Naivas and Cedar Africa Group Achieve 90% Adoption for ERP Transformation

Naivas faced a formidable challenge with Project KOZI, their enterprise-wide ERP implementation. The new system would fundamentally transform operations across finance, supply chain, and point-of-sale systems. An effective ERP system is fundamental to successful retail operations. An ERP system that doesn't work for employees can put them out of business.

To ensure adoption, the organization needed to support employees through three critical yet common aspects of ERP system changes:
- Fears of job losses due to digitization
- Discomfort abandoning familiar manual processes
- Skill gaps and anxiety about using new technology

With a diverse workforce spread across multiple locations, ensuring the consistent support needed to enable adoption of new processes also presented a significant organizational challenge.

The retail industry's operational demands meant there was no room for failure. Leadership understood that this transformation required a fundamentally different approach—one that would engage all 12,000 employees in the change journey rather than simply imposing new systems upon them.

Naivas partnered with Cedar Africa Group to develop and execute a comprehensive change management strategy built on the ADKAR® Model. Rather than viewing change management as a supplemental activity, the organization embedded it into the project's DNA, creating a dedicated change team of 10 members supported by a change network of 67 champions across the business.

Key Solution Components:
- Apply ADKAR as part of a structured approach to guide people through adoption
- Deliver Prosci® certification training for 10 key leaders and stakeholders
- Build a change agent network of 67 people deployed across all locations
- Implement multi-channel communications globally and departmentally
- Use Prosci Change Triangle (PCT) assessments tracking leadership, project management, and change management dimensions
- Consult with Cedar Africa Group change advisors for strategic support throughout implementation

Cedar Africa Group's engagement began with training key leaders and stakeholders, but the support extended well beyond formal instruction. The training was specifically tailored to Naivas' transformation journey, ensuring practical application rather than theoretical concepts.

The methodology and strategy proved immediately actionable in their ERP transformation. The change team knew precisely when they had moved the people from one ADKAR element to the next, and they had a clear strategy and direction for every element.

The change management approach followed a structured progression through ADKAR's five elements. The Awareness element included multiple global and departmental town halls, coupled with comprehensive surveys to understand employee concerns and readiness. Leadership engagement was prioritized, with each department head receiving personalized briefings on how the transformation would impact their specific teams and processes.

Cedar Africa Group also facilitated ongoing support through regular engagement, which provided strategic guidance for implementation decisions. Cedar Africa Group also connected the Naivas team with the broader Prosci community, including site visits from senior Prosci leaders and invitations to regional change management sessions with other organizations undergoing transformations.

The team utilized the Prosci Change Triangle (PCT) to monitor project health across leadership, project management, and change management dimensions, making adjustments as needed to maintain momentum.

The structured change management approach has delivered measurable success across multiple dimensions to date. Most significantly, Naivas achieved a 90% approval rating for project understanding and acceptance (i.e. adoption) among its 12,000-plus workforce. This is a remarkable achievement for such a large-scale transformation.

Moving from risk to readiness: The project health indicators reflected this success. Initial PCT assessments showed all red indicators across leadership, project management, and change management dimensions. This meant the ERP project was at risk of failing. However, the most recent assessment conducted showed all green indicators—demonstrating readiness across all critical success factors as the project approaches its critical go-live date.

Notable employee engagement and support: Perhaps most telling was the shift in employee sentiment. Early surveys revealed significant anxiety and resistance. Later surveys showed that the primary question had changed from "What is Project KOZI?" to "When are we going live?" This indicated genuine enthusiasm for the new system. The change management workstream has consistently maintained "green" or positive status throughout the project timeline.

Embedded change capabilities: Beyond adoption metrics, the transformation is establishing lasting organizational capabilities. Ten employees earned Prosci certification, and the change network of 67 champions now represents an embedded capability for future transformations. Leaders were participating at unprecedented levels, with department heads actively engaging in town halls and Awareness sessions.

Building a competitive advantage through change: This success has positioned Naivas to pursue its next strategic objective: equipping every leader in the organization to serve as a change manager, recognizing that ongoing transformation is now fundamental to the business' competitive advantage.