All stakeholders – ranging from owners to architects to engineers to construction contractors – are well aware of the fact that any introduction of process change into a project leads to challenges in project execution. It could also quite possibly hinder the project’s overall success.
Change, when not handled competently, can interfere with the flow of work, cause unintended delays, lead schedules to slip, and increase costs. For organizations to understand this and adopt new capital improvement technology, the reason for the change and vision must be clearly communicated throughout the organization, and supported from the top down. There needs to be a process where everyone in the organization – from owners to contractors – understands why the change is being implemented in the first place. They need to be told in simple and direct terms about how this change, whether it applies to workflow, process, or technology, will allow them to do their jobs more efficiently.
The OnIndus team believes in a systematic approach to handling change in any organization, and it passes through the 7Rs of change management.
The Principles of Change Management
No owner can afford to stagnate and become obsolete due to the lack of adoption of new technology standards. With adopting technology and better processes, comes newer efficiencies, newer methodologies, and better ways to carry out important capital program functions that can help accelerate the delivery schedules through gradual improvements over time. So, change is inevitable. However, with every addition/modification in the system process that qualifies as change, you need to make sure that you are empowering your design and construction teams to adopt, accept, and integrate this change as a part of their daily tasks. Failing to do so, can negatively affect the adoption rates and lead to loss of potential and waste of capital on new improvements.
To avoid this problem, the OnIndus team works with all our Owner teams through the process of change; allowing each one of them to feel involved, empowered and most of all, to understand their individual roles in the transition through four key steps.
- Understanding the Change
You could think about what the negative impact of not adopting the change in the existing system would be. But all the stakeholders and people involved also need to feel confident that the new approach will improve existing processes and is a much-needed change. This step clearly establishes the “why” for all stakeholder teams so that they can understand how new modifications or systems can add efficiencies.
- Planning the Change
Effective change doesn’t miraculously just happen on its own. There needs to be a plan for it and any design or construction plans you undertake have to be established through a clear roadmap. Establishing the “how” this change will be implemented can help in explaining why it is the right solution for your organization. Some plans have very rigid change methodologies, while others are more open and flexible in their approach.
- Implementing the Change
So, how exactly are you going to implement the change without halting current projects or negatively impacting the bottom line? We clearly communicate the vision throughout the organization for adopting new capital improvement technology from the top down. This leads to better change management and helps in maximizing the value of the new system. We ensure that training is carried out for every stakeholder based on their specific role in the process.
- Communicating the Change
Communication plays a significant role in change management. We spend a lot of time gathering key stakeholder feedback to continuously develop and customize the system to suit the organization’s needs.
The Change Management Process
The most common risks attached to change management in construction can greatly be reduced by hiring expert technology partners who can use a full-stack approach to integrate the new change within the existing processes. The process refers to the act of being prepared, guidance, and the tools we hand over to various persons in an organization to help them effectively adopt practices that lead to positive organizational change. This translates to handling critical areas of documentation, drawing, process flow, information, cost, schedule, and personnel management.
Changes in construction projects are not uncommon at all. And they are most likely to occur from various sources, aided by a number of causes. These could happen at any stage of a capital project and can also lead to considerably higher costs as well as delayed project schedules. These factors, if not taken care of through a systematic change management process, could become one of the main sources of contract disputes, which could contribute to the failure of the entire project.
We help our customers to make data-driven decisions and create transparency for all key stakeholders while driving change. To understand how OnIndus can help your team observe, develop, and execute best-in-class processes for change management, contact us via email (connect@onindus.com) or call us directly at +1 786 472 4840.