The right change management app can significantly streamline organizational changes – if they are used properly.
Knowing how to use change management apps, however, is not always so easy in the modern workplace.
After all, digital tools are continually evolving, and as those tools evolve, so too do best practices and workflows.
Keeping up with the latest tools and trends requires some effort, but that effort comes with its own rewards.
What Is a Change Management App?
Change management apps can refer to any apps that help change practitioners implement and lead organizational changes.
While many business functions have comprehensive, dedicated platforms, there are few such tools for change management.
SynerBoard is one such tool, which helps with all of the core tasks associated with change management, such as task and team management.
However, there are only a few change management platforms that comprehensively address the needs of change managers. And even when using such platforms, it is usually necessary to integrate those tools within the organization’s digital ecosystem.
In short, to implement change effectively, managers often require an entire toolbox, rather than just one tool.
Good change management toolboxes will include apps that:
- Assist with project management
- Coordinate communications among team members, managers, and stakeholders
- Enhance employee onboarding and training
- Track and analyze the performance of a program
Below, we will look at a few categories of change management apps that can help change management professionals streamline project execution and boost outcomes.
5 Change Management Apps that Can Streamline Business Changes
Here are five types of apps that should be included in every change management toolbox:
Project Management Apps
Business changes are projects, so project management tools are among the most useful to include in a change management app toolbox.
These platforms help in several ways:
- Managers can create schedules, calendars, and timelines that help team members stay in sync
- Chat and messaging features help team members collaborate effectively
- Key project management features, such as goals and milestones, allow managers to track performance and tie outcomes to the aims of a project
Features such as these are crucial for any change project, but project management is only one side of the equation.
HR Platforms
Organizational changes are driven by employees, so it is important to communicate effectively with the workforce and ensure that employees stay engaged. While project management tools definitely help, as mentioned above, there are other tools that can play a role in change management.
HR platforms, such as HCM platforms, are widely used by HR professionals in their day-to-day workflows.
Common features of these platforms include:
- Employee survey tools
- Self-help portals
- Payroll features
- Attendance tracking
- Orientation and onboarding functions
In the context of an organizational change project, these features can help managers stay in touch with employee sentiment, pinpoint the causes of employee resistance, improve engagement, and much more.
Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs)
Digital adoption platforms (DAPs) are used for software onboarding and training. They are ideal for any organization undertaking a digital transformation program or for any company that regularly adopts new digital tools.
Common features of these platforms include:
- Product tours
- Software walkthroughs
- Contextualized, personalized guidance
- Software analytics that offer insight into user behavior
- Task automation
Since so many of today’s business transformations are digital in nature, tools such as these are becoming more and more necessary.
The value of products and software, after all, depends directly on employee skill levels – the more swiftly and effectively organizations can train employees, the easier it will be to adopt new software and drive change.
Data and Analytics Platforms
Data tools help change managers track the change program’s performance and learn what works, what doesn’t, and what needs fixing.
When it comes to change management, or any other business function for that matter, there is no one-stop analytics solution. Instead, it is important to segment specific aspects of a program to monitor, then find solutions to track, digest, and represent those indicators.
Analytics solutions, for instance, can be used to monitor:
- Software usage and engagement
- Employee productivity and performance
- The overall financial performance of change initiatives
Data and analytics can keep managers focused on real-world information, rather than static plans, emotions, or preconceived notions.
Final Thoughts
Change management apps can offer a significant edge to business professionals who use them properly. A complete suite of software can improve program outcomes, streamline communications, shorten timelines, and much more.
However, as mentioned, to make the most of the available tools, it is necessary to create a custom toolbox that suits one’s own circumstances and needs.
Many of the tools mentioned above can offer a good starting point – for more ideas on how to improve change management programs, be sure to visit our change management blog.
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WalkMe Team
WalkMe spearheaded the Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) for associations to use the maximum capacity of their advanced resources. Utilizing man-made consciousness, AI, and context-oriented direction, WalkMe adds a powerful UI layer to raise the computerized proficiency, everything being equal.