Imagine, you’re an employee starting your work day, and you receive an email from a leader you’ve never met that says,
“Good morning! I know you’re eager to start your day, but good news – we replaced the system you’ve used to do your job for decades with a new tool and new processes that you had no say in developing, did not get to provide feedback on, and did not know was coming. Here’s a one-page training cheat sheet. Good luck, and if you need help, ask your colleague who is also using the system for the first time!”
Scary, right? For many organizations and agencies, implementing Salesforce is not just about the right technology—it’s about transforming how people work. As a technology, Salesforce provides one of the most flexible, malleable, secure platforms to meet a variety of public sector use cases across federal, state, and Department of Defense (D0D) agencies.
But technology alone isn’t enough to ensure project success. Even the best new systems and tools can fail if the human side of change is not accounted for.
Change management is critical for any Salesforce implementation, especially for public sector organizations that may have entrenched systems and processes. Let’s explore how change management can ensure success in public sector Salesforce projects.
Supports Alignment of Stakeholders
Public sector entities can contain multiple stakeholder groups, and aligning these groups around a single, shared goal can be challenging. A well-planned change management strategy brings diverse stakeholders together and helps create shared ownership of any Salesforce implementation. Alignment across groups reduces confusion, enhances project buy-in, and fosters more effective communication, ultimately making the entire process more streamlined.
Bridges the Gap Between Modern Technology and Legacy Systems
Change is hard, especially in organizations with legacy systems and processes. As a result, there may be skepticism or hesitancy when transitioning to Salesforce. A change management strategy helps reduce resistance to new systems by ensuring employees know what’s coming, understand why the change is important, want to support the change, and have what they need to do their jobs successfully.
Minimizes Disruption to Critical Operations
In the public sector, agencies operate with complex, often time-sensitive workflows and cannot afford significant interruptions. Change management ensures that the Salesforce implementation follows a well-thought-out, phased approach, allowing employees to confidently adjust to new workflows and tools without disrupting their ability to perform daily duties.
Reduces Risks and Costs
Many government entities undertaking projects are subject to strict budgetary constraints and timeline scrutiny. By planning and executing change management effectively, entities can reduce the risks associated with technology failure such as cost overruns, missed deadlines, rework and redundancy, and performance issues. A well-managed change effort increases the likelihood of meeting project milestones on time and within budget.
Supports Adaptation to Regulatory and Policy Changes
Technology projects in the public sector must often comply with various regulations and policies. Change management provides a framework for ensuring that any new technology implementation is in line with these requirements, and that changes to regulations or policy are quickly communicated and incorporated into the project without disrupting progress.
Drives Organizational Culture Change
Public sector organizations are often deeply rooted in established processes and mindsets. A well-executed change management plan helps shift the organizational culture to be more adaptive and responsive to technological advancements, positioning the agency for future innovations and improvements.
Are you ready to incorporate change management into your next Salesforce project? At HigherEchelon, we offer valuable insights, expert guidance, and continuous support to design, develop, and implement a well-architected change management strategy for any public sector organization. Contact us today!