Chapter 39. Chart a Course for Change
NEW SOFTWARE CHANGES THE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE WORK. This may be good for the organization, but the people who work there aren't always ready to embrace change. And let's face it, if people can't be convinced, cajoled, or commanded to use your new software, it's been a big waste of time and money.
When requiring people to change the ways in which they work, the carrot method (reward) is much better than the stick (punishment). Even if they're forced to adopt it, if your new software does not provide significant benefits that users can understand and master, they will find every way possible to avoid using it. Proper care must be taken to 1) understand the impact of this change on the people it touches, and 2) put in place change-management plans that help these people embrace the change.
Key to understanding the impact of the change is to understand how people currently work and exactly how the new software will change that process. This increases the chances that users will adopt the new system, and also improves the design of your end-product, as it ensures that it will fit user needs.
The importance of change management cannot be underestimated and should be a project manager's focus early on in the project. To determine the impact of the change on users, first document all current ("as is") processes that touch the software project. ...
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