A leading real estate company was in the middle of a multi-year, £50m digital transformation programme when the Board started asking some big questions.
Hours delivered back to the business
SOX compliance in Settlement process automation
Success rate of bot case completion
For functional release of OBT, RTS and OGS
The Problem
A leading real estate company asked Delafeld Partners for support with the implementation of their new customer website. They knew digital transformation would help make their business more efficient and improve the experience for their customers. The client team knew that they would only see return on investment if their team and clients used the website effectively. Failing to adopt the website properly would frustrate customers, delay responses and diminish the professional perception that the estate agency wanted to portray for their clients.
Knowing that they lacked the necessary frameworks to drive internal buy-in and manage change effectively, the client collaborated with Delafeld Partners to rollout the website effectively, ensuring the project was a success.
The Solution
Using our bespoke change management toolkit, we upskilled the client team, equipping them with the expertise to manage this project and future change initiatives effectively. Our structured approach involved the following steps:
- Stakeholder Mapping: We created a comprehensive stakeholder map to identify key internal and external audiences. This allowed for targeted messaging and engagement strategies tailored to the needs and priorities of each group, ensuring buy-in at all levels. Proper stakeholder engagement minimises resistance, enhances website adoption, and ensures a smoother transition for both the organisation and its customers.
- Change Assessment: A detailed change assessment was conducted to understand the specific impacts on different stakeholder groups. This analysis enabled us to develop informed engagement plans and design specific training programmes that addressed unique concerns and requirements. By addressing these targeted needs, the organisation mitigated risks of low website usage and improved overall user experience.
- Resource Evaluation: We identified the resources required to support effective change management activities. This ensured that the estate agent had the necessary tools, personnel, and time allocated to drive the initiative successfully. Adequate resource planning prevented project delays and allowed for a smooth implementation process, reducing potential operational setbacks.
- Capacity Building: The Delafeld Partners team worked alongside estate agency employees, providing hands-on training and knowledge transfer sessions. This empowered their team with practical skills and tools to implement robust change management processes across future projects. This approach ensured the sustainability of the change and supported long-term organisational resilience.
The Transformation
The client was delighted with the implementation of their new customer website.
- Internal Adoption: Over a three-month period, hundreds of employees embraced the new website, driven by effective communication and targeted training programmes. This improved operational efficiency and strengthened internal workflows.
- Customer Engagement: The smooth internal adoption translated to seamless customer onboarding. Customers experienced faster response times, improved transparency, and greater satisfaction, enhancing the organisation’s reputation.
- Sustainable Change Capability: The client team gained the confidence and capability to manage change independently and have fully embedded change management best practice into their future projects, which means they can increase the capability within their existing team and save money on external support for future projects.
- Programme structure and governance improvements
- How well the programme aligned with the company’s strategic goals
- The cultural factors influencing the pace of change (and whether this was a deliberate choice)
- Business readiness, change management, and technical quality assurance
- Software licensing, supplier costs, and budget assumptions
- Key risks and mitigation strategies to safeguard the transformation’s success
Like many businesses, the investment in a new tool is just the first part. The true return is only realised once you’ve implemented the necessary changes to the behaviours.
By working with Delafeld Partners, the estate agency client had a systemised change management programme in place to make sure they got the results they desired from the website they invested in.
