Thriving in a Diverse Environment Through Technology Change Management 
Barbara Dreon
Technology Change Management Lead
 Northrop Grumman Corporation

Introduction:

It can be a challenge to envision how to apply Technology Change Management (TCM) in an organization that serves many unrelated customers with a myriad of systems and technologies. Northrop Grumman has adapted its approach to TCM to accommodate this diversity. The presentation highlights the market for and benefits of TCM, touches on a paradigm for success, and couples an industry model used for technology change with mechanisms used by Northrop Grumman to strengthen its technology monitoring capabilities and its ability to more efficiently deploy a technology across multiple projects. Supporting data for the ideas are drawn from industry and from within the company. These ideas can be adapted for use in other organizations. The presentation is accompanied by a detailed white paper.

Outline:

  • Brief background: concepts and context for understanding technology change management (TCM) approach
  • Examples from industry and within Northrop Grumman showing the usefulness and benefit of technology change management
  • Common challenges to deploying TCM in a diverse environment
  • Overview of the TCM process in use at Northrop Grumman
    • Technology Identification and Monitoring
    • Technology Evaluation and Selection
    • Technology Planning
    • Technology Development and Insertion (including technology replication)
  • The importance of people in the success of technology transfer
  • Enablers to transfer technology to disparate recipients (organized in terms of a model for learning or technology adoption known as the Patterson-Connor model)

Learning Objectives:

  • Be able to define technology change management (TCM) and related terms
  • Understand why TCM is important and beneficial
  • Be aware of an instantiation of a TCM process that is used successfully in a diverse environment
  • See the Patterson-Conner Model applied to change adoption and combine it with ideas to increase success in transitioning technology changes to multiple parts of an organization
  • Recognize some opportunities and issues for technology insertion and technology transition
  • Based on industry data and company experience presented, be ready to select some ideas to apply in another organization

Biography:

Ms. Dreon is a Technology Change Management Lead in Northrop Grumman Corporation. She has over 10 years of experience in process improvement for software and systems engineering and works for a company that has achieved over 18 CMMI Level 5 ratings. She has an M.S. in Operations Research and enjoys helping projects and groups apply process discipline to creatively suit their goals. She is also an instructor and has provided past presentations at industry forums on such topics as technology change management, process improvement, process asset libraries, and measurement.