Case Study: Owning the Change Determines IT Success

Published by Shana Wedemeyer

The Highlands Consulting Group is assisting the State of California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) with implementation of ePlanCheck (ePC), a tool for the electronic submission, review, and approval of architecture and other building plans.

ENVISION: We are using our knowledge of Prosci’s Change Management Methodology in combination with our business process improvement experience to construct a comprehensive vision of what OSHPD’s future will look like after the ePC implementation. The most important part of this effort is that OSHPD staff own the change management activities and will reap the rewards long after we are gone.

EMPOWER: Using the Prosci framework, Highlands developed a comprehensive change management plan including a roadmap for project sponsors, a coaching plan for managers, a communications plan, and a resistance management plan to identify and mitigate potential points of resistance that OSHPD staff and customers might feel. We are involving key stakeholders in a way that empowers them to embrace the change to ePC, and encourage their coworkers and customers to do so as well.

COLLABORATE: To supplement Prosci, Highlands applied our extensive experience with business process improvement projects to work with key stakeholders and ePC experts to develop and refine future-state (“To-Be”) business processes. These processes capture not only the steps necessary to use the new software application, but also the hand-offs between the various roles in the overall business process. By involving these stakeholders, we created buy-in and consensus among OSHPD staff as to their vision of the future. Developing the to-be processes in a collaborative manner allowed for a thorough vetting of the proposed processes and an opportunity to identify both gaps and efficiencies. The ePC To-Be business process maps serve as both a vision for the future state as well as a training aid for OSHPD staff.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER: Finally, by providing access to help resources and facilitating communication, Highlands has helped put in place an extensive ePC Go-Live support structure at OSHPD to make the transition to ePC as smooth as possible.

OWNERSHIP: While Highlands has provided coaching, tools, and support for OSHPD’s successful transition to ePC, OSHPD has supplied the resources that make it possible. When ePC succeeds, it will be OSHPD’s success. We are happy to have had this opportunity to work with an organization that understands the people side of change, and that taking ownership of the change ultimately determines both IT and business success.