GLOBAL STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

How do we go from software vendor to solution provider?

THE CHALLENGE

The headquarters of a world leader in ERP software wants to implement a new structure and new processes. The transformation will take the company from a standard software supplier to a solution provider. The strategic priority shifts from making sales by acquiring new customers to expanding the business by increasing the share of wallet by providing value-adding services and solutions. As the business is very successful, the need for change is not visible for everybody. How to implement the change in the local country?

OUR APPROACH

After initial interviews with the members of the steering committee, we suggested the following approach.

First step: deciding on the project architecture, objectives and team members.

All key decision-makers commit to the following project elements: a steering committee (executives), a change board (local managers), a sounding board (all employees). The members of the change board are chosen based on a number of criteria, the goal being to have a representation of different perspectives, ages, genders, etc. on the team, building a microcosm of the organization.

Second step: defining key project phases and establishing the new management team.

Milestones are being defined and the project plan is drafted.

The initial phase puts great emphasis on informing the organization and all employees about the new strategy, structure, processes and the forthcoming changes. A mix of workshops and internet media enables the participation of all employees. This phase is marked by tremendous unsecurity.

In the next phase employees have the possibility to apply for new management positions in the new structure. After staffing decisions have been made, the next phase focuses on establishing the new teams.

The following phase is about optimizing the situation: after the new teams have been established the focus lies on implementing the new structures and processes.

The final phase consists of the handover of overall responsibilities from the project team to line managers.

After the first year and the successful launch of the new strategy, structure and processes, our work focus lies on the Country Management Team. The project team is dissolved and all responsibity is handed to the CMT and line managers.

During the following 12 months the CMT works on key prorities and on improving their own efficiency as a management team.

THE RESULTS

• the new structure has been established
• new roles and responsibilities have been accepted and are lived by employees
• the change of identity and corporate culture were initiated, but are still at an early stage

OUR CONTRIBUTION

• intense diagnosis and evaluation of the organization, and the different teams
• intervention work with the change team
• design and facilitation of change board and sounding board events with more than 200 participants
• facilitation of all workshops in the different departments
• on-demand individual consulting and coaching for managers
• strategy work with individual teams
• concept, design, facilitation and evaluation of “customer parliaments”
• training workshops on the new self-image as “solution consultants”
• overall evaluation of the change project by independent consultants, who were not part of the project staff