Are your change management efforts successful?

If you have ever attempted to change something in your field service business, you know that a plan is vital. Whether you are making a minor change such as asking your field staff to adjust the way they take notes on the job or making a major change like implementing a new field service management software, it’s important to have a plan in place to make sure everyone involved is able to make a smooth transition.

Once you have your change management plan, how do you know if your efforts have been successful? You can’t just share a strategy with your team and assume everything will run according to plan. Regular check-ins to measure your progress will help you determine your level of success.

By making an effort to measure progress, you will be able to keep the implementation process on track and gain an understanding of what’s going well and what may need to be adjusted before the new processes are fully in place.

One of the major challenges associated with managing change is staff resistance. It is natural for employees to be hesitant to change the way they operate, especially if current processes have been in place for years.

However, this is another area where measuring progress during implementation can come in handy. Measuring progress will help you understand where there may be a lack of clarity among your team so you can identify resistance before it happens and help your staff get back on course before more confusion arises.

How to measure progress when managing change

First and foremost, you want to set measurable objectives so that you have a way to track whether or not progress is being made. Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which provide attainable targets at different phases of your transition from one system to another.

You can develop KPIs based around the productivity of specific staff involved in change, the quality of the results you would like to see, the timing in which the new processes need to be implemented or anything measurable that would provide a marker of your success. For specific examples on what KPIs might look like for your field service business, read our eBook on change management.

Another important way to measure progress is to run reports at regular intervals throughout the change management process. Reporting provides an easy-to-understand visual of whether or not your objectives are being met. Also, when you create a report you have an easy way to share the details of your change management progress with your team and stakeholders.

Measuring progress is a simple way to determine if your change management efforts are successful. Rather than waiting until teams are struggling or implementation efforts are running off course, track your change management efforts throughout the entire process.

Looking for more information on managing change within your field service business? Download our FREE eBook, Managing change within your field service business, for insights and tips from simPRO Implementation Consultants.