Change Management - Prudent Planning, and Implementing of the Selected Operational Strategies - Essay Example

ASSIGNMENT ONE Individual Paper: Creative Strategies Overview Pharmaceutical organisations are one of the fast growing organisations in the country; they are a source of employment to many people currently. During my last vacation, I worked with one of the biggest pharmaceutical organisations in town called OrgPharm where I was employed as a part time employee dealing with inventory control. OrgPharm is a large supplier of both human and veterinary drugs; the drugs are sold both to other suppliers and individual farmers. The daily activities at OrgPharm are so many that it required several workers working as a team to manage the stream of customers. My work at OrgPharm inventory control was interesting however; my experience was faced with many challenges occasioned by manual entry of supplies in to the inventory register and daily updating of the register to ensure there is authentic record of supplies levels. Manual processing is a rigorous exercise that I identified in this organisation for change. Change is the modification of status quo by doing thing differently. It is movement from the current state of operation to the desired state of operation. From my perspective, an automated or computerised system is far mach better than the manual system; hence the reason for this change. Key problem OrgPharm organisation deals with thousand of drugs both from suppliers and sales to customers. All the entries needs updating maintain an accurate stock levels. Omission of any entry will compromised the stock level hence it cannot be relied upon. It was therefore my team’s duty to ensure that any drug that entered the organisation was recorded in the inventory register. Similarly all drugs that were sold were also entered in to the register. The stock levels will then be computed by subtracting drugs sold from drugs bough. This is a process that is not only tedious but also repetitive. The challenge was not much when the orders were few and customer levels low, however when the business expanded and customer levels increased, this problem increased. This is therefore the problem I identified with OrgPharm organisation that need to change in order to enable inventory control process to be easy and manageable. Nature of the solution Technology is one of the best ways to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of a process. Manual process is tedious and is prone to errors; therefore this can be eradicated through adoption of new technology. The main objective of change and planning is to find better ways of doing things and achieving the organizational goals and return best results to the stakeholders. Adoption of a computerized inventory system would be appropriate for OrgPharm organization because it will speed up inventory receiving process and dispatch process. When the system has scanners, entry of drugs becomes very easy and fast. Effect of the solution Change affects the performance of the organization either positively or negatively. The change in technology can also change the process of production and the working environment. This therefore calls for an overhaul of procedures and re-engineering to ensure the correct procedure is undertaken. There is also need to check the employees skills of performing various task, as this change in technology will also influence the nature of roles performed. There could be instance where employees resist the change to technology, resistance to change should not be view as a negative thing, however it should be considered as an avenue for the management to re-examine the change and come up with a solution that is all inclusive. Resistance can be management by proper communication, training, staff involvement and management support. The Need for Change Organizations that ignore change do that at their own peril. Most of the organizations are going for change in order to be effective and efficient. OrgPharm organization just like any other successful organization needs to constantly change in order to catch up with the current market trends and technological advancements. Change is therefore the only strategic means to adapt to the current technological trends in the market. These changes will greatly affects the way OrgPharm organization will conduct business as may be caused by internal or external factors. When the technology in use is obsolete, change is inevitable. Workers need effective means of doing work in order to achieve the best in terms of production and sales. This is achieved through adoption of appropriate technology. Execution of the solution The execution of the solution will follow a systematic process. Planning process is the most important part of change process m management. This is because it gives the overall view of the process. The executive has a role in the planning process of giving a clear vision of where they want the organization to be in future. This clear vision paints a picture to change management hence knowing where to change in order to achieve the organizational goals and objectives. Executive commitment and support is very important in any change process, this is because the executive needs to create an enabling environment for the employees to practice. There is need to clearly and careful assess the best time when the organisational environment is good for change, the time for change could be favourable after a salary increase or promotion. Employee involvement is very important in this process; this is because it is not an easy task to change an individual from his/her usual routine, information source or even social relationship to a totally new working procedure. The employees will therefore be involved by conducting a good research across the employee groups to ensure they support the change and trust in it. The behavioural pattern of employees needs to change in order to effectively implement the change process. Change preferences of employees can be obtained through groups. A group is a class of workers with common interest within a given period. These members constantly interact and agree upon their best interests and ways of doing things. The executive can approach the groups as a basic entity for change preferences. The group interests are easily identified as a cluster rather than individual interests. Communication will be effectively done to ensure all the stakeholders understand the change process. This will be done for them to understand the change process, reasons for change and the implications of change. Full implementation will be the last process in the change management, once the system has been put in place, there is need for continuous evaluation and assessment to check how far the system is assisting the organisation. Conclusion Proper change management needs prudent planning, evaluation and effective implementing of the selected operational strategies that are deemed worthwhile for the economic performance of the organization. These processes need to be flexible and efficient. If change is not flexible, then the organization is unlikely to survive. Change of manual to automated technical system is a non-routine change is a bit complex and is likely to cause resistance since the change is unpredictable, radical and could be viewed as threatening job security. The management therefore needs to look in to the change process keenly and evaluate it effectiveness before roll out. The management similarly should provide a clear communication plan that ensures consistent communication received constantly by affected individuals. It is good also to note that in as much as we want change, change is a risky venture, it therefore call for effective and constant evaluation to ensure the process is in line with the organizational mission and vision. The employees should be ready to lose their favourite ways of doing thing and adopt new changes. Read More