To stay competitive, all businesses must change at some point, whether in leadership, structure, or technology. However, change can be disruptive and stressful for employees. With a good change management plan, organizations may achieve their goals.
In fact, 70% of change initiatives fail due to employee resistance or poor management. You can avoid this by creating an effective change management plan to ensure a smooth transition.
In this blog post, we will cover how to develop a software change management plan, and the skills needed for successful change.
What Is a Change Management Plan?
Change management is the process of preparing for and guiding an organization through change. It creates a plan to reduce risks and resistance while improving communication and adopting new systems or processes long-term.
To create a change management plan it must contain:
- Description of the change
- Background and context for the change
- Anticipated areas of impact
- Roles and responsibilities
- Required resources and budget
- Timeline of the change process
- Goals and final outcome
A change management plan is a detailed, step-by-step strategy for adopting change. It ensures a smooth transition for individuals and businesses.
What Exactly is Change Management in Software Development Projects?
Change management in software projects is the process of moving from the current state to an improved state.
Here’s a simple example: You’re managing a complex software project that’s going smoothly. Suddenly, stakeholders want to add a new technology solution that wasn’t planned. This forces you to make big changes to your project.
That’s where change management helps. With a well-defined process, you can smoothly transition from the current state (before the new tech) to the future state (with the new tech).
Change management process:
- Current state
- Transition
- Future state
Changes in software projects can happen for various reasons, such as:
- Project requirements change
- Bugs need fixing
- Team members leave
- Company reorganization
- Market demands shift
- Project performance needs improvement
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Get a Free ConsultationWhy is a Change Management in Software Projects Important?
Knowing how to create a change management plan can be a crucial part of the entire project development process for several reasons:
It ensures any changes are controlled and communicated effectively to all stakeholders. Without it, a project can become disorganized, leading to delays, budget overruns, and poor quality.
It helps teams plan, track, and control changes, reducing the risk of scope creep and other surprises.
It allows project managers to focus on project goals while ensuring changes align with business requirements.
Understanding Different Change Management Processes
The idea of creating a system to manage change is not new. In the 1940s, psychologist Kurt Lewin developed a three-step model for change. In the 1990s, businesses began adopting change management practices.
Change is a universal experience, leading to many theories and models. While these approaches vary, most include phases or steps people go through when experiencing change. Here are three popular models you can choose as change management for your software implementation plan.
1. ADKAR model
- Stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement.
- Focuses on both the organization and individuals going through change.
2. Kubler-Ross model
- Uses a curve to map individual reactions to change.
- Stages: Denial, Frustration, Depression, Experimentation, and Decision.
- Helps organizations plan for and manage these reactions.
3. Change management curve
- Based on the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
- Familiar and easy to adapt to change management.
If these models don't fit your needs, Upboard offers a comprehensive list of change management approaches with tools and templates to help you get started.
How to Create a Change Management Plan
Here are the steps you should consider when creating a change management plan. To show how it works, I'll use parts of our own RFP software change management process as an example. These steps can apply to any change.
Define the scope of the change
Start your change management plan by setting clear goals. Identify the problem or opportunity the change will address and define the desired outcomes.
Here are some tips to define your scope clearly:
- Understand the changes: Know what changes need to be made and their impact. For example, if introducing new software, understand not just how it works but how it will affect current workflows.
- Have awareness goals: Include goals for employee awareness and adoption of the changes.
- Define KPIs: Set measurable KPIs to track your plan's success. Determine how you will measure success, what metrics to move, and the current baseline. Use metrics that fit the context of the changes.
Establish a Change Management Team
To implement change management in software development projects, it's important to build a strong change management team with the necessary resources.
This team should include leaders from various departments, such as:
- Data management
- Resource management
- Spend management
- Digital asset management
Develop a Change Management Plan
At this step, decision-makers need to prepare a detailed change management plan. This plan should include key information like requirements, timeline, budget, and expected outcomes. It's also important to outline ways to withdraw from the change if needed.
- Create a task list: Make a checklist of actionable tasks to achieve your goals. This helps keep your team on track and provides an easy reference for next steps.
- Put together a timeline: Assign due dates to each task and ensure deadlines are met. Your plan should revolve around the project's overall due date. If tasks cannot be completed before the rollout, adjust their due dates or prioritize them based on importance and feasibility. Some tasks may be completed after the rollout if necessary.
Change management can be complex, so using a project management tool like Asana or Trello can help organize your plans and keep everything in one place
Remember, all decision-makers must review and approve this plan, so ensure to ask for their approval!
Explore Change Management Tools
Managing changes in software development projects will be simpler with useful tools.
Project Management Tools
Project management tools are essential for effective change management strategies. These tools assist change leaders and teams in planning, assigning tasks, and monitoring progress. They ensure deadlines are met and facilitate seamless communication, enhancing team efficiency and collaboration.
Popular options like Asana, Trello, and Basecamp offer features that streamline task management and support efficient workflows.
User Onboarding Tools
User onboarding tools streamline the introduction of new employees, technologies, or processes within your company. These platforms enable quick learning and adaptation, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
Employee Engagement and Feedback Tools
Employee engagement and feedback tools promote open communication during organizational change. They empower employees to share ideas and concerns, fostering a culture where every voice matters. This feedback provides valuable insights for informed decision-making, benefiting both employees and the organization.
Analytics and Performance Measurement Tools
Analytics and performance measurement tools are crucial for evaluating the success of change initiatives. They provide comprehensive insights into the impact and effectiveness of your strategies, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
Selecting the Right Tool
Before choosing a tool, assess your organization’s specific needs, considering factors like business size, type of change, budget, IT infrastructure, and current challenges. This approach ensures managing changes in software development with the right tool.
Change Management Plans: Best Practice
When Berkeley developed their change management process, they covered all the bases. Their toolkit includes a change management plan example, diagrams, definitions, risk assessment, and more. If you need a complete set of change management documents, this is the perfect resource.
Center for Disease Control (CDC) change management plan template
The CDC change management plan template offers clear and detailed instructions for use. It defines the plan's purpose, outlines the approval process for changes, and provides links to additional resources and documents.
Change is inevitable, and without a plan, it can be disruptive and stressful. However, a well-crafted change management plan brings organization and structure, ensuring successful outcomes.
Ultimately, change management empowers people to embrace transformation. With this guide, along with practice and a bit of luck, you'll be on the path to success.
Insync Supply Chain Management change management plan example
Supply chain management professionals are well-versed in handling change. Insync Supply Chain Management focuses on operational and change management strategies in the sector. Their change management plan example includes all the essential components you'll need.
Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) change management template
If you're worried about missing elements in your change management plan, I recommend checking out this template from VITA. It provides clear instructions and a comprehensive list of factors to consider when developing your plan.
MyPM specializes in proposal services and project management consultancy for both commercial and government sectors, dealing extensively with change. They provide a comprehensive change management plan template that guides through every essential component. This template covers everything from defining the change to assessing risks, serving as a solid base for customization.
Conclusion
Urgent changes are inevitable in any large-scale project. While you can't prevent them, you can certainly be prepared.
That's why it's crucial to implement a clear change management strategy right from the start of your project. This approach ensures that any challenges that arise during the project lifecycle won't derail your progress.
If you're seeking experts to handle complex project management, you're in the right place. Contact us and let's achieve greatness together!
Now that you know how to develop a change management plan for your organization, let’s proceed to the FAQ section.
FAQs about developing a software change management plan
What is a software change management plan?
Change management in software development is essential for tracking and managing changes to artifacts like code and requirements, ensuring effective application development.
What are the key components of a software change management plan?
Here are simplified versions of each point: Documenting Your Changes, Understanding Reasons for Change, Assessing Financial Benefits, Selecting an Implementation Approach, Gaining Support for Change, Integrating Risk Management, and Evaluating the Change Effectively.
Who is responsible for the software change management plan?
The Change Agent oversees the daily change management process and implementation, including coordinating various necessary work streams. This role is typically filled by your company Supervisor or occasionally the Managing Director.
