Any professional who takes pride in their job is bound to have some concerns about switching from one established system (Zinc MAPS) to a new, unfamiliar one (Vault PromoMats).

The type of thoughts they are likely to be having are:

● “How’s it going to impact my job?”

● “Will I be able to use it?”

● “More importantly, will I be able to use it properly?”

These thoughts are natural especially when we’re talking about a platform or process that has been woven into the fabric of a department or organisation over many years, which is the case with Zinc MAPS.

This is a system that has been the stalwart of the Medical, Legal and Regulatory (MLR) review process, and is a system that is deeply embedded into daily working life.

Moving with the Zeitgeist

Migrating from Zinc to another MLR Platform is unavoidable. The zeitgeist. Vault PromoMats is an evolution of what Zinc once was, and what it is today: a better, faster, more robust platform with an interface sculpted around user-centricity.

Yet, there will no doubt be a collective of colleagues who fear the switch in systems. Their fear might even be such that they’re defensive about, or borderline dismissive of what’s coming. Maybe they’ll even vocally or actively denounce switching to a new document management system.

Particularly with Zinc, Life Sciences professionals have been using the platform for years. They’re highly competent in using it and it’s critical to their cross-geography content and brand activities. Vault PromoMats is the new kid on the block – and there will always be resistance when a change is introduced. The key here is to make people feel secure with the change and get them to buy into the whole process.

Same Same… But Different

There’s a popular phrase in South East Asia, “Same same but different”, which in English of course translates to ‘similar’. In reality, this phrase perfectly describes the migration from Zinc MAPS to Vault PromoMats.

Zinc MAPS and Vault PromoMats are much the same, but different. Similar, but not quite the same.

Albeit maybe a bit clichéd, this phrase could even become a key part of your Change Management communications with internal stakeholders. Of course you don’t want to trivialise the importance of its implementation, but it could well make migrating from Zinc MAPS to Vault PromoMats that little bit less daunting for some stakeholders.

The core process will remain the same, the rules that govern the review and approval processes will remain the same. What changes is the vehicle to assist in those changes and which buttons are pressed.

Regardless, there will almost certainly be resistance, for a variety of different reasons. You’re going to need to convert one or more colleagues – and Change Management is your means of doing so.

Out with the Old

Change Management is all about successfully equipping and empowering stakeholders to successfully adopt change. Without it, the harsh reality is that you’ll struggle to achieve a successful systems migration. Moreover, driving adoption of Vault PromoMats will be almost impossible.

And it doesn’t actually matter whether it’s moving house or, in this instance, document management system, change is challenging. It’s a seldom a stroll in the park, and there’s no real one-size-fits-all solution for: a) Managing change and, b) Overcoming the barriers and resistance to change that is part and parcel of rolling out a new platform.

Even the most competent and self-confident employees will need some hand-holding through the forthcoming uncertainty and organisational upheaval.

What about those that currently have a “It’s not broke, so don’t fix it” attitude? Those glass-half-full-type pessimists? Those that really don’t want to make the migration from one system to another? You’re going to convert them. But, you won’t be able to do it without training.

In with the New

Training is key in the Change Management process. Moreover, the success of your Change Management program is inherently dependent on training. They’re entwined, and far from mutually exclusive.

Training should be an integral part of the Change Management process, from start to finish. Without it, stakeholder buy-in, adoption, advocacy, communication and continuous improvement will be difficult to achieve.

There will be challenges. There will be fear. There will be resistance to change. There will be growing pains in implementing PromoMats. There will be additional barriers and obstacles, some of which you couldn’t possibly have seen coming.

Having a strong Change Management approach, with training at the core, will ensure you are more well positioned to address the obstacles a system migration will undoubtedly present.

Through training you are able to address:

  • Why: What is the business reason for the change and what benefits will be realised?
  • When: What are the timings? What has been considered in the migration planning?
  • How: What does this mean for my day-to-day job? How do I perform the tasks I perform today? How are the needs of different user groups impacted? Which buttons do I press?

Having a well thought-out training approach will address these key questions and more. This is why you need to ensure training is central to your migration and Change Management plan.

Training will be the key factor in determining the level of success of any migration – as well as its adoption moving forward.