Assuring Business Continuity and Capability Through Change
Problem
A multi-brand recruitment services organisation faced a major business “system and process” change, affecting over 200 staff and 25,000 professional contractors who relied on key systems for time, billing, and logistics. Although the technical work was planned and resourced, the organisation had limited experience managing change of this scale. Leaders recognised the need to protect business continuity and build skills that could be used in future projects.
Key challenges included:
- Low readiness for change and inconsistent behaviours across teams
- Unclear ownership of processes and roles to support staff
- A short-term, sales-driven culture that lacked consistent leadership practices
- Project managers pulled between business-as-usual tasks and transformation work
- Limited internal know-how in process design, training, and risk management
- Risk and governance systems were not yet in place
- Mid-level leaders needed support to guide their teams through the transition
Solution
Stoke Consulting worked closely with the client to build a practical change framework with three key focus areas:
Leadership Support
- Helped senior leaders clarify roles and shift behaviours
- Introduced a simple leadership capability model to guide expectations
- Strengthened the link between executive and frontline decision-makers
Governance and Risk
- Set up clear governance routines and business continuity plans
- Introduced a simple process to track and manage risks
- Held regular check-ins to manage issues quickly and avoid delays
Competencies and Communication
- Created a training plan and developed experienced super-users
- Ran surveys to check team readiness
- Maintained connection to all stakeholders through timely updates
Outcomes
- Successful system go-live with minimal disruption to the business
- Over a dozen operational leaders trained to support their teams through change
- Shift from reactive behaviours to clear leadership expectations and consistent ways of working
- Documented processes and training materials now owned by the business
- Improved internal capability to manage future changes independently
ROI (Return on Investment)
The engagement delivered strong returns by keeping the business running smoothly through a complex change. Value came from:
- Avoiding program delays, rework and revenue disruptions during system rollout
- Boosting data quality and team readiness
- Reducing reliance on external system support
- Building leadership confidence and reducing catch-up training costs
While specific figures are not disclosed, the cost of the consulting work was modest relative to the value of the transformation. Avoiding even small delays or errors saved time, preserved sales, and protected business continuity – making this a high-value investment.
This project showed that strong leadership and simple, well-structured processes can make all the difference in a complex change. If your organisation is planning a major system or process change and wants to keep things running smoothly reach out to Stoke Consulting.