Cases

• IT Implementation Change Management
• PeopleSoft Implementation
• Organization Problem Solving and Process Improvement
• Merger/Acquisition

• IT Implementation Change Management

Situation

The operations division of large firm was implementing four major software packages; these were going to have a significant impact on the way parts of the organizations worked together. Critical to the success of the implementation was the need for departments with significant barriers to communication and openness to begin to share highly sensitive information across department boundaries. This information sharing had to be established in the face of significant resistance through out the line organizations.

What Fast Break Consulting Did

Working with a team of employees in the impacted organizations, introduced change management strategies to increase understanding of the coming changes and reduce resistance. The decision making process was clearly defined so that everyone involved knew who made what decisions. The steps needed to take in order to support the changes were made explicit.

Result

Support and participation among mid-level managers and directors who had been uninvolved and skeptical of the program increased. They participated more fully in decisions and encouraged participation through out their organizations.

• PeopleSoft Implementation

Situation

A new project manager was assigned responsibility to implement new case management software in an organization with a high degree of resistance to using the existing tools. The different parts of the organization worked in “silos” with minimal coordination and few shared standards.

What Fast Break Consulting Did

Advised the Core Implementation Team and assisted in the application of Change Management strategies that increased stakeholder support and user involvement and commitment to the new software. Provided coaching to the Project Manager on the development of the Functional Implementation Roadmap including the Communication, Training and Pilot Plans.

Result

Users participated in key design implementation decision to a much greater extent than with previous applications. Project was implemented on time and increased usage of the software tools within the various support organizations by 30%.

• Organization Problem Solving and Process Improvement

Situation

Called in by an IT organization to address problems arising from an unsuccessful Vantive implementation. Employees were very resistant to utilizing the product, roles and responsibilities were unclear and working relations between different parts of the organization were strained.

What Fast Break Consulting Did

Working with the management team, we began by identifying the core issues that needed to be examined. After several meetings the management team decided to address the broader issues in the organization that underlay the resistance to Vantive. To do this we created a Customer Service Initiative with participants from all parts of the organization and the user community.

Results
Employees in all sections were properly trained on Vantive and use of the product increased significantly. Operating agreements between Tier 1 and Tier 2 support were established. A new process for software implementation training and support was agreed to. A pilot establishing Service Level Agreements with two internal customer departments was successfully completed. Surveys within the user community showed that communication and support to internal users improved.

• Merger/Acquisition

Situation

High tech firm in the midst of an IPO wanted to seize the opportunity to acquire another firm that provided strategic advantages without jeopardizing the IPO process.

What Fast Break Consulting Did

Joined with the CEO and CFO to assess the new organization and culture to insure a good fit. Created an organization structure that took advantage of strengths of each company and ensured that the changes in leadership were spread across both companies. The new structure was perceived as making good business sense and fair from both sides.

Created a new out-of-state salary structure to accommodate the high salary differentials between the companies in order to maintain position equity across the organization without increasing costs. Developed a human resource plan to integrate all benefit plans within a six-month period.

Result

On the day the acquisition was announced all employees knew the strategy behind the acquisition, the advantages of joining forces, how each employee fit into the new organization, what the new reporting structure was, how their benefits were impacted and what changes were being implemented in human resource policies.