Introduction
The implementation of Information Management solutions necessarily brings changes to any company. Organizational practices, roles, and relationship all impact the way that individuals work and interact every day. Whatever the reason for implementation is to improve efficiency, compliance or risk reduction , there must be a need to think about the impact on the user community.
Records and document management practices within organizations aren’t always thought of by most managers or employees. Getting them to view information in a different manner or even at all as a valuable asset for the corporate, will require a major shift in mindset. This can force many people out of comfortable area, which will impact their ability and confidence to do their job and can create a scenario where people feel like they are losing a sense of control in their job environment.
It’s normal for people begin to react in the face of worries regarding their future, security and where they’ll integrate into the new world order. Within any group, there will be a portion of people who are excited at the possibility of change, and at the opposite end, 10% who will resent changes regardless. That means there are 80% of people who can be influenced in one manner either way or another.
The implementation success of the information-management system goes well beyond the initial design and implementation. It goes beyond operational and support. Effective management of information requires a fundamental shift in the mindset of individuals and all members of the organization who rely on information in their actions. This transformation must be executed with care to establish an environment that is information is effectively and efficiently controlled as an essential organizational asset.
What’s Change Management?
Management of change is the process of convincing the masses to accept and be emotionally committed to the change. A lot of the issues that arise in response to changes could be real or imagined and are connected in a cause and result network. In either case, they must be addressed in order to prevent resistance or even rejection from the changes. This is a process that involves communicating, understanding, mentorship and coaching, as well as general support in pursuit of establishing trust. From this point in trust where the process of creating the workplace environment for effective information management can begin. The four Cs of change management can help us consider the changes from the perspective of the user affected of viewpoint.
The ComfortPeople have a tendency to become habitual. They develop habits of working within the comfortable zone of everyday activities.
Control The change in practices could result in the loss of control over everyday routines and actions. This can be caused by changes to reports or responsibilities, which could cause a sense of anxiety.
confidenceThe adoption of changes to methods could undermine confidence of employees in their capabilities to do their job. For some, this could be a an obstacle, but for others it may be stress-inducing. In many cases, the introduction of computers is uncomfortable. Some individuals, particularly those who are older, might not have prior experience using computers and could create self-doubt about their capability to acquire the new abilities required.
CompetencyTo become able work in a changing work environment, there’s always a degree of re-skilling that is required. This means that the current abilities, usually acquired over a long time frame, will require upgrading or could become obsolete. This uncertainty can affect the employee’s ability and capability to perform.
Controlling the complicated web of reactions, issues and opinions requires focus. The capabilities of the change manager are based upon a thorough comprehension of the human behaviour. the job of the change manager is to assist individuals to comprehend the changes and the implications in their own terms. This has been demonstrated to be a major improvement factor in the development of Information Management capabilities.
What is the significance of Change Management important?
As the volumes of data increase, and our regulatory obligations rise in tandem with the continuous effort to improve productivity in our businesses and efficiency, we can’t afford to miss out on the opportunity to reap the benefits of software for managing information.
Research has repeatedly shown that a major risk to how successful or unsuccessful information management systems is the resistance of stakeholders to changes. By investing time and effort to prepare the users for the coming changes, the likelihood of resistance diminish. If there isn’t a systematic strategy for managing stakeholders throughout the transition, then the realization of the anticipated benefits is put at risk. This can impact the efficiency of your business, employee morale and even the bottom line. It is therefore sensible to use our systems for managing information efficiently.
Some of the most common Change Management issues with the IM system implementation
We are witnessing an ongoing consolidation of the vendors of information management community, which is resulting in a convergence of the technology. There is an increasing recognition by companies that an ability to manage their information is essential. Additionally, auditing activities frequently uncovers performance issues and companies respond accordingly.
The choice the right information management software is an investment for the company and common mistakes managed by change management are:
Focus on Technology
The inability to consider the needs of users’ emotional well-being when rushing to put the technology in place could create a huge project risk. A lot of organizations that have an existing information management system implemented experience a change of perception towards the solution. The reason for this perception is attributable to an initial focus on implementation that did not consider the needs of the people who struggled to implement new functions to their tasks. A successful change management strategy which includes awareness building and communication could turn your perception on its head.
Recognizing the business importance of Information
The lack of visibility that information management holds in the minds of many employees could be a problem. Everyone is busy, and in the grand scheme of things , filing isn’t on the radar of many employees who are trying to keep up with the daily demands at work. Change management of documents may be pushed down the list of priorities partly because of pressures at work and also due to a lack of awareness. is often seen as among the tasks to be completed instead of something that has to be done.
Businesses that understand the business importance of information as an asset could be able to raise awareness of its significance and then manage it accordingly. The increased awareness of its importance will also affect the design of implementation of systems for managing information.
Case and Budget for Business Case as well as Budget
The rationale for information management is centered around risks, mitigation, as well as productivity. But, many of the benefits are not tangible and impact indirectly on the final results. However, the associated costs are real and evident.
There are therefore challenges in the formulation of the business plan as it may not be able to excite those who are financial fundamentalists and view the entire undertaking as a necessary cost that needs to be reduced. For those who aren’t aware changes management are often viewed as unnecessary and lead to budgets that are set to minimize cost , thereby increasing the risk of failing.
Although they are not specific to information management initiatives, the above issues could pose a significant risk to the project. The methods of Change Management are designed to address human behavioral issues that could have a negative affect the success of projects and, as such, are essential to include in any deployment exercise.