Best Change Management Tools

Table of Contents

What is Change Management Software?

Change management software, as the name suggests, is a system that helps you monitor and optimize the process of managing changes. The change management process can be about managing changes in code, documents, requirements, or operations. This procedure is also referred to as configuration management. 

Benefits of Using Change Management Software

Changes can occur in any part or department of an organization. The main reason to use change management software is to ensure you handle all the change requests using standard methods and procedures. Here's why you should use change management software.

1. Reduced chances of project failure

Change management software reduces the chances that your project will fail when you implement change. When you make changes too quickly, projects are likely to fail. Change management tools allow you to carefully plan a change, thereby reducing the risk of failure.

2. Elimination of confusion

Undergoing changes can lead to confusion among team members. A change management system lets you outline the change and its implementation at each stage. This leads to the vivid implementation of change and eliminates any confusion.

3. Faster change

By using change management solutions, you can reduce the time required for you to implement change. It allows you to set a change management schedule and determine the outlines of the project. Whether the change is at the company level or at the project level, change management tools ensure that you implement change quickly and efficiently.

4. Reduced expenses

Change can be expensive, and making mistakes while implementing a change can be even more expensive. When you use change management software, you can create a project budget, along with a cost estimate for each stage of the project. Then, you can apply change management methodologies to manage your budget for the change being implemented.

5. Increased communication between team members

Change management tools facilitate communication among team members. As discussed, implementing a change can be confusing. However, confusion can increase if there's no communication among team members. Change management software encourages team members to collaborate and work together, which improves change management efficiency.

Typical Features of Change Management Software

A change management system can simplify the process of managing change within an organization. These tools entail reporting, analytics, and communication features to ensure you can implement change smoothly.

Let's take a look at some typical features of a change management platform.

1. Capture opportunities:

These tools include in-built features that allow you to submit ideas for improvement. You can submit these ideas by sending an email or via a mobile app. In addition to sending text messages, you can also send documents and images to better demonstrate the suggested change.

2. Implementation workflow:

Change management solutions support your process of implementation by making sure nothing is overlooked. These tools provide task management and dependency workflows to help you streamline project administration.

In addition, your managers and supervisors will be able to assign ownership, set proximity levels, and schedule projects.

3. Visual management:

The visual management feature of change management software allows you to communicate the status of projects to your team members. It offers various visualization tools that will enable you to set up charts, graphs, and performance measurements. 

Some common visualization tools all change management software providers are:

• Huddle boards

• Bowling charts

• Kanban boards

• Control charts

• Bar charts

• Goal charts

4. Reporting:

Change management systems offer robust reporting features that focus on the data entry aspects of the change. The reporting features allow you to get in-depth information regarding the progress of your change projects, along with forecasts and ROI targets.

5. Cross-functional collaboration:

Change management tools offer collaboration capabilities that make it easy to work and solve problems together. It provides a consolidated location for storing files and updates. Hence, cross-functional teams can easily work together on a project without running into discrepancies.

Factors to Consider While Purchasing Change Management Software 

A change management methodology is critical to seamlessly manage change processes in an organization. However, each organization is different, and so are its change process requirements. So, consider the following factors when looking for a change management system.

1. Determine what you want to improve

Most changes occur to improve a product, outcome, or process. Before deploying a change management system, make sure to identify your focus, and clarify your goals. Address factors like the resources and individuals required to facilitate the process.

2. Talk to the stakeholders

For you, deploying change management software would be a step towards improving the change processes, increasing efficiency, etc. But for stakeholders, it would be nothing but an additional expense.

So, make sure your stakeholders understand the application of a change management system and how it will directly influence the ROI of the organization.

3. Plan for the change

Implementing a change management solution often requires changes on a structural and organizational level. But most people don't like change. It is essential to prepare all the teams and employees in your organization to embrace the new methodology of implementing change processes.

4. Keep an eye on the budget

Change management solutions can be expensive. If you're a small business owner, managing expenses should be your primary concern. So, make sure you don't go overboard with features and end up overspending. Instead, look for a tool that provides all the basic functionality at a competitive price tag.

In which industries are Change Management Software used?

In 2021, the Change management market was valued at $1.21 billion and was expected to reach $2.04 billion by 2026 at a CAGR of 11.0%. A few years back, change management was a concept used only in IT and development companies. 

Thanks to the recent developments in technology, industries like BFSI and Healthcare are readily adopting change management methodologies as well. Here are the top industries that use change management software.

• Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)

• IT and Telecom

• Government

• Healthcare

• Manufacturing

• Others

Upcoming Trends

A large number of organizations are embracing change management methodologies. From the government to manufacturing, the concept of change management is gaining traction. The change management software industry will grow, and the following future trends could be seen.

1. Increased awareness and support:

Until recently, the exact value of change management was unclear to most organizations. This might change as more organizations are recognizing the need for change management.

2. Integration with project management:

Change management is emerging as a crucial element of change management. And it would be no surprise if future project management systems come with change management capabilities.

3. Greater need for training:

Since change management is a new concept for most organizations, they don't have the workforce to operate change management systems. In future years, change management training would emerge as a critical aspect of L&D in every organization.