Effective Change Management for Project Success

Abstract

Change management applies a structured approach to effectively transition individuals, business processes and organizations from the current to the desired future state. On an example of a corporate business project, the paper analyses three types of business changes that most often occur as a consequence of large-scale projects: changes in the functionality of equipment and systems, changes in regular business procedures, and changes in the organizational structure. The changes presented in the paper are caused by a powerful business requirement, accompanied by new equipment and devices, new rules, new positions and new individuals. The main activities pertaining to change management analyzed include drafting an activity plan, assessing the impact of change on business, communicating with all levels of business hierarchy, monitoring the implementation of all parts of the change, and planning and controlling the necessary educational and training programmes for all project participants and business users. The paper ends with the comparison of three basic ways of change management: mechanical management with strict adherence to previously defined procedures, experiential management with active action, and intuitive management with occasional participation in project management. Key words: changes, projects, change management