Change management: how to successfully execute digital transformation in a company

Change management… New system, new procedures, new reports… Supposedly it’s supposed to be better, but people in the company are already glancing around uncertainly, muttering under their breath and asking the same question over and over again, “Why is it all changing again?”. Sound familiar?

Digital transformation in industry is not just a technology upgrade. It’s also a certain modification of the way we work. This can stir up emotions – fear, reluctance, sometimes even outright resistance. In this article, I will show why this is the case, and outline ways in which the change can be carried out in a company so that it does not end up in an internal civil war.

Let’s start at the beginning – what basically is all this “change management”? It is a structured process of preparing, implementing and consolidating modifications in an organization. For example, it applies to areas of technology, processes, structure or even work culture. It should be carried out in such a way as to minimize resistance, increase acceptance among employees and achieve the desired business goals.

In the context of industry and digital transformation, change management includes not only technical aspects(e.g., implementation of an ERP, MES or IIoT system ), but also psychological and organizational aspects : communication, team engagement, trust building and adaptation of daily work to new tools and methods.

For starters, the bad (but necessary) news: the human brain doesn’t like change. And especially those that subvert the daily routine. From the point of view of biology, any change is a potential threat. After all, it’s better to stick to what’s familiar, even if uncomfortable. That’s why the process of managing change in an organization can’t just be about implementing a new system and sending employees an email about a new procedure. This is where you need to go deeper.

These are not voices of “resistance.” These are the voices of people who want to understand what is going on and how it will affect their daily work.

It is often said that “it is the IT department that implements the system” and “the management decides on the change.” The problem is that change management is not the sole responsibility of one group, but a task for the entire organization.

Department managers, shift supervisors, foremen and even informal opinion leaders among employees – they are the ones who have a real impact on how any new initiative will be received. Therefore, if you are the head of a team, you should know that change management should not end with communicating information. It’s about working with people every day, answering their concerns, explaining “why it’s worth it.” Sometimes also simply showing that it is possible to embrace the subject in practice. And that you yourself are a part of it, not just a messenger from above.

In theory, everything looks good: the new system can improve data quality, reduce response time, simplify reporting. But practice shows that change is not just another Excel table. It’s emotion, uncertainty, risk. Here are the five most common reasons why employees reflexively block change, even if the change is supposed to help them.

Change management very often gets lumped into the bag titled. “IT project”. And this is a trap. Because the problem usually lies not in the technology itself, but in the way it is introduced. Some of the most common mistakes include:

Keep in mind that it is not the technical solutions that create resistance, but most often the way they are imposed. Without clear communication, involvement of production people and a quick demonstration of the benefits, even the best concept can be rejected before it takes off for good.

You can’t make an effective change “cold,” from a spreadsheet and an implementation schedule. If you want employees to not only accept the new system, but to realistically use it you should start with people, not technology. Here are three approaches to increase the chances of success:

A change that doesn’t include people doesn’t stand a chance of being adopted, even if the system is modern, fast and compliant with the latest standards. If you make sure there is commitment, language that everyone understands, and first, quick results, you have a much better chance that the new system will become a real support rather than another problem to be circumvented.

It’s not enough to say, “From today we work differently.” If communication only goes from top to bottom, it’s not communication – it’s an instruction. And instructions can be ignored.

The effect? Change ceases to be “something from above” and becomes a joint project. And this increases the chances of success many times over.

We often treat implementation as a project with a start and end date. Meanwhile, change management doesn’t end when the system goes live. It only begins in earnest.

Before anyone clicks “Start” on the new system, it’s worth doing a few things that have nothing to do with installation or configuration. As I’ve written before – most problems in implementation occur not on the technology side, but where people’s preparation has been lacking. Below you will find a specific list of actions that will help you avoid chaos and build real commitment from the start.

A well-conducted beginning is more than half the battle. If you take the time to have a conversation, thoughtful messages and quick results, you will build a foundation on which it will be easier to base the next stages of the transformation. You can implement a system in a few weeks – trust and cooperation take much longer to build. But that’s what determines whether change management will work in practice or end in frustration on both sides.

The process of change management in an organization is not a list of tasks, but a way of working with people as we enter a new stage If you want a new tool to really work in a company, it is not enough to implement it – you need to prepare people for it. Talk, explain, show the point. Without this, even a good solution can be rejected.