AWARENESS THAT PAYS OFF
While conducting complex project undertakings in the IT field, such as the implementation of the integrated information technology system SAP, issues concerning a project organisation are focused mainly on formal aspects of methodology. Stages of a project are set, milestones are named, dates of works taking-over are fixed, a share of obligations and responsibilities is determined in implementation teams. In turn, soft-aspects related issues of methodology, such as communication of business changes arising out of the project completion are, in some companies, pushed into the background, or, which is even worse, are omitted completely. Persons responsible for the implementation, taking every effort to separate resources between business and project obligations, quite often have no time and energy to develop communication strategy and its implementation.
It is a pity, as the awareness of the project's essence pays off. It facilitates all persons involved in the project going through the implementation stages and increasing advantages of its implementation.
Relying on our experience gained during the implementation of SAP projects, we provide guidelines for the way of communicating changes related to the ERP project implementation, minimising negative effects of the underinformed employees.
Following the best examples
In big-size companies, the implementation of communication strategies involves the appointment of a team responsible for the communication, development of a plan of action and its consistent implementation at every stage of the project. Target groups are determined as well as channels of communication. Types of used messages are specified and authorities to convey them are given. Moreover, the idea of internal communication comes into a much systematized form: there are benchmark documents, exemplary plans, and detailed communication strategies together with ways of their implementation.
Mid-sized companies, given their limited resources, most frequently will not be in the position to appoint a separate team to oversee the communication. Groups of stakeholders to whom messages should be passed on will be also of relatively smaller size. That not means however, that mid-sized companies may let themselves to trifle that issue. An introduction of a slimmed-down communication strategy is a good solution firstly, in terms of a number of persons in a communication management team and secondly, in terms of simplifying its form.
Step 1 – to define stakeholders
The first stage of efficient communication is identification of target groups, to whom messages will be passed on. They differ in terms of a role assumed in the organisation and a degree in decision-making.
The first group – operational – consists mostly of rank-and-file of the organisation, often future users of the implemented system. Due to their limited decision-making and an intense involvement in completion of project works, messages conveyed to that group should be mostly facts-based: decisions taken and already planned actions, tasks to be completed and achieved goals. Such a communication gives employees a clarity, at which stage of the project they already are, how much they managed to achieve and what challenges they need to face. An appropriate degree of informing increases the team’s morale, encourages acting and shows a sense of the project's implementation, as the employees themselves may get convinced about the meaning of their input into the whole project.
One of key elements of the project to implement ERP system is basic data preparation feeding a new system. This is a mundane and long-lasting process, yet its success is vital for the course of tests and a proper system operation. Moreover, this is a difficult stage as it encompasses great involvement and a necessity to find a compromise between fulfilling current obligations and completing of equally important project works. Therefore, while conducting projects we try to draw our clients' attention to not only the significance of that stage but also to proper communication of that fact to the employees who are responsible for the preparation of basic data. The communication at this stage comprises a necessity of ongoing supply of precise information about a status of works, deadlines as well as announcing successes and thanks, stressing the advantages and positive aspects of the ERP implementation.
Executives and operational managers are the second group of stakeholders, members of which are responsible for the results of the operational group work. A group of executives and managers is significantly smaller, yet they have greater decision-making possibilities and responsibility for the completion of the project works. What is more, they take active participation in delegating the employees to complete tasks. Thus, the information passed on to them should advance, should concern also works planned for completion. It is also recommended to inform that group about different scenarios of acting, depending on the course of project works as well as their involvement in constructing those scenarios.
A fully-informed group of executives and managers feels great responsibility for successes at individual stages of the project and also oversees properly the quality and efficiency of the operational group work. If a problematic situation occurs, executives are able to ease it, not allowing to its escalation into a crisis; they also play a role in motivating the employees. It is their decision what part of a day will they focus on project tasks, without a simultaneous negligence of their day-to-day duties and obligations. Given their great influence on the operational group, both managers and executives will be responsible for the implementation of the communication strategy in this group.
Informal leaders, this is the next, completely omitted target group and yet very important, having a huge influence on the success of the whole undertaking. In most of organisations, despite the division and formal structures arising out of the very structure and positions assignment, there is in parallel, an informal structure - established by experts, resulting from experience, knowledge, personality, achievements, etc. These are the people who do not assume positions formally that have a correlation with the project but simultaneously, they constitute a great power in the very organisation which may, with a proper attitude, be a great support at every stage of the implementation.
Owners, management, supervisory board of the company - an implementation process continues there, constitute the last and the least numerous group of stakeholders. It is not directly involved in the project works yet due to its huge decision-making and expertise should be aware of what kind of the project is being implemented and, what is crucial, how important it is for the company. Messages conveyed to this group should concern both hard facts as well as future plans, stressing the project implications for the business and a share of the responsibility within the project.
Though not directly participating in the implementation works, the top of the ladder decision makers have significant meaning to its course. By increasing the awareness in them of the implemented system importance for the future of the company, not only will they understand the added value that they will receive as a result of business-used implemented solutions but also they will gain the understanding for the increased involvement into the implementation works.
Second stage – indicating communications roadmap
After the identification of stakeholders and persons responsible for conveying messages to them, persons developing the communication strategy go in for planned communication, i.e. indicating an action communications roadmap. The map and the plan of the overall communication notably overlap with the project schedule. They have however, a completely different dimension: announcement of successful achievement of the next milestones and information about the approach of a deeper involvement stage. Messages may be passed on formally, via email or at employees' meetings, as well as informally: in intranet and a company newsletter. The so called Information Manager is appointed to be responsible for passing on pieces of information. In smaller organisations, that may be a person sharing other project tasks or someone, for instance from a Marketing / PR department supporting those actions totally independently.
High-flown plans or tough resolutions?
Regardless of either we talk about a big-size or a small-size company, the implementation of the internal communication strategy should be included into a company business strategy. Particularly when it comes to projects of a key meaning to the business. Given a number of employees, departments, complexity of internal structures and many groups of stakeholders, the biggest leading companies on the market cannot allow themselves to be underinformed. Even, if it entails time-extension costs of a project. That is the case not only in terms of strictly business projects such as a change of organisation action or an introduction of a new product but also in terms of projects having implications on business, for instance the implementation of an IT solution. Based on our observations, project communication in very mature companies, having complex structure and high organisation culture is in place on a day-to-day basis, and any project-communication actions are given a priority equaling project tasks. That translates into the fact, that rarely in such companies can one hear about a failure to implement a project or develop IT system, no matter how complicated and long-lasting.
The situation presents itself quite differently in smaller companies. Despite a general awareness that the project communication is of importance, in 95% it is not put in place usually, due to a lack of time, resources and energy. Unfortunately, it happens that it has its result in a decrease in understanding project tasks, the occurrence of information noise, de-motivation, and in effect, a project delay or even its failure.
