Navigating the Human Element: Change Management in Digital Transformation

Digital transformation through ERP modernisation is no longer a purely technological endeavour; it is a comprehensive reconfiguration of people, processes, and systems. While the shift from legacy ERP systems to modern platforms promises automation, scalability, and data visibility, the ultimate success of such transitions hinges on how effectively individuals within the organisation adapt and embrace change. This paper explores the central role of change management within the human capital vertical during ERP transformations, emphasising the need to prepare, equip, and support users through structured behavioural change. Adopting the ADKAR model as the core framework, the paper analyses how awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement are sequentially built among users to ensure adoption. It further highlights the utility of persona-based “Day in the Life” analysis to map current and future user experiences, identify resistance points, and design targeted interventions. To operationalise change readiness, the paper aligns persona insights with role-specific training strategies structured under the ADDIE model, encompassing instructional design principles across analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. Through this integrated approach—grounded in theoretical models and real-world ERP transformation experience—the paper positions human capital not as a passive recipient of change but as a strategic enabler of sustainable digital evolution.