AstraZeneca: Change Management Techniques

This video details AstraZeneca's successful strategy for managing organizational change and ensuring end-user adoption during the enterprise-wide deployment of Veeva Clinical Vault, specifically focusing on the Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) module. The implementation was part of a broader, multifaceted digital transformation program, recognizing that the technology deployment itself was secondary to the critical challenge of stakeholder engagement and embedding new ways of working across a globally diverse organization. AstraZeneca engaged an implementation partner to structure and support these change management activities, emphasizing that successful adoption requires a sustained, community-driven approach rather than a one-off training event.

AstraZeneca employed a structured approach by classifying stakeholders into three distinct groups to tailor engagement and communication. The first group comprised the Digital Health Leadership Team and Program Leadership, ensuring alignment on the vision and sustained investment from the top down—a critical factor for embedding lasting change. The second group, central to the change management effort, consisted of "Program Champions" and "Change Agents." This group was further segmented into Regional Implementation Managers, who acted as the "eyes and ears on the ground" within the dispersed site monitoring community, gathering feedback and concerns for relay back to the central team. The second part of this champion group included end-users who were engaged early in the configuration process, providing input on desired system features and testing configurations in an agile manner to ensure the system met real-world needs.

The third and most extensive group of champions were the Change Agents, with one or more representatives in each country and functional area. These agents were engaged well before training began, fostering a community spirit that enabled peer-to-peer support and knowledge sharing, which continues even six months post-launch. These agents served as on-the-ground Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), supporting training and guiding colleagues. The final stakeholder group included the daily system users and supporting functions (e.g., integration teams), who were engaged early to minimize resistance by making them aware of the integration requirements and surrounding process changes. A key methodological insight shared was the use of a "mock trial" before the full launch, where groups were asked to perform real-world tasks (like setting up a study) to test the efficacy of the training materials and change communications, ensuring they truly "landed" with the end-users.

Key Takeaways: • Top-Down Leadership Buy-in is Essential: Change management must be led from the top down; securing buy-in from the Digital Health and Program Leadership teams ensures the necessary investment, vision alignment, and authority needed to embed significant enterprise-wide change. • Stakeholder Classification Drives Targeted Engagement: AstraZeneca successfully classified stakeholders into three groups (Leadership, Champions/Agents, and Daily Users/Supporting Functions) to customize communication strategies and ensure that specific needs and concerns were addressed at the appropriate level. • Regional Implementation Managers Act as Ground Intelligence: For globally dispersed communities like site monitoring, establishing Regional Implementation Managers is crucial. They serve as vital conduits for gathering localized concerns and feedback, translating regional resistance into actionable insights for the central deployment team. • Engage End-Users in Agile Configuration: Involve future system users directly in the system configuration and testing process. This agile approach ensures the system design meets practical operational needs and fosters early ownership and familiarity among the users. • Foster a Community of Change Agents: Developing a robust network of Change Agents (SMEs) in each country and function is critical. By engaging them early, fostering a community spirit, and leveraging them for peer-to-peer training and support, organizations can sustain adoption long after the official launch. • Change Management is an Ongoing Process: The engagement with regional implementation managers and change agents should not cease at launch. AstraZeneca maintained these feedback loops six months post-launch, recognizing that resistance and required adjustments are continuous, not finite. • Utilize Mock Trials to Validate Training Effectiveness: Before full deployment, conduct mock trials where users attempt to complete core tasks (e.g., "set up a study") using the new system and training materials. This diagnostic step reveals gaps in training or communication before they impact live operations. • Early Engagement for Supporting Functions: Ensure early involvement of supporting functions, particularly those responsible for system integrations. Providing them with ample information upfront minimizes their resistance to change and ensures smooth technical transitions between the CTMS and surrounding systems. • Address Resistance Proactively: While resistance is inevitable in any major transformation, proactive communication, early engagement, and providing comprehensive information are the best strategies to minimize the extent of that resistance.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva Clinical Vault (specifically the CTMS module)

Key Concepts:

• Change Management: The structured approach and set of techniques used to ensure that changes are implemented smoothly and successfully, and that the benefits of the change are achieved.
• CTMS (Clinical Trial Management System): A specialized software system used in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries to manage and track the planning, performance, and reporting of clinical trials.
• Program Champions/Change Agents: Designated individuals within the user community who are engaged early, trained extensively, and leveraged to promote the new system, train peers, and provide on-the-ground support and feedback.
• Agile Implementation: A project management methodology where solutions evolve through collaborative effort, iterative development, and continuous feedback, allowing configurations to be tested and refined quickly by end-users.