Once the design
team completes the design process, attention can turn to implementation and
change management (Anakarlo, 1992).Some issues to
consider include the following.
Over what period of time are we going to roll out the team
structure?
What systems must be modified to support the team?
What training needs does each of the stakeholder groups have?
What obstacles might inhibit change? What can w do about these
obstacles?
What else needs to be done to gain acceptance to the change?
How will we measure our progress?
In many cases,
design teams elect to have subgroups tackle these issues.These subgroups present their recommendations to the full design team to
be integrated into a comprehensive implementation plan.The design team can then generate timelines, goals, checkpoints, and key
indicators.It is clear that taking
a team concept from theory to practice can be time consuming.This is because an implementation plan should be a detailed map of everything
it takes to get teams started and moving along the continuum toward achieving
the vision.All major barriers
should be identified, eliminating those that are possible and working around the
others.
There are
essentially three ways of launching a design in the organization:
1.Creating a pilot area
2.Phased-in conversion
3.Total immersion
Each approach comes
with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, but all have worked within
organizations.Typically, total
immersion is used in start-ups or specially organized focused cells within
larger factories.Pilots and
phased-in conversions are ore common in up-and-running organizations (Anakarlo,
1992).
