Changeover Strategies

So you're ready to launch HIFIS 4 in your community. Congratulations! But there's still one question remaining.  How, exactly, are you going to flip the switch?

Look at a single individual staff. One day, they're going to be doing things the old way (whether that’s entering things into HIFIS 3 or taking notes with pen and paper), and then the next, they'll be expected to start using HIFIS 4. This can be a little intimidating, not to mention confusing for staff.

That’s why it’s important to have what’s called a changeover strategy. In other words, having a strategy or a plan in place that ensures a smooth changeover or transition from doing things the old way to doing things the new way.

There are multiple ways that a changeover could work, in practice, but a key component of a good changeover strategy is communication. Everyone involved – and that includes all the administrators, supervisors, and those on the front lines – need to know what to expect and when to expect it. Otherwise, things could get messy.

There are four main changeover strategies that you have to select from. Which one you pick depends on what your needs are, since they all have some pros and cons. They are:

1. Plunge

2. Parallel

3. Phased

4. Pilot

There are multiple different ways you can think about your launch plan, and there really is no one correct answer. Each option offers various positives and negatives. However, there are a few common best practices. You need to have a strategy that includes solid timelines and a communication plan. If you check those boxes, then you’ll be prepared to deal with whatever issues arise.

But wait, didn't you tell us ages ago to do our project in phases? Why tell us about these other three options?

Yes. Much, much earlier in the course we talked about project stages (see Term 1: Week 2). We actually assume that your default scenario is to have multiple stages of implementation. Technically speaking, we're referring to something slightly different here, so for clarity of communication, your project has Stages and your changeover could possibly have Phases.

You could, for example, say that, in terms of project planning, you are launching all of your shelters in January. They're part of Stage 1 of your implementation plan. But right now, we're in the nitty gritty. You could do changeover phases within your project stages, and say that you are launching all of your shelters in January, but it's going to be one shelter per week for four weeks. Or you could do a parallel changeover for your case management stage. Or do a pilot changeover for your diversion stage. So just because you may have multiple stages to your HIFIS 4 project, that doesn't necessarily mean that you are committed to doing a phased changeover.