Change and Change Management - Essay Example

Introduction Change is a common phenomenon in every organization. The changes are managed by implementing relevant theories and concepts. To manage a change a company must be equipped with the necessary resources. Automation is one among the changes that occur in almost all the organizations. Before deciding on the implementation the company must decide on the necessary modifications. There are certain strategies that the company has to follow. These strategies must include the corresponding plans that can assist the staffs to work on the new system. A change is an event that will create great impact in the organization. Hence the organization must be prepared to face the consequences. The SIMS.net is a good alternative for the manual register system. SIMS will provide more benefits to the school when compared to the existing manual register maintenance. Change Management Change management is a process of transition where the staffs, resources have to be modified according to the change. The changes in the organization must be specified well in advance. This will avoid the problems that may arise due to change. Management of change is a tedious task. The changes and the corresponding requirements must be known. (Wilhelm, 2003).This can be achieved by conducting a study in the organization. A change must be done based on a framework. (Rodd, 1994).This framework will have predefined set of tasks and methods that have to be followed. By using this framework the organization can proceed with the proposed changes. This will ensure that the modifications take place in a structured manner. There are various types of changes that may take place in an organization. The changes can be made on the organizational structure, technology that is being used or in the management policies. Before implementing a proposed change, the company must conduct a feasibility study. This study will help the management to know the current situation and position of the organization. Then based on the results of the study the organization can decide whether to implement this change or not. Change management involves several tasks. Once a change is made it has to be assessed on a periodical basis. This will ensure that the changed system works well and it does not incur any loss to the company. The change management must be planned accordingly so that the employees co-operate and work in the system. The staffs must be given proper training to work on the system. Change Management Process Change management is a process that consists of several steps. It is a step by step routine that helps to perform the related activities in a sequential manner. The changes are implemented in phases. In turn each of the phases contains certain steps that have to be followed. The first phase is the stage for preparing for the change. The necessary assessments on the organization are made. (Devereux, 2003). A strategy has to be developed based on which further planning can be done. The next phase is managing the change. In this phase the proposed plan is implemented with the help of planned strategy. The next phase comprises of the steps that are done after the change is implemented. The information regarding the working of the system is gathered and the respective actions are taken to make the system work in an effective way. Disadvantages of Manual Register The manual register does not guarantee long term maintenance of information. The information has to be written in a register and it has to be changed each time a student leaves the institution. The details pertaining to a particular student needs to be updated in the register whenever a change in the academic performance occurs.(Rodd, 1998). Since the registers cannot be maintained for a longer time, there is a chance that the information may get lost. SIMS. Net The school uses a manual pattern in which the details are recorded in a register. In this process, a manual register is maintained by writing on it with a pencil. In this situation a change is necessary since manual register maintenance is a tedious process. Sims.net is an automated system that can be used by the primary class teachers. Since this is an automated system, minimal manual intervention is enough to maintain the system. (Fisher, 2002).The teachers must be provided with training to work on the system. Basic computer knowledge will help the teachers to handle the system in an effective way. In this system there are separate options to save the student’s attendance, academic performance and other achievements.(Watt, 2009). These operations can be performed in the system and the details will be stored in the database. The teachers can retrieve and review the information as and when needed.(McGill, 2004). The system consists of separate modules that can store the marks of each student for each and every test and examination. This ensures that the information of the students is stored permanently in the system. The information gets stored and resides in the system until the teachers delete it voluntarily. The marks can be changed or overwritten whenever a student’s marks get changed. SIMS.net has an additional feature to maintain the attendance record of each student. With the help of this feature the teachers can easily access and check the attendance of the required students. Another feature is included to maintain the individual assessment records of the students studying in the primary class. The important module of SIMS.net is the ability to create a mark sheet for the entire academic year. This module contains the student’s name, marks obtained in each examination and an option to calculate the total marks and the percentage. (Moon, 2000).The complete details of the student are also stored in the database. A summary can also be obtained as and when needed. This eradicates the need of maintaining separate registers for recording the details of mark, attendance and other information. SIMS.net is one of the best automation systems that help the primary teachers in recording and maintaining the student database. Though various other systems store the information, SIMS has the provision for generating time to time reports and to ascertain the student’s performance. SIMS.net system contains additional modules for the purpose of updating and modification. (Craft, 2000).The single system contains modules for individual information and the relevant and required module can be selected according to the requirement. This reduces the burden of writing on the registers and modifying them. Change Management Theory Change management theories are predefined principles that assist the organization in changing the existing structures in the organization. Change management is a set of continuous process that manages the change and the effects of the particular change. There are several change management theories that offer various benefits to the organization that implements it. Kurt Lewin’s theory for organizational change is one among the predominant theories that manage the change. (Wilhelm, 2003).This theory comprises of various phases which provide a complete solution to the existing problems. Each of these phases must be implemented with utmost care since even a minor change will lead to severe consequences. Determining the need to change is the first phase in which the organization must decide as to why the change is needed. Once this is decided it will be easy for the organization to think about the resources needed to accomplish the change. The next step is to develop a strategy to achieve the change. Though this step seems to be an effective one, it does not provide the intended results. (Odom, 2010).Instead it creates an unclear picture of the drawbacks in the existing system. The next phase consists of the process that identifies the barriers that disrupt the implementation process. The last phase is the review of the implemented change. This theory can be implemented before proceeding to implement a change in the organization. Quality Assurance Issues Quality assurance is a concept which ensures that a developed product or a system is of high quality. It also emphasizes that the system will not lead to any problems in the future. Any new system or a change is checked for its quality. Only when it satisfies the quality assurance policies, it is certified to be implemented. Certain issues may arise even after a system is checked for its quality. These issues must be resolved in order to develop a problem free system. Any issue can be resolved by implementing a corresponding strategy that helps in coping up with the existing problem. The issues may arise at any time during the development or implementation of the change. The existing register system would be changed to automated maintenance system. SIMS.net was implemented in the school to serve the intended purpose. The information in the registers will be transferred to the system. This process has to be done manually and the teachers must enter these details in the system. Once the information is entered into the system, the process gets automated. Then the teachers can perform their day to day activities by using the system. I heard about the changes only during the staff meeting. In this meeting the changes and the implementation procedure were discussed. The staffs and the primary teachers were also informed regarding the change and its advantages. The parents were intimated though a letter which contained the detailed information pertaining to the change. The reason for the modification was also included in the letter. The class in-charge informed the students about the change. The students were then explained about the procedure that will be followed after the implementation of the new system. Benefits of Changes The school can experience various benefits out of the SIMS.net system. This system is mainly used by the primary teachers. This will reduce the tedious task of writing in the registers. The information can be directly updated on the system. This eradicates the problem of modifying the details manually. The system can be used whenever the teacher needs. They need not rely on the register to make any significant changes. It is a central system that contains information regarding all the classes. (Kotter, 1996).The teachers can access the details of any student from any class. The system includes module for all the educational operations. Conclusion Change and change management is the important aspect of any organization. The changes are mandatory since they will bring about some improvement in the existing situation of the company. The changes will have both good and adverse effects. To manage these changes an effective change management theory is essential. The new system must include all the necessary features and must resolve the issues faced by the existing manual system. Works Cited Rodd, Jillian. Leadership in Early Childhood: The Pathway to Professionalism. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1994. Devereux, Jane. Working With Children in the Early Years. London: David Fulton, 2003. Abbott, Lesley. Training to Work in the Early Years: Developing The Climbing Frame. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1998. Rodd, Jillian. Leadership in Early Childhood the Pathway to Professionalism. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1998. Fisher, Julie. The Foundations of Learning. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2002. McGill, Ian. The Action Learning Handbook Powerful Techniques for Education, Professional Development and Training. London: Routledge Falmer, 2004. Moon, Jenny. Reflection in Learning and Professional Development Theory and Practice. London: Kogan Page, 2000. Craft, Anna. Continuing Professional Development a Practical Guide for Teachers and Schools. London: Routledge in association with the Open University, 2000. Wilhelm, August. Business Process Change Management. New York: Springer Publications,2003. Kotter, John. Leading Change. U.S.A: Harvard Business School Press, 1996. Watt,Sheila. Management Process. Children and Society. 13.5 (2009). Odom, Samuel. Examining Different Forms of Implementation. Early Childhood Research. 20 (2010). Read More