Mobility means different things to different people. From an initiative standpoint, some people equate it with a branded application, while others feel usage of mobile devices is mobility; yet others think having a mobile website means going mobile.
Mobility means different things to different people. From an initiative standpoint,
some people equate it with a branded application, while others feel usage of mobile devices is mobility; yet others think having a mobile website means going mobile. Irrespective of the viewpoint, one thing organizations across verticals agree upon is that mobility is great for business. From productivity gains to better customer satisfaction to improved topline, the benefits of mobility cannot be denied. There is one team in the organization though, which takes mobility with a pinch of salt. That team is IT.
IT is apprehensive about mobility primarily because it has to manage the entire landscape for a technology that is inherently complex, and is evolving very rapidly. More than these two factors though, the cause of a lot of heartburn for IT is the poor (if at all) change management practice followed around the inception of mobility in the enterprise. Since going mobile is generally a business call, IT is the last one to know, that too, when the mess is too big for the business users to manage on their own. Typically, initiatives like BYOD are thrown in the lap of the supporting teams when it is partially already being practiced. Similarly, the strategic planning and discussions around a branded app happen between the marketing and sales functions, and IT is just told to create one. This creates a lot of angst in the technology corridors.
Even on the users’ end, the chances of an unplanned initiative launch being successful are slim at best. The users are very particular about what they want, and being launching a new policy, process, or product without keeping them in the know is like going to a restaurant and being served what the server thinks is best for you, and you paying for it. It generally does not go down well with you, unless the server knows exactly what you would want, or you end up liking the dish more than your favorite order at the establishment. Again, both highly unlikely scenarios.
In order to avoid frustrating the employees and the IT team, you need to ensure that the change management rigor is practiced in mobility related initiatives. Some steps that will ensure that the business, IT, and employee visions are aligned are listed below:
1. Follow the ITIL CM Process – Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) provides a fairly descriptive change management process. It provides procedures and template for managing the lifecycle of the change, including notifications and back out plans.
2. Involve the stakeholders early – It is critical that the impacted employees and the CIO’s team are involved right upfront, so that they understand the vision, and the reasoning behind it. This helps in two ways. Firstly, the stakeholders feel involved in the decision making process, and secondly, knowing the reasoning behind the initiatives makes them more amenable to following through with change acceptance.
3. Share the vision – engage the leadership, and ensure they have an understanding of the way forward, and the drivers for the same. Have them percolate the understanding within their teams, so that all the key people of interest for the success of the project are onboard with the vision. It is also advisable to identify the change agents within each group, and educate them as to what is coming their way. These change agents then become the trainers to the other internal teams.
Following a robust change management methodology will ensure that your mobility initiatives are well received, and are successful.
