Change is more than just a buzz word in the business world, it’s an absolute must to keep your organisation performing well and at the top of its game. With constant changes such as evolving technology, shifting market trends, and evolving customer expectations taking place rapidly, it’s important to adapt to these shifts for success. Change management offers a systematic approach for you to navigate this, with a focus on both the organisation and its employees. It involves employing methods, techniques, and tools to effectively plan, implement, and manage change. 

Change management is really about skilfully finding your way through the complexities of change within an organisation. It's not just about acknowledging change, but also ensuring that any undertaken projects align with the broader goals and strategy of the organisation. This alignment is essential for a coordinated and purposeful approach to implementing change. 

In this article, we’ll delve into eight key tools for change management to help you successfully navigate change in 2024.  

The importance of change management software 

Implementing change across your organisation is a complex process that needs careful planning, execution, and ongoing management. Change management software plays a key role to ensure the success of organisational change initiatives. Here's why using this software is vital: 

1. Structured approach: Change management software provides a structured framework to guide you through the entire change process. It ensures that steps are followed systematically, stopping key aspects from being overlooked.  

2. Communication and collaboration: Effective communication is important for successful change and change management tools facilitate clear and consistent communication. It offers you collaboration features to ensure that all stakeholders are informed, aligned, and engaged throughout the change journey. 

3. Documentation and tracking: Change initiatives involve numerous details, actions, and milestones. Change management tools allow for comprehensive documentation and tracking of every aspect of the change process. This helps you to monitor progress, identify challenges, and make data-driven decisions. 

4. Risk management: Change comes with risks, and anticipating and mitigating these risks is essential. Change management tools help you to identify potential challenges, assess their impact, and develop strategies to mitigate risks effectively. 

5. Resource allocation: Successful change requires the allocation of resources, including personnel, time, and finances. Change management tools have great capabilities to help you allocate resources efficiently, ensuring that the right people are involved at the right time and that budgets are managed effectively.  

6. Measuring success and ROI: Without proper measurement, it's difficult to determine the success of change initiatives. Change management tools provide capabilities for tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and assessing the return on investment (ROI) of change efforts. 

7. Adaptability to change: The software itself is designed to be adaptable, allowing you to tailor it to their specific needs and the nature of the change. This adaptability ensures that the software remains a valuable asset as organisational needs evolve. 

8 key change management tools in 2024 

Fluid 

Fluid is a strategic change management software solution tool that allows organisations to manage change effectively. As an all-in-one platform, Fluid encompasses all the capabilities for collaboration, productivity and transparency that you need to manage change successfully. It enables communication, task management and documentation in one place, making it easier to track progress and make informed decisions. 

Suitability as a change management tool 

Fluid is an exceptional choice for organisations in need of a robust change management tool. It outshines traditional project management solutions by offering a suite of capabilities specifically designed to facilitate seamless organisational change. 

Resource management: Fluid optimises the utilisation of resources during change initiatives, effectively allocating human resources, time, and budget to prevent bottlenecks. 

Real-time reporting and analytics: Fluid enables real-time reporting and analytics, empowering organisations to track key performance indicators (KPIs), measure success, and make data-driven decisions to refine change strategies. 

User-friendly interface: With Fluid's intuitive interface, the learning curve is minimised, encouraging widespread adoption and active participation from all stakeholders. 

Risk mitigation: Fluid seamlessly integrates risk management into the change process, providing tools for identifying, assessing, and proactively mitigating risks during transitions. 

Jira 

Jira is an agile project management tool that can also be used for managing change. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Jira allows teams to plan, track and report on changes in real-time. It also offers integrations with other tools, making it a versatile choice for change management. 

Suitability as a change management tool 

Jira stands out as a robust change management tool, harnessing key features to effectively streamline organisational transitions.  

Customisable workflows: Jira enables organisations to tailor change management processes to their specific needs through customisable workflows, ensuring flexibility and adaptability across diverse projects. 

Issue tracking: With its powerful issue tracking capabilities, Jira provides a centralised platform for identifying, managing, and resolving challenges encountered during change initiatives. 

Integration capabilities: Jira seamlessly integrates with various third-party tools and applications, enhancing its adaptability to existing organisational ecosystems and promoting a cohesive change management experience.  

Collaboration and communication: Jira facilitates active collaboration and communication among stakeholders involved in the change process, ensuring real-time information exchange and fostering a collaborative environment.  

Automation: Jira offers automation features that streamline repetitive tasks and workflows, increasing efficiency and allowing teams to focus on the strategic aspects of change management. 

With its extensive toolkit, Jira proves to be a valuable asset for organisations navigating complex change scenarios, providing the necessary tools to align strategies, manage resources, and effectively mitigate risks. 

Freshworks 

Freshworks Change Management Software streamlines and automates the implementation process, ensuring efficient tracking, management, and approval of changes. It provides real-time visibility, enabling stakeholders to monitor change status, assess impact, and ensure compliance. With features like scheduled rollouts, risk assessment, and a convenient approval process, it's a versatile tool for organisations aiming for continuous improvement. 

Suitability as a change management tool 

Freshworks is an exceptional change management tool that offers a wide range of key features designed to enhance the experience of organisational change. 

Collaborative workspaces: Freshworks provides collaborative workspaces that promote active communication and involvement from all stakeholders in the change process. This feature ensures real-time collaboration, ultimately improving overall engagement. 

Automation and workflows: With powerful automation capabilities and customisable workflows, Freshworks streamlines the change management process, reducing manual effort and enhancing efficiency in handling various change-related tasks. 

Integrated knowledge management: Freshworks integrates knowledge management functionalities into its platform, allowing organisations to define policies, manage intellectual property, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning. 

Real-time monitoring and reporting: Freshworks enables real-time monitoring and reporting of change initiatives, providing insights into key performance indicators (KPIs) and facilitating data-driven decision-making to refine change strategies. 

With its comprehensive feature set, Freshworks is positioned as a valuable tool for organisations seeking effective change management solutions. Its focus on collaboration, impact assessment, automation, knowledge management, and real-time monitoring ensures a holistic approach to successful change implementation. 

Wrike 

Wrike is another project management tool that can be used for change management. With features such as task and resource management, real-time collaboration and customisable workflows, Wrike helps teams stay organised and on track during periods of change. 

Suitability as a change management tool 

Wrike emerges as a powerful change management tool, offering a range of key features that enhance the effectiveness of organisational change initiatives. 

Collaborative workspaces: Wrike provides collaborative workspaces that facilitate active communication and engagement among stakeholders involved in the change process. This feature promotes real-time collaboration, ensuring all team members are on the same page.  

Change impact assessment: Wrike equips organisations with tools for conducting comprehensive change impact assessments. This capability allows teams to anticipate challenges, evaluate the scope of change, and develop targeted strategies to navigate transitions successfully. 

Customisable workflows: Wrike's customisable workflows empower organisations to tailor the change management process to their specific needs. This flexibility ensures adaptability across diverse projects, enhancing overall efficiency. 

Real-time monitoring and reporting: Wrike enables real-time monitoring and reporting of change initiatives, providing valuable insights into key performance indicators (KPIs). This feature supports data-driven decision-making, allowing teams to refine strategies as needed. 

Wrike's comprehensive feature set positions it as a valuable tool for organisations seeking effective change management solutions, focusing on collaboration, impact assessment, customisable workflows, real-time monitoring, and user-friendly design. 

Smartsheet 

Smartsheet is a work execution platform that can also be utilised for managing change. It offers tools for project planning, task management and collaboration, making it a useful tool for tracking change initiatives and their impact on different departments or teams. 

Suitability as a change management tool 

Smartsheet is an exceptional change management tool that offers essential features to enhance the success of organisational change initiatives.  

Collaborative workspaces: Smartsheet facilitates collaborative workspaces, promoting active communication and engagement among stakeholders involved in the change process. This feature ensures real-time collaboration, enabling seamless teamwork. 

Change impact assessment: Smartsheet empowers organisations with tools to conduct comprehensive change impact assessments. This capability allows teams to anticipate challenges, evaluate the extent of change, and develop targeted strategies for successful transitions. 

Customisable workflows: Smartsheet’s customisable workflows enable organisations to tailor the change management process to their specific requirements. This flexibility ensures adaptability across various projects, contributing to overall operational efficiency. 

Smartsheet offers a comprehensive set of features that position it as a valuable tool for organisations seeking effective change management solutions. The emphasis on collaborative workspaces, change impact assessment, customisable workflows, real-time monitoring, and a user-friendly interface makes Smartsheet a reliable choice for successfully navigating organisational change. 

IBM Engineering Workflow Management 

IBM Engineering Workflow Management is a comprehensive solution for managing complex changes in software development. Its features include requirements management, workflow automation and traceability analytics, allowing organisations to streamline the change process while ensuring quality and compliance.  

Suitability as a change management tool 

IBM Engineering Workflow Management (EWM) is a powerful change management tool that offers a wide range of features specifically designed to enhance the success of organisational change initiatives. 

Integrated workspaces: EWM provides integrated workspaces that foster seamless collaboration among stakeholders involved in the change process. This integrated environment ensures effective communication and engagement, promoting a unified approach to change management. 

Change impact analysis: EWM equips organisations with tools for comprehensive change impact analysis. This capability enables teams to assess the potential effects of change, identify associated risks, and proactively develop strategies to mitigate challenges. 

Configurable workflows: EWM's configurable workflows empower organisations to tailor the change management process to their specific needs. This flexibility supports adaptability across diverse projects, contributing to overall organisational agility. 

IBM Engineering Workflow Management stands out as a comprehensive solution for organisations navigating change. Its integrated workspaces, change impact analysis, configurable workflows, real-time monitoring, and user-friendly interface collectively contribute to successful change management endeavours. 

ServiceNow 

Servicenow is a cloud-based platform that offers a range of tools for managing change. Its Change Management module allows organisations to plan change initiatives, assess risks and impacts, and gain full visibility into the change process. 

Suitability as a change management tool 

ServiceNow emerges as a robust change management tool, offering a suite of features tailored to enhance organisational change initiatives.  

Automated change workflows: ServiceNow enables organisations to create automated change workflows, establishing standardised processes for change management. This automation enhances efficiency, reduces errors, and expedites the change approval process. 

Real-time collaboration: ServiceNow facilitates real-time collaboration among stakeholders involved in change management. Its collaborative features ensure effective communication, coordination, and alignment throughout the change lifecycle, fostering a unified and transparent approach.  

Configuration management database (CMDB): The CMDB in ServiceNow serves as a centralised repository for configuration items, providing a comprehensive view of the IT environment. This visibility aids in understanding the potential impact of changes, enabling informed decision-making. 

Performance analytics and reporting: ServiceNow offers robust performance analytics and reporting capabilities, empowering organisations to track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to change management. This feature facilitates data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement of change strategies. 

ServiceNow stands out as a comprehensive solution for organisations seeking effective change management. Its Change Advisory Board Workbench, automated workflows, real-time collaboration, CMDB, and performance analytics collectively contribute to successful and streamlined change initiatives.  

The Change Compass 

The Change Compass is a dedicated change management tool that offers features such as impact assessment, stakeholder analysis, and real-time monitoring of change progress. Its detailed reporting capabilities make it easier for organisations to track and analyse the success of change initiatives.  

Suitability as a change management tool 

The Change Compass positions itself as an exceptional change management tool, offering tailored features to streamline organisational change initiatives. Its key strengths lie in strategic alignment, visual change roadmaps, change impact assessment, real-time collaboration, and analytics.  

Visual change roadmaps: The Change Compass provides clear and intuitive visual change roadmaps, offering an overview of the entire change journey. This visual representation aids in planning, communication, and understanding the sequence of activities involved in the change process. 

Change impact assessment: Organisations can leverage The Change Compass for comprehensive change impact assessments. This functionality enables them to anticipate challenges, assess the scope of change, and devise targeted strategies for successful implementation. 

Analytics and reporting: The Change Compass offers robust analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing organisations to track key metrics related to change initiatives. This feature supports informed decision-making, continuous improvement, and the measurement of success. 

The Change Compass stands out as a specialised tool dedicated to effective change management. With its focus on strategic alignment, visual change roadmaps, impact assessment, real-time collaboration, and analytics, it empowers organisations to navigate and implement successful changes.  

3 Steps to find the right change management tool 

1. Define your change management needs: Start by clearly outlining the specific requirements and objectives of your organisation's change management initiatives. Identify key factors such as the magnitude of change, organisational structure, and project nature. Determine whether your focus is on strategic alignment, resource management, risk mitigation, or real-time analytics. By defining your needs, you can select a tool that seamlessly aligns with your organisational goals. 

2. Evaluate user-friendly interfaces: Assess the user-friendliness of potential change management tools. Look for intuitive interfaces that minimise the learning curve for your team members, ensuring easy adoption and active participation. Consider features that promote collaboration and communication, as they are crucial for successful change initiatives. You may also conduct demos or trials to assess how well the tool aligns with the technical proficiency and preferences of your team. 

3. Prioritise flexibility and scalability: Choose a change management tool that offers flexibility and scalability to accommodate the evolving needs of your organisation. Evaluate whether the tool can adapt to different project sizes, complexities, and industries. Ensure seamless integration with your existing software ecosystem. Opting for a flexible and scalable tool guarantees long-term support for your change management endeavours as it grows alongside your organisation. 

If you're ready to start the journey of choosing a change management tool, take a look at a Fluid demo today or speak to one of our team.