Chapter Twelve – Change Management

The change process is broad and deep, important and complex but needs to be simplified, effective, efficient, and addressed in small bites and chewed well. Get key measurements in place as the first step toward improvement—volume, time, WIP, and quality. Decide whether to reinvent or continually improve. Make sure that CM is chartered and manned to improve the process and to make it fast and effective. Put an effective change team in place meeting face-to-face until benchmarks are met. Have all functions represented on the Technical Review Team, allow very few signers but have a method for anyone affected to give a “stop order.” Determine how those impacted will be identified and involved. Decide to depict changes with redline markups. Resolve that one fast process is all that is needed, eliminate get-arounds. Use the one–one–one–one rule and class/types as suggested. Make the design change the first step and the other technical document changes the second step. Assure that the process work flow has a point of no return, technical release point. Move the folks doing design data input to ERP and PLM into CM. Move the folks doing master document change incorporation to CM. Get production control onboard to handle effectivity and tracking. Determine that firmware and software development are basically the same as mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic development from a product CM viewpoint. Toot your horn when significant progress is made and celebrate the same.