KUALA LUMPUR - The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted global organisations including those in Malaysia to proactively embrace change management and transformation in their day-to-day business operations, in order to stay relevant in today's fast-paced and ever-changing business environment.
Though change management is not something new in today's world, the concept is still an ongoing and crucial process for organisations to effectively navigate the fast-evolving business landscape.
"In today's scenario, global organisations face various challenges when implementing change and Malaysia is no exception. One of the major issues organisations encounter is the difficulty in engaging employees in the change process.
"As such, it is crucial for organisations to communicate the benefits of the change clearly and involve employees in the planning and implementation process," says Vigneshvaran Sethuraman, a Change Management and Transformation Specialist during an exclusive interview with Bernama held at Wisma Bernama, recently.
Change management refers to the process of guiding organisational change from conception to resolution, encompassing the preparation of the organisation for change, crafting a vision and plan, implementing changes, and embedding them into the company's culture and practices.
"Successful change management involves preparing and supporting employees, establishing necessary steps for change, and monitoring pre- and post-change activities to ensure successful implementation," he said.
Vigneshvaran, who is a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Chartered Engineer said managing change in global organisations is challenging as people generally resist change.
"Obtaining their buy-in and contribution to facilitate change can be a herculean task as it requires making them understand the need for change," he said.
He cited an example of how a reputable global insurance company became successful after implementing change management in its business processes.
"The company challenged the unnecessary processes and changed employee habits and realised the need for change.
"It implemented a software solution that allowed agents to access all of their clients' investments in one place," he said.
Commenting further, Vigneshvaran said the company also recruited champions to promote change management initiatives, reduced bureaucracy, removed silos, and improved employee engagement.
"These efforts resulted in better collaboration among stakeholders, improved customer experience and profits, and a more positive workplace environment," he added.
Vigneshvaran, who has over 10 years of experience across verticals such as Consulting, Management, Change and Transformation shared that companies like Nokia, Blackberry and Kodak lost their market share to their competitors due to their failure in embracing change management, including adapting to changing technologies and customer preferences.
He shared that the benefits of transformation for organisations are significant, stressing that meaningful engagement of employees as a team, shared vision, and distributed responsibilities during the transformation process, increases the likelihood of success.
"Involving a small proportion of employees (up to 7 per cent) in the change process sets the momentum for others to follow and creates a powerful example of the kind of company the organisation aspires to be," he added.
Commenting further, he said that organisations in general face common challenges such as lack of employee involvement, ineffective communication, and unclear processes, adding that technical staff and business analysts may struggle to collaborate effectively due to their differing areas of expertise.
"To address these issues, both sides should aim to understand each other's work and methodologies. Lean Six Sigma initiatives are gaining traction in Malaysia, with a focus on maintaining a clean working environment, providing training and guidance and being agile.
"Organisations must be patient, persistent, consistent, and resilient to see the benefits of these efforts, leading to better and efficient ways of working," added Vigneshvaran. - BERNAMA