3 strategies for effective change management at your firm

Large-scale, firmwide change can be triggered by organizational or leadership changes, a decision to expand firm offerings, or a need for updated technology. No matter the cause, if you're preparing to lead major change at your firm, developing a solid change management strategy is a critical first step to help the change stick.

Below, we'll share three strategies for effective change management that come straight from Intapp's own industry-leading clients - all of whom led large-scale changes at their own firms.

1. Establish core principles to guide the process

When undertaking a substantial firmwide change, it can be easy to get lost in the chaos of multiple moving pieces. That's why Intapp client and investment bank DC Advisory established four core principles to guide them when adopting Intapp DealCloud:

1. Set realistic time frames
   • Build a timeline that makes sense for the project, and set benchmarks along the way to help track progress.

1. Create a clear decision-making process
   • Determine who the appropriate decision-makers are, and let your team know how to reach them.

1. Keep the end goal in mind
2. Maintain consistent communication, sharing updates, gathering feedback, and celebrating wins.

2. Check in regularly

Inevitably, team members will feel an impact from major process shifts that affect their everyday ways of working. To help win their trust and buy-in, they need to feel that their questions and concerns are heard, considered, and addressed along the way.

That's why Intapp client and investment bank Marathon Capital established regular check-ins when leading change. During these check-ins, team members shared feedback and wins while leaders addressed questions and challenges.

Establishing a cadence for check-ins gives team members a firm schedule to test new processes and bring feedback to check-ins - providing clear structure and incentivizing timely adoption. Regular meetings also enable change leaders learn about any team concerns - ensuring no one goes unheard.

3. Ensure data integrity is maintained at every level

One of the most integral pieces of change management is data integrity. When a firm experiences large-scale, workflow-impacting change, the effect on company data should be a primary concern. That's why Intapp clients Vedder Price and Oppenheimer & Co. made data a priority when managing change.

Vedder Price, a global law firm, ensured data integrity by deploying a new business intake form that enabled them to check and verify client and matter data upfront - before it was entered into their systems. Vedder Price also uses Intapp Integration Service, a cloud-based service, to streamline the integration of data across various systems, making it easier to manage data and workflows. The firm emphasizes the importance of collecting clean data and building their workflows to confirm data accuracy along the way.

Oppenheimer & Co., an investment bank, took a similar approach in prioritizing data. They sought a single source of truth for data related to pipeline and relationship management. Using Intapp DealCloud, they built a streamlined view for senior management reporting, while also customizing day-to-day processes for the individual teams - all in one place for firmwide visibility and data accuracy.

A roadmap to successful change

Managing firmwide change is a big undertaking, but adapting these tips for your firm will help ensure that your road to change is clear and successful.

For more on how Intapp clients use Intapp tools to support change management, visit our case studies page.

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