Change management in the real world

Change Management focuses on the people and management issues involved in a systems development and implementation project. It is critical to the success of an AM/FM implementation project; however, it is often overlooked and underemphasized. Large amounts of time and money are devoted to vendor selection, software customization and data conversion; all of which are inarguably key components of a project. However, if users and management are not prepared for the business changes that are required to effectively exploit the technology, implementation can fail. There will be a high degree of user resistance, steep learning curves, and business benefits that are not realized.

This paper focuses on the Change Management methodology and approach used on the AM/FM implementation project at BC Gas Utility Ltd (BC Gas). The project has been in progress for two years and the system has been implemented to over 125 users. It has been a challenging project as several other enterprise-wide technology initiatives have been taking place concurrently with AM/FM development and implementation. The Change Management team has been very proactive in understanding the implications of AM/FM in an enterprise-wide environment to ensure that organizational impact is minimized.

Corporate and project overview To provide a context in which the AM/FM system was being developed, it is important to understand the corporate environment and project background. Figure 1 illustrates the various projects and initiatives that were taking place concurrently while AM/FM was being developed and implemented.