Strategic Communications for a major ERP upgrade with
an impending “go live” date and few internal resources

The client: A Silicon Valley engineering firm about to go live with a major systems upgrade which would alter the screen shots and work processes for approximately 800 employees in multiple locations.

The situation: The client was going live with a “big bang” approach in less than 4 weeks.  Because implementation team members were working long days and were so focused on meeting configuration deadlines, nobody realized the need to develop a plan to systematically inform the affected employees of the upcoming changes and training schedule.

The real challenge: The client’s own corporate communications department only had experience with investor relations and could not offer any help.  The entire communication initiative had to be implemented from scratch and prove itself effective within a four week timeframe.

The intervention: Executive “C level” support for the initiative was made visible, allowing us to identify and secure participation of quality internal resources for the Communications Committee.  Our consultant came in and outlined a robust but realistic approach.  Questions were answered, “unique needs” were recorded, roles and responsibilities were assigned, and a project plan was started.  Over the next three weeks, our consultant managed the activities of the internal team, providing expert guidance, troubleshooting roadblocks, and perfecting deliverables.  We also integrated the communication plan with the training plan so we could effectively position the upcoming training while also satisfying some low level training needs.

Because of the tight timeline, we provided another communications specialist to develop specific “key messages” for the various subgroups, as well as executive “communication toolkits” (containing slide presentations, key talking points, FAQ’s, etc.). A post-implementation project website containing information support information and Frequently Asked Questions was later developed and added.

The results: Our resources was able to develop an effective project plan and  work at a much faster pace and produce higher quality deliverable than any available internal resources. The 800 strong workforce received clear, consistent, and customized information regarding the upcoming implementation.  This minimized questions and confusion, and prepared the employees to be effective on Day One of Go-Live.