Customer Story - Navigating Change for MES Implementation
A Wisconsin-based industrial machinery manufacturing company is rapidly growing and expanding throughout the United States and world. A large percentage of the company’s products are configured to order and produced with short notice, requiring an effective flow of information to meet customers’ needs.
Call for Help:
- Historically the company did not rely on external support for their projects and initiatives; however, with ongoing and upcoming changes, company leaders were concerned with employees experiencing change fatigue.
- The company was unfamiliar with Organizational Change Management (OCM) and the value it would bring to their employees during the upcoming, large-scale changes.
- Most internal systems used for manufacturing operations were developed in-house and employees were struggling with accessing the up-to-the-minute information needed to keep tabs on the production process.
- The company needed assistance in implementing a new manufacturing execution system (MES) to scale manufacturing operations as they continue to grow.
Farwell Advisor Support:
- The FarWell advisor conducted interviews with headquarters support personnel, plant managers, and engineers to determine the level of change readiness and change saturation throughout the organization.
- The advisor worked with the core project team to incorporate change management methods throughout the MES evaluation process with five vendors.
- Initial communications were drafted to share with the larger project team as the MES evaluation progressed. The advisor also provided valuable support in preparing for the presentation to the leadership team and Board of Directors.
Results:
The core team discovered employees were ready for a new MES, selected their preferred system, and submitted for board approval.
- Employees were very engaged and excited about the company’s interest in their input and how they would be supported during the migration to the new MES.
- The company learned that their team was ready and eager to tackle the MES implementation, giving them confidence in moving forward with a plan.
- Given the change readiness data and learning more about how OCM methods lead to better business outcomes, the company’s board approved a plan that includes a dedicated focus on leading their teams through the change.
- The company brought FarWell back in to lead continued OCM efforts throughout the project.
