People possess the power
People possess the power
November/December Edition, 2007: A changing software suite and the merge or two organisations into one; IDM looks at the amalgamation of Goulburn City with Mulwaree Shire Council in NSW and finds when it comes to change management, it’s the people that make the difference.
The perfect match
When the Goulburn City and Mulwaree Shire Council moved to combine their forces, it provided the perfect opportunity for management to sit back and reflect on processes, technology and people. One of the main revelations was the role of employees and the impact they could have on a successful enterprise software implementation.
“It was recognised by the organisation that one of the big challenges for a successful implementation was having support of the staff,” says Dirk Holwerda, director of Corporate Services at Goulburn Mulwaree Council. “It was very important to have a system that our staff could use easily, but at the same time met Council’s business objectives.”
One way to assuring this is to simplify the processes. The council strategically decided the best way forward was to only select a single nitrated solution from just one vendor. Integration with existing software was also important, particularly to find solutions that could work with Dataworks, their existing records management software as well as Exponare, its geographical information system.
Technology is a cornerstone
Going to tender, the Council invited a range of local government suppliers in an effort to enable a tender specification tat would address the current range of solutions available in the marketplace.
Following the tender process, the Council selected TechnologyOne for almost its entire suite of enterprise software including TechnologyOne’s Financials, Property and Rating, Works and Assets, and HR and Payroll. The aim was to improve the recording, reporting and analysis of data and generate a better pool of information to collect and report on for more information management decisions. From the early stages of the implementation, Holwerda believed the software was breaking down the silo approach common to local government organisations and allowing them to operate more like a corporation.
Engaging staff is the customisation of the solution further assisted the settlement process. “The system has been built to meet Council’s own business processes, as distinct from a non-flexible off the shelf package,” says Holwerda. “The involvement in researching business processes and customising the solution, gave staff great ownership in the system.”
People mark the difference
But it was not necessarily the technical capacity of the solution that was important to council, but rather the human elements involved in its implementation and overall successfulness in the organisation. Employees were key - and given the amalgamation of the two councils and the change management issues already affecting them, the Council considered it vital to involve all levels of staff in the decision-making process of software purchases. Employees had the option of attending pre-tender demonstrations, providing comments on potential decisions and viewing reports and presentations from the tendering consultant.
“Staff were encouraged to be involved in every phase of the implementation, from pre-sales through to the post implementation review,” says Holwerda.
Once the TechnologyOne solutions were chosen, the Council ensured all employees were informed of the decision and aware of the changes. An overview presentation was provided to demonstrate the solution while a one-day change management course was undertaken by all Council staff in order to prepare for the implementation.
Of course as much as staff can be encouraged to participate, their level of commitment is not necessarily guaranteed. According to Holwerda the commitment did come through and it was this that provided the foundations for the overall implementation. “Our investment in the software was significant but we have spent the equivalent amount in staff training and time building the system,” he says. “However the results have far exceeded our expectations and the upskilling that has happened in the process has been tremendous.
With the ability to now be able to view integrated information, employees are already benefiting from the work efficiencies that result. Now that the project is completed and staff are well and truly settled into their changed work environments and new software applications, Holwerda says other Councils are looking to learn from the Goulburn Mulwaree experience.
“I can’t overemphasis to them that the primary element to a successful implementation is to pay attention to the people issues first and foremost,” says Holwerda.