Item Master Project

Communication Strategy
[Insert
Date]

Contents

Communication Objectives and Guiding Principles

Communication Approach
Stakeholder/Audience Response
Communications Activities
Current Communications Infrastructure
Communications Audience & Key Stakeholder Groups
Communication Plan Elements
Roles and Responsibilities
Communication Approval Process

This communication strategy documents the overarching approach and helps to guide
the communications plan which defines the specific events, owners, content, etc.

Communication Objectives and Guiding Principles

Communication Objectives
Provide the right information to the right people at the right time
Develop and execute a communication plan that communicates the change vision and addresses
stakeholder concerns in order to build commitment, facilitate acceptance, and help minimize
implementation risks.
Guiding Principles (based on {Insert Client Name} culture and input from interviews)
Communications should be targeted, relevant, direct, and timely
Keep communications as concise as possible
Leverage existing vehicles, resources, and media where possible
Tailor communications by stakeholder group/audience based on cultural differences (e.g. Engineering
vs. Manufacturing)
Employ a layered communications strategy to build momentum towards launch
Develop materials centrally and distribute for tailoring (minimize need for tailoring where possible)
Utilize multiple media to underscore key messages and gain feedback (e.g. email, face-to-face, etc.)
Help ensure consistency of key messages (content, look & feel)
Develop an end-state vision and then continually reinforce the benefits
Leverage change agents (CA) as a key two-way communication channel.

Approach- A layered approach beginning with an awareness campaign

followed by a launch campaign will work best given the project type and
timeline
Item Master
Solution in
Design

Awareness
Campaign
Begins

Go-Live
Campaign
Begins

Item Master
Solution in
Development

Solution
Launch

Solution
Maintenance/ Post
Go-Live Support

Explaining
the Need

Clarifying the
Vision

Inspiring for
Action

Sustaining
Momentum

Announce the item

master solution
Communicate
compelling business
reasons
Set expectations and
begin preparing
people for changes
(e.g. different part
nomenclature).

Communicate vision
for item master solution
and how it links to
{Insert Client
Name}/supply chain
vision
Focus on 2-way
communications (CAs)
Allow for resistance
and questioning
Clearly define changes.

Build on current
awareness
Motivate people to
let go of the old
way of doing things
(e.g. engineers,
buyers)
Influence people to
try and accept new
way of doing things.

Reinforce the
changes and desired
behavior
Promote the new way
of doing things and
related benefits
Encourage sustained
acceptance and
culture change
Celebrate success.

Vehicles should include: emails, Intranet site

content, articles in existing vehicles, some face
to face meetings (e.g. brown bag sessions),
FAQs, Change agent network
Begins at least
three months
before Go-Live
(August)

Vehicles should include: face to

face meetings (roadshows/
demos), emails, webcasts, change
agent network
Begins at least
four weeks
before go-Live
(October)

Vehicles- TBD

Concentrated
communication effort for
at least one month after
Go-Live

Road shows An Effective form of Communication

What is the intent of the proposed Road Shows?
Form of face-to-face communication about project status and key successes
Discuss the Change Agent Network and recognize participating champions
Forum for presenting the proposed To Be State and discuss impacted processes
Demonstrate the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technology
Gain consensus on To Be State from impacted audiences
Present new access restrictions
Discuss Next steps in the project plan and participation requirements.

Who is our Audience?

The audience for these Road Shows would be highly impacted groups at select sites

Why do we need Road Shows for the Item Master Project?

Cons

Potential Benefits
Allows for open and honest face-to-face
communication
Encourages project participation and promotes
excitement for the project
Forum to gauge change readiness and assess
audience acceptance of the To-Be State in order to
determine where adjustments are needed
Minimizes the surprise factor at project end.

Can become costly, which can be controlled by limiting

the number of Road Shows
Can be time-consuming to plan and coordinate.

When should we do them?

May 200X
Project
Communication
commenced

Sept. 200X
Road Shows
Begins

Nov. 200X
Project
Go-Live

Stakeholder/Audience Response

Awareness

Questioning

Acceptance

Sustaining

Enthusiastic

Non-supportive
Time / Project lifecycle
Stakeholder
Reaction to
Change

Unclear on
scope,
rationale, and
nature of
change
Unrealistic
expectations
Rumor mill
activity.

Realization of
effort and
complexity
Fear of the
unknown
Uncertainty &
confusion
Concern over
personal
impact.

Recognition
of benefits
Value to
organization
understood
Comfort
achieved
Willingness
to try
change.

Change
internalized
Supporting
behaviors
demonstrated.

{Insert Client Name} Stakeholder

Observations
Based on our interviews, most
stakeholders are aware of the initiative
but the vision for the end-state remains
unclear
Overall, stakeholders seem neutral to
supportive at this point but the reaction is
based on limited information
Current stakeholder response is typical
for this stage in the project
However, early communication efforts
should focus on building and
communicating the vision and what it
means for each stakeholder group
(personal impact and overall benefits)
Our layered communication approach
will anticipate stakeholder reaction to
change and guide them along the change
curve (see left)
There is a significant amount of
communications noise at {Insert Client
Name} given the current tough economic
environment
The communications plan should
leverage leadership advocacy to help
break through the noise and reinforce the
project as a key priority.

Communication Activities

Interviews with core team and other key stakeholders/ change agents to
assess {Insert Client Name} culture and existing communications
environment
Communications work better when tailored to existing environment
Strategy documents the overarching approach and guides the plan
development and execution
Layered strategy that leverages existing vehicles is optimal for {Insert Client
Name}
A robust plan helps to ensure success and is used to track progress as well
For item master project, plan must be targeted by group and focused at
grass-roots level (field) given large number of diverse stakeholders impacted

Evaluate Environment

Develop Strategy

Develop Plan

Deliver Communications
Plan

Change team will coordinate development and delivery of communications/

events with oversight and insight from {Insert Client Name} HR and Corp.
Comm. as appropriate
Approval process for communications will be developed and followed

Measure Results

Change agents will serve as the primary feedback loop for communications
effectiveness
No formal surveys or focus groups are planned

Adjust Plan

Adjustments will be handled by change team as feedback dictates

Given the existing team structure, making should be straightforward.

Current Communications Infrastructure/Vehicles

A key element of the strategy is to tie into existing vehicles with targeted content as much as
possible in lieu of creating new, project specific vehicles. This is necessary given the large
number of diverse areas impacted by item master.
Vehicle

Audience

Owner

My {Insert Client Name} All employees with

(Intranet)
intranet access
{Insert Client Name}
Extra Newsletter

All employees

Frequency

Purpose/ Message

Constant

Internal {Insert Client Name} information/

updates

Corp. Comm.

Monthly

Update information, performance,

targeted stories

Regular Staff
Meetings

Employees by group

Executives/
Managers

Weekly
Bi-weekly

Quarterly
Meeting

All employees

Corp. Comm.

Quarterly

General information and

performance updates

T.V. Kiosks

Employees at select
sites

Corp. Comm.

Constant

General employee information

and updates

Supply Chain
Intranet Site

Supply Chain
stakeholders

TBD

Ongoing

Supply Chain specific updates

And news (include item master tab)

E-mail

All employees
(but targeted)

Various

Constant

Very e-mail centric culture

use as primary vehicle

Mass Voice Mail

All employees

TBD

Seldom Used

Announcements

Web-casts

Field employees/
Plant Sites

TBD

As neededmore common
in supply chain

Roll-out activities, key updates- use with

sites given travel/ expense constraints

Update and group specific infocommon in most groups

Key Stakeholder Groups/Audiences

Core Team
Steering Committee
Manufacturing
Plant/ Shop Managers
Warehouse Managers
Supply Chain
Sourcing Group
Buyers
Report Writers
Schedulers
Material Managers
Engineering
Compression
Process and Treating
Production
Parts Sales
Sales & Use Tax

Field Operations
North America Sites
Latin America Sites
Eastern Hemisphere
Suppliers/ Vendors
Business Technology

The stakeholder groups identified will be analyzed to determine how best to handle them
(see next slide)

Stakeholder Analysis- stakeholder analysis will be documented in

separate deliverable
Stakeholder
Group

Current
Support
(H,M,L)

Needed
Support
(H,M,L)

Level of
Impact
(H,M,L)

Concerns/
Issues of
Stakeholder
Group

Influence
Strategy/
Tactics

Owner

e
pl
m
a

PMM
BUY

MFG IT
GEC

FIN
HR

Low

How do we manage stakeholders?

Identify stakeholders - Understand stakeholders Influence stakeholders through communications and
other means

CM PPT

e
pl
m
Sa
Needed Support

Who are stakeholders?

The stakeholder analysis will identify
groups and individuals whose support is
essential for the success. A key
stakeholder is an individual or group
who possesses most of these
characteristics:
Controls critical resources
Can block the initiative by direct or
indirect means
Must approve certain aspects of the
change
Shapes the thinking of other critical
constituents
Owns a key work process that will be
impacted by the project
Is a change influencer or change target.

Current Support

- High impact on group

- Medium impact on group
- Low impact on group

High

Status/
Comment

Communications Plan Elements

Message

Key information to communicate to affected groups

Audience

Individuals or groups targeted to receive the planned

communication

Vehicle

The means or medium by which the communication will be

delivered

Frequency

How often the planned communication will be delivered to

the target audience

Owner
Approver(s)

The person responsible for developing the communication

The person(s) responsible for sign-off prior to
communication delivery

Delivery Date The target date the audience is to receive the

communication

Status

Current status of work needed to develop and distribute

communication

Tips for {Insert Client Name} Communication Plan

Element
Message/
Content
Audience

Vehicle

Frequency

Owner/
Delivery
Roles

Tips for {Insert Client Name} Communication Plan

Create a compelling need and vision Better define end-state of item master
Answer the who, what, why, when, hows
Connect the dots to other activities (e.g. Oracle, Reporting, PLM, etc.).
Tailor communications to specific audience nuances (level of influence vs.
level of support)
Always answer the question Whats in it for me? (Manufacturing vs. Engineering).
Utilize multiple vehicles and media- Layer Communication to build support
Enlist active support from executives and managers to cascade communication.
Repeat, repeat, repeat
Address audience concerns with the right message at the right time
(depending upon where they are on the change curve).
Constantly coordinate with communications owners to make sure that everyone is
on message
Visible leadership support, involvement and delivery.
Detail the various people involved in creating and delivering the
communication/event

Delivery
Date/
Schedule

Gain traction with communication of quick hit victories

Maintain momentum of communications.

Status

The plan should be a living document used to track progress and coordinate

Roles and Responsibilities

Group
Change Team

Role
Develop and maintain overarching communication plan
Create centralized communication content and materials
Review communications created by others to help ensure consistent
messaging, same look and feel, etc.
Coordinate execution of communication plan and measure effectiveness.

Core Team
Members/ Change
Agents

Provide input into communication strategy and plan

Tailor communications and materials as necessary for the stakeholder
groups/audiences in their groups (in collaboration with Change Team)*
Execute communication plan events/ communications specific to their
group
Provide content for centralized communications as necessary.

Internal
Communication/
HR (Corp. Comm.)

Provide insight and guidance on communication activities as necessary

Coordinate final review and revision of communications to mass
audiences
Distribute communications through existing channels to mass audiences
(e.g. my {Insert Client Name}, {Insert Client Name} Extra, etc.).

Project
Management

Review and approve communications as necessary

Provide input into communication strategy and plan.

*- Need for tailoring will be minimized where possible

The Communication Funnel- Approval Process/Timeline

inary
m
i
l
e
r
P
Identify content for inclusion
(Change Team)
By Delivery Date
-9 working days

Complete initial draft

(Change Team)

By Delivery Date -8
working days
By Delivery Date -6
working days

By Delivery Date -5
working days

By Delivery Date -1
working days

Delivery Date

Review content for accuracy

(Subject Matter Professionals
[SMP]s, Core Leads, etc.)
Revise as necessary; Send to
Project Manager (PM)
(Change Team)
Review and revise content
(PMs and Corp. Comm. If
necessary)

Finalize and send

communicator (e.g. change
agents, corp. comm.)
(Change Team)
Distribute Communication

This process is for communications

to mass audiences (e.g. potential
project newsletter)
Content will be developed to avoid
the need to tailor by audience as
much as possible

Appendix

Change Agent Roles and Responsibilities

Champion change --- be an advocate for your business/group and the item
master project
Communicate regularly --- on key dates, progress, milestones and events
Proactively gain input/feedback from your group and bring back to the team
Raise awareness of readiness issues and work those issues at the local level
Anticipate problems, identify barriers, and work collaboratively to move forward
Help ensure business and end-user readiness; prepare group for and participate
in readiness assessments
Report readiness status to both project management and the business group
Foster a sense of comfort with process and system changes.

Characteristics of an effective change agent

Organizational influence and credibility (Well respected by others)

Strong communication skills
Ability to marshal resources as appropriate
Ability to assess business impacts at the local level
Local business knowledge
Commitment to successful implementation
Positive disposition
Proactive participation
Collaborative, team-focused work approach.