Why You Can’t Afford to Drop Change Management  

The most important part of a technology-enabled transformation isn’t the technology. It’s the people.But how much are you investing in your people versus the technology? Is change management dropped or deprioritised when your business case or budget is under scrutiny? 

The Cost of Neglect or Delay 

Research from all leading firms proves that projects without a dedicated budget for change management are likely to fail. According to Prosci, projects with excellent change management are 7 times more likely to achieve their objectives. Additionally, Prosci reports that organisations that implement change management late or poorly face 3–5 times higher costs than if it’s incorporated early in a project. 

Delaying or neglecting change management can lead to: 

  • Significant financial impacts 

  • Reputational damage 

  • Business disruption 

  • Redesigns, delays, and low adoption rates 

  • Failure to deploy the technology 

In fact, Gartner found that failed technology adoption costs companies between $1.5–5 million, depending on the scale and type of technology involved. 

Change Management = Greater ROI 

The human side of technology implementations is critical for adoption—and even more critical for realising value and sustaining success. Forrester confirms that when change management is incorporated into the planning phase of a technology project, organisations see greater returns on investment. 

Why Early Expertise Matters and

helps to: 

  • Identify the impacts and gaps between current and future states 

  • Allow time for meaningful engagement and interventions 

  • Prevent costly problems from arising 

According to McKinsey, nearly 70% of large-scale projects fail due to poor change management, with employee resistance being the top reason. 

A Small Investment with Big Impact 

How much are you investing in functional, technical, and solution roles compared to communication and engagement to actively manage change and resistance? 

Projects that rely heavily on self-service for success typically require just 8–10% of their project budget for change management. It’s a small price to pay for: 

  • Increasing project success rates 

  • Accelerating value realisation 

  • Ensuring a smooth adoption process 

How Change Management Creates Value 

Change management drives mechanisms to foster:  

  • Active sponsorship 

  • Stakeholder engagement 

  • Collaboration and continuous learning 

  • A culture of adaptability 

These are all critical for any technology-enabled transformation. 

Why Expertise Pays Off  

While your internal team is essential for driving change, independent change experts can help accelerate benefits realisation. They: 

  • Bring proven experience in managing complex digital change 

  • Offer best practices and insights from previous projects 

  • Provide credibility, a fresh perspective, and specific skills 

  • Remain fully dedicated to managing change without distractions 

Sustainable and Long-Term Change Management 

Successful change management isn’t just about adoption and usage at go-live. It’s about ensuring: 

  • Long-term business value 

  • Continuous improvement 

  • A strong foundation for sustained transformation 

Including change management early in your planning process ensures you: 

  • Ring-fence the budget for success 

  • Showcase focus on long-term goals 

  • Avoid the need for additional approvals during the project lifecycle

The True Value of Change Management 

According to the Harvard Business Review, organisations with strong change management practices are better equipped to sustain transformations over time. 

Investing in change management isn’t just about adopting new technology and ways of working—it’s about: 

  • Driving long-term business value 

  • Reducing risks 

  • Fostering a culture of adaptability 

By incorporating change management early, you secure faster returns on investment and position your organisation for success. 

The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in change management—it’s whether you can afford not to. 

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