The Problem
As a leader in the steel bridge fabrication market, High Steel began a journey to modernize their systems, thinking innovatively to use technology and data to improve how they work, while remaining competitive to make an even better product. Currently, there is variability in the way that different departments and locations work causing inconsistencies downstream in core systems used by other teams like finance. This results in additional effort by other departments to validate and correct data.
The Approach
High Steel partnered with Dering to use a proven change management approach to achieve their goals and challenge each coworker to adopt the new ways of working. This approach uses the Prosci ADKAR® Model within the three-phase approach to planning change: 1) prepare for change, 2) manage the change, and 3) sustain outcomes.
The Prosci ADKAR® Model is a framework where each letter represents a stage: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. For coworkers to know that change is coming, leaders need to make them…
- Aware of a need for change
- Desire for the change
- Knowledgeable through training while their managers and supervisors coach
- Able to perform back on-the-job
- Reinforce the new ways of working
The Solution
To prepare for change, we reviewed the business strategy and case, then we interviewed key stakeholders to ensure that they were aligned to the strategy. To align the stakeholders further, Dering facilitated a workshop to define the key messages for a communication plan, and we encouraged each leader to modify the message to tailor to their department and team, because we know that relevant messages build trust faster. Once we knew what to communicate, we needed to determine how each team was impacted by the change and then create a training strategy and approach.
To manage the change, the leaders communicated the key messages to their team to build Awareness and Desire. Then we turned the change impacts into a training program with supporting documentation to ensure every individual can replicate what they learned on their own and start working toward system and process adoption. We identified a small group of Change Champions to refine the training plan and review the training documentation with us to tailor specifically to their departments. At that point, we knew that we were ready to implement the communication and training plan, then we could pulse the group using a survey to determine how they were feeling about the change. This survey was mapped to each letter of The Prosci ADKAR® Model.
To sustain the outcomes, we reviewed the baseline and pre-Go Live pulse survey results with the Leadership Team to determine what we needed to adjust. In this case, we noticed that we had opportunities with Knowledge and Ability, so we needed focus groups with our Change Champions and others to find out what we could do to help build their capability and confidence with the new way of working. We summarized our findings in those focus groups and held an after action review with key stakeholders to prioritize remaining risks and opportunities to place into an action plan.
The Results
System and technology improvements streamlined processes between engineering, procurement, production and inventory control, and operations. Core data is held in one database which improved demand and inventory visibility. Having one source of data enables data mining and root cause analysis efforts to be much more efficient and timelier.
The teams involved with the Change Management process are appreciative of a disciplined approach to change to ensure sustainment through intentional communication, documented processes, and training. This process led to a cultural shift in how the business manages day-to-day through improved collaboration between functional and cross-functional departments.