“Data was stored in 19 disparate programs, creating quality issues and making it extremely difficult for staff to access information. To retrieve data, staff had to call on the bank’s IT department to access the relevant system. Information was outdated by the time it reached senior staff, which hampered business management.
To make matters worse, reporting parameters were fixed, so there was no way for staff to create ad hoc reports based on specific queries. The IT department had to reprogram the system if new reports were required; a time-consuming task that created unwanted downtime.
Maintenance was also a problem. When the original programmers left the company, it usually took a long time for their successors to become familiar with the system, making management increasingly difficult.”

Susan Kishner

1st there has to be a dissatisfaction with the status quo. Too often we begin to champion change in an organization, without really evaluating the satisfaction level of the stakeholders. Or alternatively there is a predominant delusion of satisfaction that is difficult to overcome, again requiring a careful evaluation of stakeholders.

2nd there has to be a clear vision for the future change. No one is criticized for a bad vision, only for not having one. Especially when approaching cost management, we have to have a long term vision for how we are going to create an environment of accountability to control costs.

3rd There has to be a roadmap or plan. Change doesn’t happen overnight and there has to be a plan to navigate the pitfalls over a longer period of time. At least with a clear vision and a road map an organization can avoid making wrong turns or detours from accomplishing the needed change.