Let's talk about "C"

So what? I would like to take a closer look at the "C" in "Change". Not only because the DiALOG Forum 2021 is subtitled "Wind of Change". The invitation clearly states: ""Wind of Change" - The digital transformation presents us all with major changes and challenges, now more than ever." This is exactly where I want to start. Of course, it is also important to me that the "C" in "Climate" is not forgotten, but that would take us too far away from the actual topic. Karsten Neumann from Roland Berger GmbH wrote in an article: "Traditional change management all too often focuses on individual measures. Even before the corona crisis, this led to the sobering result that 70% of all transformations in companies fail."

I have now been involved in ECM projects for over 15 years. It was never really about the product to be introduced, but always about the best solution for the respective company or the part of the company that had undergone the transformation. If the project for "Enterprise Content Management" is understood as a project for "Enterprise Change Management", the rate of failed attempts is significantly lower. Change management is described as the "ongoing changes to the structures of an organisation in order to adapt to changing environmental and general conditions." The introduction of a solution in the field of ECM is not the implementation of software, but the integration into the company-specific processes or their concrete change. This requires enormous adaptability, especially from the employees involved. First and foremost, software is implemented that helps to "manage" documents. From capture and processing to storage and legally compliant retention. Sometimes even beyond that to archiving. Often, however, there is no strategic approach to establishing structures and processes throughout the organisation. However, the most important factor in introducing such solutions and implementing the corporate strategy is the people, not the software or hardware.

This is precisely where I currently see the opportunity, as "old habits" were forcibly thrown overboard in many companies in the spring of last year. Employees had to be quickly put in a position to carry out their work from their home offices. One could sometimes be forgiven for thinking that the applicable safety regulations were overridden "regardless of the consequences". Incidentally, this is another "C" in "Compliance" that is worth thinking about. What we had often wished for, disruptive change, was triggered by external pressure. Video conferencing instead of business trips and working on documents together online instead of printing them out and coordinating them in a long process - that was suddenly possible. Yes, there is still some catching up to do when it comes to digitalisation. Invoices that are generated electronically are still printed out and sent, but the proportion of digital invoices and the associated opportunity for digital processes is constantly increasing. Have we supported our employees enough in this revolution? Unfortunately, not always. On the other hand, I have had the positive experience that many things that previously seemed "unthinkable" were suddenly possible "just like that". Employees have contributed their ideas, become creative and developed great solutions. I hope that companies can maintain this momentum and, in some places, retain and further develop change management that was perhaps born out of necessity.

There will certainly not be a return to the "old habits". I would therefore like to quote from the DiALOG Forum website from the invitation to the event in September 2021: "Whether in large or small companies, whether as a team player or lone fighter, the motto is clear: "Be there and help shape it!" "Be the change".