 5 August 2019.

                    Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.