Introduction
Change is inevitable — but just because we’ve grown to expect it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. Any time we’re expected to change the way we do things, some level of resistance is expected.
Switching up processes, technology, and the way things are done takes time, but unfortunately, time is a luxury many companies just don’t have. They need employees to adjust quickly in order to stay competitive and meet the ever-changing needs and expectations of their customers. If a change takes too long to implement or employees are too resistant to the new processes and needs, it can hold the business back rather than push them forward.
Change managers are tasked with getting the team on board and up to speed on new expectations — but there is only so much they can do when trying to educate and reskill a large group of employees. Effective (and efficient) change management requires the help of technology.
With change management software, companies can make change seem less daunting. But in order for change management software to help, you need to choose the right tool.
Top change management software platforms
- Freshservice
- Whatfix
- ChangeGear
- ServiceDesk Plus
- Issuetrak
- Implementer
- Wrike
- IdeaScale
- ServiceNow
- Scribe
What is change management software?
Change management software helps companies implement, manage, and optimize change processes within their organizations. It helps deliver information to the relevant people, keeps track of completed tasks and processes, and reduces disruption by empowering employees to get up to speed faster.
Change management software can also help automate certain parts of the change process, freeing up change managers to focus on more complex tasks. Employees have easier access to the information they need to do their jobs correctly, increasing team productivity and ensuring changes are implemented appropriately the first time.
Benefits of change management software
Change management software makes a complicated process easier. While there are many benefits of using change management software, here are some of the biggest:
- Improved time-to-value. Undergoing a change is an investment in the future of the company, but there will always be a time period where the value of that investment is yet to be realized. A change management platform can make that time period shorter, getting the team up to speed on new expectations faster so the company can see the value of their investment sooner.
- Increased productivity. Change can be confusing for employees. When they don’t know what is expected of them and managers and leaders are slow to respond to questions or requests for more information, it only amplifies the frustration. Change management software is designed to reduce confusion and make information easily accessible for all employees.
- Reduced downtime. The change transition period not only impacts employees but customers as well. When processes are unclear or employees are struggling to get on board with change, customers can experience inconsistency or even a complete lack of attention and care. Change management software reduces downtime to help keep customers satisfied.
Change management software features
There are many different change management tools on the market, each designed with a different end user or industry in mind. While a platform tailored to your unique needs can be beneficial, there are a few key features that can contribute to the success of a change management platform.
When shopping for change management software, here are the key features to look out for.
- Visual analytics and reporting. Understanding how your team is adjusting to change is crucial for ensuring everyone is appropriately brought up to speed. Visual reporting features make it easy to see how your team is adapting to new expectations and can provide an easy to understand way to update key stakeholders and leadership.
- Personalized content and document sharing. When administering and managing change, employees need to access information relevant to their roles without getting distracted by content that doesn’t impact them. Change management software should allow you to dictate who receives what content so your team can stay focused on what they need to know most.
- On-demand access. Everyone learns at their own pace and in their own way. Information and documentation related to the company changes should be made available on-demand so each team member can find the information they need right when they need it.
10 best change management software tools in 2023
1. Freshservice
G2 Rating: 4.6/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Pricing: Starting at $19
Freshservice is IT Service Management software from the team at Freshworks. With Freshservice, you can roll out changes efficiently by visually tracking the lifecycle of each change. Establish each event or action that needs to happen, implement approval processes, and even assign tasks to ensure each step is completed the way it should be before moving on to the next.
Freshservice even provides task and calendar views, giving agents a clear look at when they can expect maintenance, changes, or updates. Everyone stays in the loop so they can prepare for changes coming their way. Post-release insights make it easy to look back on notes and team feedback so you can improve change processes in the future.
2. Whatfix
G2 Rating: 4.6/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4.7/5 stars
Pricing: Custom quote
Whatfix is a digital adoption platform that sits on top of the software and technology you already use, providing how-to guides and step-by-step instructions as users move through their processes. Employees get the knowledge they need in real time, helping them apply changes quickly and efficiently.
Whatfix lets you tailor experiences to each user, so they get the help they need without bogging them down with information they don’t need to know. Behavior and guidance analytics help you keep track of what guides users are accessing so you can make appropriate adjustments to your change management strategy.
3. ChangeGear by Serviceaide
G2 Rating: 3.8/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4/5 stars
Pricing: N/A
ChangeGear is an ITSM platform designed with industries with heavy compliance regulations in mind. It uses advanced automation to help streamline change and release management processes to make it easier for companies to meet auditing and compliance requirements. All changes are cataloged in a central repository for easy reference.
ChangeGear provides better visibility into company changes, using visual reporting to track metrics and KPIs. Automated notifications can keep everyone in the loop and easy change window and blackout scheduling can make timing your change more efficient.
4. ServiceDesk Plus
G2 Rating: 4.2/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4.3/5 stars
Pricing: Custom quote
ServiceDesk Plus promises to help IT teams implement changes with minimal risk and impact. Customizable change workflow processes let you handle standard, emergency, and critical changes independently and assign different stages of the change process with custom statuses. You can even build approvals, notifications, and updates into your workflows with drag-and-drop planning.
Streamline planning, approval, and rollouts to keep changes on track and avoid unplanned outages. Analytics and reporting let you track incidents and problems so you can make adjustments in real-time and keep your change process moving forward efficiently.
5. Issuetrak
G2 Rating: 4.1/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Pricing: Starting at $59/agent/month
Issuetrak believes introducing new software should make things easier for your team, not more complicated. Their people-first approach lets you create change management processes that work for your team, including workflow automation, report generation, and task optimization.
Issuetrak uses a task manager, compliance control, auto assignments, and custom forms and templates to keep change management as painless as possible. Your team can easily collaborate, stay up to date on new expectations, and submit issues or help requests all within the same app.
6. PTC Implementer
G2 Rating: N/A
Capterra Rating: 4.4/5 stars
Pricing: Custom quote
PTC Implementer is configuration management and deployment software for IBM i. It’s a secure and flexible change solution that ensures integrity of software installations during production, development, and testing. PC Implementer promises to reduce stress while providing a secure and highly auditable change environment.
Keep track of libraries, ensure the accuracy of compiled objects, and provide database support throughout the entire development lifecycle. Implementer is a great tool for providing a simple solution for new users while providing more advanced users with the depth they need to work effectively.
7. Wrike
G2 Rating: 4.2/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4.2/5 stars
Pricing: Free up to 5 users
Wrike is a project management tool that makes managing work easier and more streamlined. As a change management tool, it keeps distributed teams up to date with new processes and updates. It creates visual representations of workflows, goals, and tasks so you can keep your eye on goals and objectives.
If your team already uses Wrike for project management, it keeps all team tasks centralized and in one place. Get full visibility of your change management process so stakeholders can stay up to date and employees can understand what is expected of them at a glance.
8. IdeaScale
G2 Rating: 4.6/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4.6/5 stars
Pricing: Custom quote
IdeaScale is an idea management platform that connects people with ideas. Teams can collaborate to drive innovation within their businesses and aid in digital transformation. As a change management tool, IdeaScale can help collect ideas and feedback and deliver on those ideas all within the same platform.
IdeaScale helps you find ideas worth investing in so you can prioritize initiatives based on ROI. Keep teams and stakeholders informed of change progress and encourage collaboration throughout the entire journey. Use analytics to track progress and success and make the most of email and notification tools so your community is always in the loop.
9. ServiceNow
G2 Rating: 4/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Pricing: Custom quote
ServiceNow’s change and release management tool helps businesses create calendars and dashboards to track upcoming deployments and developments. Teams can simplify, automate, and accelerate their change management processes using built-in AI and purpose-fit change models.
ServiceNow provides an easy-to-read change success score to automate low-risk changes and evaluate the probability of success, helping your team understand the impact of their initiatives before they begin. Prioritize changes that will be most successful so your team can stay productive while reducing downtime and team frustration.
10. Scribe
G2 Rating: 4.9/5 stars
Capterra Rating: 4.3/5 stars
Pricing: Free basic plan available
Scribe makes creating how-to guides and instructions easy, so everyone can do — and share — their best work. Users can create visual step-by-step guides in seconds with just a click of a button, and then share links with their team. As a change management tool, Scribe can provide clear instructions and resources for educating, onboarding, and reskilling team members to meet changing expectations.
Users can revisit Scribe guides whenever they need, or you can integrate instructions into knowledge base tools and other project management systems. Because Scribe is easy to use, any team member can provide instruction, freeing up management and leadership from needing to take the reins. Employees can get up to speed faster so change can take root faster.
Make Change Easier to Manage with Software
Any time your team needs to make a change, some amount of resistance is to be expected. But the more you can reduce that resistance, the better. When changes are easy to understand and your team is able to get on board with new expectations and processes, the change management process can run smoother.
The right change management software can make keeping an eye on all the moving pieces of undergoing a change easier. Team members get access to the information they need, stakeholders and leaders get a clear view at what is happening, and those in charge of directing the change can make the most of automation and analytics to ensure the right information gets in the right hands. With a change management platform supporting your initiative, your team can be more productive and your change will be more impactful.
.jpg)