Change Management Software

The right change management automation software can be a boon to your business
By Jeanne Dininni, Writer, Editor, Blogger, Notary Public Change is always difficult. But, in the complex world of business, where so many different IT applications and processes need to be coordinated, life can become especially complicated. That's why it's critical to find the most comprehensive change management software system available for your unique business needs.

Here are some advantages you'll enjoy once you've found the change management tool that's right for you:

1. Effective, automated, across-the-board management of daily IT and business-related changes that affect the running of your company.

2. Fewer process errors resulting from lack of coordination between different departments or within a single department (or smaller company) due to lack of widespread awareness of policy, procedure, product and other recently implemented changes.

3. Streamlined, immediate, virtually paperless change-implementation process, from engineering change orders (ECOs) to analyzing and tracking revisions.

4. Greater ease in reviewing and assessing the impact and/or effectiveness of both voluntary and involuntary change on your company's overall success strategy and day-to-day operations

Understand what change management systems can do for your company

Numerous websites offer background information, explanations and descriptions of change management automation, through various multi-media methods, and many offer more in-depth training, as well.
Try:  Cherwell Software provides a video, webinars, demos, training and other info to help you better understand change management process software. BMC Software also offers information on effective data change management, as well as a recorded presentation describing its own brand of software for change management.

Assess your company's unique change management software needs

Two kinds of help are available: 1) general guidance on self-assessing the degree of your company's need for change management automation and 2) individualized advice and consultation geared specifically to your company.
Try:  Protiviti tells you how to spot the indicators that you need a change management software solution and offers consulting and advisory services, as well.  SAP also offers consulting services to help "maximize your business and IT success." 

Compare available change management solutions by using product-comparison sites

Websites that provide overviews, demos, links and other information on a wide variety of software for change management can make your search far easier by consolidating all the data you'll need in one convenient place.
Try:  Capterra offers information on workflow management software providers, including suppliers of software for change management, with convenient "website" and "more info" links, as well as an option for requesting information from multiple vendors simultaneously. Bitpipe.com also offers information, demos, downloads and links to various change management solutions providers.

Get more in-depth information on the change management software that appears most appropriate to you

Individual providers of change management software offer more comprehensive information about their applications, including product demos, and often free-trial downloads, as well. These can help you narrow the field, as well as get a feel for the different available change management systems.
Try:  PDXpert PLM provides information and an evaluation download so you can try its change management software system, which is geared specifically toward product lifecycle management. FrontRange Solutions offers a change management demo, Numara provides a free-trial download, and BMC Software offers its Total Economic Impact tool to help you determine "the financial impact and potential return on investment (ROI)" your company might expect from using its change management software.

Make the best use of the change management software solution you choose

Be sure you understand the change management software you purchase, acquire a working knowledge of what it's intended to do for you and know how to maximize its implementation to best benefit your company and avoid unplanned IT changeover problems.
Try:  SAP offers education to help you optimize your investment in its software, and Numara offers webinars, as well as a personalized walkthrough of its Footprints 8 application with a Numara expert.  Protiviti also offers downloadable information on Technology Change Management, which can help you implement your new software, making it an effective IT change management tool and avoiding the need for "firefighting."

• Though change happens nearly every day in business, resist the temptation to rush into purchasing your change management automation software. Allow yourself sufficient time to compare your options, consider your company's unique needs, do a bit of product testing and make your selection based on knowledge, rather than necessity.