Change management process support for an engineering business.
To support an engineering business with their change management process, Coron Projects carried out a one-day project health check with the leadership team. The goal was to provide clarity on scope, risk and delivery before the business moved forward with several major change initiatives which were affecting their project management capacity.
Project management team balancing major change initiatives
Like many growing engineering businesses, the company had several major change initiatives running at the same time, including projects for the expansion of its facility, improvements to its asset management, and the implementation of a new Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software system. MRP software helps manufacturers plan production, manage materials and inventory, and coordinate purchasing and scheduling across the shop floor. When implemented well, it can transform operational efficiency — but introducing such a system can be complex and disruptive if the change management process is not properly scoped.
The business recognised that, while they had strong technical expertise, they had more projects underway than their internal project management capacity could comfortably support, and the scope of the MRP implementation was unclear. When Coron Projects first visited the site for a tour of the facility, the leadership team recognised the value of bringing in an independent perspective.
The brief was to give a clear, credible view on readiness, risk, and how delivery could be shaped realistically. As one senior leader explains, “Gerwyn gave us examples of projects he and Owain had worked on, demonstrating their combined knowledge. For us, it was a case of we’re going to sink or swim, and we decided to get Coron in, to help us swim.”
Independent project health check with Coron
Coron worked with the business’s project leaders to conduct a focused one-day project health check — part of Coron’s Trail Insight approach to helping SMEs step back and assess this complex project before committing significant time or investment. The purpose was to step back from the day-to-day pressures and take a structured look at the projects underway, particularly the planned implementation of the new MRP system.
Through a facilitated discussion with leadership and operational teams, the session examined the project’s objectives, scope, assumptions, risks, and priorities. As Coron was independent of the software supplier, the discussion could focus on the broader business needs and change management process rather than be driven purely by technology. During the Trail Insight project health check, the teams worked together to test assumptions, challenge gaps in the scope and clarify what would realistically be required to deliver the project successfully.
In just one day, the process created space for clear thinking about the complexity and timescales involved, while also connecting the MRP implementation to other initiatives such as facility expansion and improved asset management. Senior management reflects, “The health check put us in a much stronger position to go to the next step – even when Coron didn’t have the specific knowledge which they’d need to catch up if we did hire them, they asked brilliant questions to help us scope out what else we needed. It opened our eyes and helped us ask more thorough questions before we moved forward.”
Added clarity for the change management process
One of the most valuable outcomes was the clarity it provided before the business took the major decisions about their next steps. The session helped the business define their project scope that could have otherwise led to delays, operational disruption or unnecessary cost. Instead, the team left with a deeper understanding of what implementing the new system would entail, how long it might take, and the level of project management support required. This enabled them to re-engage their software supplier with a stronger project scope and more clearly defined expectations. As management explains, “The concept of bringing in a third party was new for us, and although the health check cost us a sum for the day, it probably saved us ten times that amount. A health check like that is worth doing at the start of any project because we gained the realisation of how long the project was going to take and what was really involved in implementing such a system.”
The process also created valuable learning within the management team. Bringing experienced external project specialists into the conversation helped sharpen their thinking and highlight areas where additional project management capability would strengthen the organisation going forward. “Having two experts like Gerwyn and Owain at the opposite end of the table brought focus to the discussions and helped us clarify our opinions. It highlighted a gap in our project management skill set and how we can address it. It was great for one of our new recruits to observe and get involved in the health check process. Coron gave us the visibility of what we could achieve by engaging the manufacturer of the software again.”
The project health check provided immediate value, enabling us to move forward with greater confidence and clear priorities. The business ultimately chose to continue the implementation with a supplier closer to the technical software solution. Still, the work with Coron ensured that the decision was made with a far clearer understanding of their delivery expectations. In their feedback, management concludes, “I would recommend this to companies out there like us who have many projects on the go, who need a bit of refocusing or prioritisation to help them manage their projects and capacity.”
Reflecting on the engagement, Gerwyn Tumelty, CEO and founder of Coron Projects, said:
“For us, this was a good outcome. It would have been easy to put together a proposal for several thousand pounds to run a project that the business was perfectly capable of delivering themselves. Instead, the health check helped them reach a clear decision point quickly and with confidence. Our role is to help businesses see their projects clearly and make the right call for them. Sometimes that means working with us long term, and sometimes it means giving a client the insight they need to move forward independently. In this case, it was the latter, and that’s still a success in our book.”
Project Health Check Results
After the session, the business gained:
- a clearer scope for the MRP implementation
- improved understanding of project timelines
- clarity on project management capacity needs
- stronger communication with the software supplier
- Insight into how to improve their change processes
For organisations managing multiple engineering or operational change projects at once, taking a brief step back with a structured project health check to assess scope, risk and capacity can significantly improve the success of the work that follows. To find out more about Trail Insight, contact us or book a Compass Check call.