Frequently Asked Questions   
      

1 Our complete organization consists of change activities. Why should I develop a separate organization for this work? Doesn't that double the effort?
 
This reaction is understandable. But it doesn't double the effort.

Ideally, your change activities are part of your line organization. And if you have organized these activities just as you have organized your standard organization, it is the vision of EMS that these organizations will fuse. To enable this ASAP, with you we will create a system to isolate these and manage separately in order to bring this part of your organization to the acceptable (as in efficiency and effectiveness) level.

At this moment many of your change activities run at the same pace as your line organization. Their results and high costs are most likely not satisfactory, despite the dedication of good project managers and approval of the line management to provide the participants. Just as with any other management issues, the answer here is: focus.

One of the biggest challenges is that the activities are scattered through the total organization, as if with a matrix. With EMS a virtual structure is provided and activities are going to be organized - just for the sake of more efficiency and effectiveness - separately. The line organization will benefit completely and this way the provided knowledge from the line organization will also be used optimally.

Do not assume, though, that EMS does not make use of the standard processes, on the contrary: where possible EMS will take full advantage of the already available knowledge and suitable methods. With EMS you just streamline the change processes and will implement change more effectively and, what's more, a whole lot more efficient.
 
2 Having a good project manager will get the job done for us, right?
 
That will get you going, all right, but it is hard to estimate how efficient and effective he or she will be for that specific project and specific time frame. With only a few projects on hand, perhaps it is enough. But as both the quantity as the importance of the projects and other change activities increase, this will not be scalable.
With EMS you introduce a system that makes every project manager perform. With attention to hard values in the organization, such as administrative processes, methods and techniques, but also to soft values, such as the transformation of strategy to programmes and projects and ability to self-learn.
 
3 The EMS model introduces structures and control systems, whereas today's organization/employees do not want more checking, but responsibility. Isn't the introduction of EMS opposite to this philosophy?
 
Responsibility belongs to both employees as management. Responsibility comes together with commitment and accountability. This is a chain that goes through the whole organization, "top down" and "bottom up". With EMS you enable people to quickly and clearly use and show commitment and accountability. To this HRM aspect EMS spends a lot of attention, should this yet be insufficiently available.
 
4 Isn't the EMS model too clinical, too scientific? A successful organization stands or falls with its coworkers. Motivation, personal development, participation are hard to comprehend in one single "model".
 
This is what EMS calls the soft values in an organization. Indeed, most models do not give this much attention. Though, the soft qualitative values are at least as important as the hard values. With sufficient attention for both synergy will be created. With motivation and personal development alone - although essential - you will not get the majority of your organization work more alert and cost conscious.
 
5  Doesn't it take us 2 years to gain profit from EMS?
 
Normally, the pay pack time is about 3 to 6 months and depends on the quantity of change activities and the current maturity levels. The latter will be determined beforehand and with that also the moment that you will gain your first profits from EMS.

Notably, EMS will - together with you - first do a relative short survey. If not enough enhancement possibilities surface, than that's fine and our cooperation stops for that moment. As a health check, it may be useful to keep doing this survey periodically.

Potentially, just a few parts from the EMS model seem to generate the required enhancements. In that case only these parts can be introduced and implemented.
 
6  Input=output. You can dictate a system, but if there is no discipline for correct entry of the required management information, EMS On-Line will also not work.
 
EMS is not just meant to generate management information. It is a method that enhances the adherence and increases the striking power of the people in the organization to make changes happen. The methods and techniques EMS uses are selected in mutual agreement with your organization and tested on value added. This will make the system to be naturally accepted and be used. If EMS will not deliver a useful enhancement, nothing will be implemented.
 
7  We already spend a large amount of money on intranet, performance management, change management, project management tools, trainings, and consultancy. Why then spend another x amount for the EMS model?
 
If, from the survey we will do with you before we start, no interesting enhancements come to the surface, then the EMS model will be of no interest for your organization. Quite possibly though, that many badly managed change activities exist in your mature line organization, or coherence/synergy is missing or sub optimization occurs, that the investigation will come with such useful advice and will justify the implementation of the EMS model, or parts of it, anyway. And perhaps the current investments are too much, too early or misdirected. We will clarify that as well.
 
8 We had to let go all externals. 10% of our own staff had to say goodbye. Everybody is stretched already. No one can have this roll out added this to his or her responsibilities. And, what's more, EMS is another project, and with that our experiences with projects have not been that well. Therefore, no desire and no time for EMS.
 
Chicken and egg, what was first? With a mature change organization the success rate of a project rises from 48% to 98% (Source: InfoWorld). If the benefit of EMS has been demonstrated in your organization through a survey that we will conduct together, but still no one has time for nor desire in EMS, then we will do it for you. It is then our job to have the desire arise and the time become available. Should no progress or limited progress exist, we will suggest potential enhancements and will, if necessary, even postpone the further introduction of EMS.
 
9 I cannot quite understand it. Why a separate organization within my organization. This leans to sub optimization and seems such a waist of all the beautiful systems we already have in place for the "normal" organization.
 
See also the answer to question #1. It does not have to be a separate organization with its own people, etc. EMS makes full use of all the existing beauty and knowledge. EMS canalizes this with regard to changing tasks, that's all. But it does have the end result of insight and calming down, while the organization as a whole will become more goal oriented.
 
10 EMS is a project. After the implementation you're gone and for sure this project ends in nothing.
 
If your projects end that way, then most likely time has come for an approach with the EMS model. Please invite us, do the survey with EMS for significant improvements, and convince yourself if our approach works.
 
11 EMS ON-Line is an open system. But isn't the linking to and from the external systems a devil of a job? And even if this is finished, how about support of all that customized work.
 
A devil of a job is a job that has no sense. We only execute enhancements and implementations of parts of the EMS model and of EMS On-Line if it makes sense and weigh up to the costs involved. Nevertheless, EMS On-Line has an open structure and is that easy to configure, that any (semi-) automated link to other environments is quickly worth the effort.
 
12 EMS is still young. Suppose that I fancy EMS: this is at its best if introduced throughout the organization. Isn't that risky?
 
EMS conducts the implementation and has a side role afterwards. Your own organization will be the owner of the EMS system. EMS provides you with the required knowledge. Should EMS disappear, no danger exists for the continuity of your own change organization. Be advised that EMS has a 2 year history and has experienced senior business engineers in its own management. Also EMS On-Line is based on open source software and is hosted external in secured data-centers.
 
13 I am forced to use the big management consultancy firms of this world because of agreements on fees and costs reduction. They can give us advice in this area, can't they? Why then have the internal battle to involve a party as EMS as our so called trusted advisor in this matter.
 
If they can provide you with the same service and level of expertise, you're right. What we see, though, is that the larger firms provide excellent advice for general organization development, but lack the expertise and focus in this specific, but important, area, or do not have the expertise locally available. None of the big consultancy firms has developed a specific vision and/or work with an alike model as the EMS model. Therefore, with EMS you will probably be quicker and more effective and you will use relatively less hours of consultancy from EMS. EMS provides you with every required expertise to create a change organization and - if needed - also to staff. So, from boardroom business consultant to the project- and programme manager, resource manager, business process redesign engineer, Balanced ScoreCard specialist and IT interim manager.
Should your organization have no alternative, but you do see the added value of working with EMS, than we assume that your consultancy partner will agree to your request to subcontract EMS.
 
14 My boardroom advisor & consultant never even mentioned this topic. Looking at the potential savings you claim, that surprises me. Or do you exaggerate?
 
Once more, this is a matter of focus. The general consultancy firms have an enormous span of attention. EMS is specialized. Hence, no other party has composed a model with which the savings mentioned can be realized. And, 40% savings is even conservative.
 
15 15. If EMS indeed addresses a hole in the market, than EMS could grow exponentially. How do you anticipate controlling your growth, because quality is crucial and you cannot allow yourself to loose your position, otherwise EMS will experience a soon exit.
 
We cooperate with the customer and use as many resources from the client as possible. By working with a ready-to-go model, the wheel does not need to be invented every time again and an EMS project will progress relatively fast. If desired, we have a large number of consultants available from the various competence areas. A critical resource is the Senior Business Consultant of EMS. We will make sure that at least a sufficient number of these will be available at all times. This function requires certification.
 
16 EMS On-Line is not on par with some of the specialized software packages for the various components. How does EMS handle that and is EMS On-Line not the weakest link?
 
Software is never completed, some say. If a more suitable package than EMS On-Line is available in the market for a specific part, then most likely we will even advice you to use it. EMS On-Line is of minor importance for us. We are about delivering a change organization that works. Period.

Nevertheless, at this moment no other package is available in the market today with all the capabilities of EMS On-Line. EMS On-Line has a development history of several years. Future EMS On-Line features will be determined in close consideration with the users of EMS On-Line.

EMS On-Line is hosted under SLA in a secured data-center and protected against failure.
 
17 Isn't EMS such a typical start-up that is up for sale after a few years, the driving forces disappear and with that continuity goes?
 
The (capital) market is different and we are not a typical dotcom company. We are building on a firm organization of specialized consultants and engineers. After a certain growth of EMS the added value of de founders has limited and the knowledge will at least have been duplicated. All developed methods, techniques, software and source codes are and will be owned by EMS. Moreover, every implementation includes education of your own staff. That also has effect on the continuity.
 
18 EMS is very specific, even unique. How do research companies such as Gartner, Meta and Forrester regard you?
 
These mostly follow the trend. At this moment they only report about sections of EMS, simply because the market has been concentrated on, so far. The holistic approach of EMS will potentially initiate a new market and attract new players. As soon as enough players are active in this area, market research companies will most likely report themselves. Both to the vendors as to the customers. In any case, EMS informs them already.
 
19 Who are your competitors?
 
Your own employees, after a while. If we do our job right, then we become redundant and we leave for the next.

Besides, there are many players active in the area of both consultancy as supporting software. Of the consultancy firms can be said that they do not have the focus like EMS has and do not dispose of the vision and the model of EMS. Software companies frequently develop (beautiful) partial solutions of EMS On-Line, but miss the ability to execute for both providing vendor independent advice for the other components, as conducting implementations.
 
20 Are you looking for partners?
 
In particular abroad we will work with certified partners that will join the EMS network. EMS offers several trainings for certification.

In the Netherlands we are currently looking for commercial partners who can introduce us with their clients at the right level at the right moment. These partners need to have strong intimacy levels within the senior management of our target customers.
 
21 Are you international?
 
Our target customers are organizations with al high change rate. Typically, these are the larger organizations, often with activities in foreign countries. These are supported by EMS through a network of certified partners, consultants and integrators. These parties also bring EMS and EMS On-Line to their local markets.
 
22 22. Savings of 20 to 40% is nice, but I assume that implementation of EMS will involve the necessary costs. When is this investment returned?
 
The costs for implementing EMS are a fraction of the total costs made for change processes. We anticipate a pay back period of normally 3 to 6 months. But if you are going to measure the striking power of the organization and take into account the effect the EMS model will have on the results of the organization (market share, labor productivity), then you could very well become amazed of the true outturn of the EMS model.
 

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