What is a Change Management Application?

Change management application is the process of changing an object or system from one form to a new form. This field covers a huge area ranging from moving an office from one building to another, to migrating a database, to overseeing a corporate merger. In general, change management application describes changes and alterations inside a business or computer system. This field is generally broken down into four main areas, each governing a different area of business or technology.

The main difference between change management application and simple change management is timing. Change management is all about planning the change in the system. It has little to do with the actual system and often takes place long before the change. On the other hand, change management application is when the actual process takes place. This field governs the actual people and processes as they change.

There are four main parts that make up the whole of change management application. Structural change is when the actual environment is changing. These types of changes are generally new offices or buildings. While these are large examples, structural change management doesn’t always have such a large scope. Any noticeable environmental change will likely have implication in the way workers view the environment, even it is only new coffeepots or light bulbs.

Strategic changes relate to business practices. These changes are alterations in policy and practice on a large scale. This type of change could involve brand extensions or mergers—any change that has an impact in the way the company is viewed by its workers and the public. These plans are often directly related to increasing the profitability of the company as a whole.

A technological change usually revolves around a computer system, database or network change. These changes often have a direct and measurable impact on the workforce as they learn about, and become accustomed to, their new technological access. This type of change is common when new hardware or software is put into the computer system, whether it's replacing a printer to totally rewiring the in-building network.

The last common type of change management application is personnel changes. While this is rarely the most complex change, it can be one of the more difficult to perform, as the unpredictability of individual workers needs to be balanced against the needs of the organization. These changes can range from hiring or firing an employee to changing the details of the company health insurance. In many cases, a change begins as one of the other types, but ends as a personnel change. For instance, a merger results in two separate departments integrating; in other words, a strategic change becomes a personnel change.