Change Management Examples from Global Corporations

𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗱𝗹 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳 €𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Seven years. 1,000 employees. Hundreds of consultants. Zero ROI. The German retail giant had to scrap their entire eLWIS project and revert to legacy systems. What went catastrophically wrong? ➤ Refused to adapt processes to SAP standards (insisted on purchase price vs retail price inventory valuation) ➤ Massive over-customization that broke system integrity ➤ Executive turnover killed project continuity (CEO + Head of IT both left mid-project) ➤ Inadequate change management despite massive investment The kicker? SAP awarded Lidl a "best customer" prize in April 2017... then Lidl killed the project 15 months later. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝟱𝟱-𝟳𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗥𝗣 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁? 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: ✅ Set hard budget escalation limits (50%, 100%, 150% triggers) ✅ Limit customization to TRUE competitive differentiators ✅ Ensure leadership stability during multi-year projects ✅ Change management isn't optional - it's survival ERP success isn't about buying the best software. It's about executing the best transformation strategy. #ERP #DigitalTransformation #CFO #ProjectManagement #SAP Key lessons for finance leaders:  Set hard budget escalation limits (50%, 100%, 150% triggers)  Limit customization to TRUE competitive differentiators  Ensure leadership stability during multi-year projects  Change management isn't optional - it's survival ERP success isn't about buying the best software. It's about executing the best transformation strategy. What's the most expensive implementation mistake you've witnessed? #ERP #DigitalTransformation #CFO #ProjectManagement #SAP

With Boeing's situation compounding by them just pleading guilty to felony fraud, their situation requires a new leader with a unique blend of skills. When we're in the middle of a crisis, it’s hard to see how things will be resolved, and it’s easy to feel like there’s no way out. However, the right leadership makes a world of difference and can make or break a company. Some comment section action with Jeff Layton on one of my recent posts sent me down quite the rabbit hole. I researched a few cases of large corporations doing a full comeback and successfully emerging from crises, and here are a few I thought were worthy of mention. What are your favorite company turnaround stories? General Motors (GM): GM went bankrupt in 2009, facing massive debts and the collapse of several brands. With a $50 billion investment from the U.S. Treasury and a strategic restructuring plan, GM emerged from bankruptcy in 2010. Under the leadership of CEO Mary Barra, GM focused on innovation, efficiency, and a renewed commitment to quality, which brought the company back to profitability. Apple: In the late 1990s, Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. The return of Steve Jobs led to a series of innovative product launches and a complete revamp of the company’s product line, starting with the iMac. Jobs’ focus on design, user experience, and a streamlined product lineup brought Apple back to profitability, ultimately making it one of the most valuable companies in the world. Delta Air Lines: Delta faced significant financial struggles and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005. Through aggressive restructuring, job cuts, and operational overhauls, Delta emerged from bankruptcy in 2007 stronger than ever. Under CEO Richard Anderson’s leadership, Delta executed strategic mergers and improved customer experience, making it one of the leading airlines globally. Toyota: In 2009, Toyota faced a significant crisis with massive recalls due to safety issues. Akio Toyoda, the CEO, shifted the company’s focus to quality and safety, implementing stringent measures to ensure product reliability. This renewed commitment helped restore consumer confidence and brought Toyota back to its position as a leading automaker. BP: Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, BP faced one of the largest environmental disasters in history. CEO Bob Dudley took over and focused on safety and risk management, restructuring the company’s operations to prevent future incidents. Dudley's leadership was crucial in navigating the crisis and restoring BP's reputation and operational stability. These examples show that while the path ahead for Boeing is undoubtedly challenging, it is not insurmountable. Successful turnarounds require strong leadership, clear vision, and a willingness to innovate and adapt.

“𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚!” 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬? 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. But you can 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 for others to change their mindset. When Toyota joined forces with GM in the 1980s, they set out to take GM’s worst-performing plant and transform its culture. The approach: ❌ They didn’t mandate. ❌ They didn’t force. ❌ They didn't lecture. Instead, they immersed leaders in a new way of working — learning-by-doing, side-by-side with their Toyota counterparts in Japan — to experience what the possibilities of that change could be. One year later, the NUMMI plant was GM's best performing: ✔️ Absenteeism dropped from 20% to 2% ✔️ Quality increased to Toyota’s standards ✔️ Productivity soared and the time it took assembling a car was cut in half In this episode of Chain of Learning, Toyota leader Isao Yoshino — the leader behind the design and delivery of NUMMI’s leader training program in Japan — shares how he and his team (including John Shook) approached training 100s of American and helping them become a "new me". They created the space for leaders to shift their own mindsets — no pushing, no forcing — just powerful opportunities to learn and grow. Because forcing change rarely works. You might get compliance, but not lasting impact. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄, 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀. 🎧 Tune in or watch to discover the inside story behind one of the most famous business transformations in history — and how you can leverage these successful principles to lead the changes you envision for your company too. 🎙️ChainOfLearning.com/50 #ChainOfLearning #IsaoYoshino #LeadingToLearn #Lean #ChangeManagement Lean Enterprise Institute #NUMMI Mike Rother