Change is hard. Let’s face it—nobody loves the idea of swapping out the familiar for something new, especially when it comes to IT systems, workplace tools, or company processes. But here’s the thing: staying still isn’t an option in today’s world. Whether you’re upgrading software, adopting shiny new technology, or shaking up how your teams work, managing change effectively can make or break your success.
That’s where Change Management steps in, like a trusty sidekick, ensuring your changes don’t spiral into chaos. But don’t just take our word for it. The numbers speak for themselves. In this post, we’ll explore some of the most eye-opening Change Management statistics that reveal just how much this practice matters. Spoiler alert: without it, things can get messy—fast.
Ready to dive in? Keep reading for the data-driven proof you need to understand why Change Management is the secret sauce for handling everything from IT transformations to company-wide shakeups. Let's go!
What is Change Management?
At its core, Change Management in IT Service Management (ITSM) is all about making sure IT changes happen smoothly. Whether it’s rolling out a new software update, upgrading a server, or reconfiguring a network, Change Management ensures that these transitions are planned, tested, approved, and implemented with minimal hiccups. It’s the process that keeps your IT environment stable while allowing you to innovate and adapt.
In practical terms, Change Management involves a series of steps: identifying the need for change, evaluating its potential impact, getting the green light from decision-makers (like a Change Advisory Board or CAB), and monitoring the rollout to ensure everything goes as planned. It’s not about avoiding change but making sure it happens in a controlled, efficient way.
Change Enablement in ITIL 4
If you’re familiar with ITIL (the go-to framework for ITSM best practices), you might have heard the term Change Enablement instead of Change Management. In ITIL 4, the term was updated to reflect a more proactive and flexible approach to managing change.
Why the shift in terminology? ITIL 4 recognizes that change isn’t just a challenge to manage—it’s an opportunity to enable. This new name underscores the importance of fostering innovation and agility in IT environments while still mitigating risks. It’s about balancing speed and control, ensuring IT changes are both effective and safe.
Whether you call it Change Management or Change Enablement, the goal is the same: helping organizations adapt to new realities without missing a beat. And with the growing complexity of IT systems, having a structured process for handling changes has never been more critical.
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Types of Change Management
In the realm of IT Service Management (ITSM), Change Management refers to the structured approach for managing alterations to IT services, ensuring minimal disruption and maintaining service quality. These changes can vary in nature and urgency, leading to their classification into distinct types.
It's important to note that different frameworks and organizations may define change types differently, each with its own set of categories. Here, we'll explore the commonly recognized types of changes within ITSM.
#1: Standard changes
Standard changes are low-risk, routine modifications that follow a predefined, pre-approved process. These changes are well-documented and have established procedures, allowing them to be implemented without requiring additional authorization each time. Examples include updating software patches or adding a new user to a system.
#2: Normal changes
Normal changes are non-emergency alterations that do not have a pre-approved process. They require a thorough assessment, including risk evaluation and approval from relevant stakeholders, such as a Change Advisory Board. Normal changes can range from minor adjustments to significant system overhauls. An example would be migrating to a new data center.
#3: Emergency changes
Emergency changes arise from unforeseen incidents or threats that require immediate action to restore service or protect systems. Due to their urgent nature, these changes undergo an expedited assessment and approval process to address critical issues promptly. Implementing a security patch to counter a newly discovered vulnerability is a typical example of an emergency change.
28 Change Management statistics
Statistics aren’t just numbers—they’re windows into how organizations adapt to the ever-evolving demands of the business world. To make this wealth of information easier to digest, we’ve divided the data into two categories: ITSM-focused Change Management and broader organizational change.
Of course, change doesn’t happen in neat silos. Many statistics, like the success rate of transformational changes, bridge both ITSM and organizational contexts. These overlaps highlight how interconnected technical and strategic Change Management efforts truly are, influencing everything from operational efficiency to employee engagement and organizational resilience.
The insights shared here are drawn from leading research and reports, including the Change Management Toolkit, Open Source Change, Pulse of Change Index, Succeeding in Disruptive Times, The State of Digital Transformation, The State of Organizations and Changing Change Management.
Ready to explore what the numbers reveal about Change Management? Let’s dive in!
1. ITSM-specific Change Management
- 70% of change initiatives fail due to ineffective Change Management (Change Management Toolkit, UC Berkeley).
- Companies struggling with ineffective Change Management see negative impacts on employee engagement, wellbeing, and productivity (WTW Article, 2023).
- Only 30% of transformational changes succeed, particularly those involving cultural shifts (Change Management Toolkit, UC Berkeley, 2021).
- Technology investments tied to generative AI are being approached cautiously by 72% of leaders, particularly in regions like Europe (Pulse of Change Index, Accenture, 2024).
2. Technology-driven change
- The rate of business disruption has risen 183% since 2019, with a 33% increase in 2023 alone (Pulse of Change Index, Accenture, 2024).
- Technology became the #1 driver of change in 2023, up from #6 in 2022, driven by generative AI (Pulse of Change Index, Accenture, 2024).
- 61% of executives expect the pace of technological disruption to accelerate further in 2024 (Pulse of Change Index, Accenture, 2024).
- Only 27% of organizations claim readiness to scale generative AI technologies, with 44% estimating it will take over six months to realize benefits (Pulse of Change Index, Accenture, 2024).
3. Leadership and preparedness
- 47% of C-suite executives admit they are unprepared for the rapid rate of technological change (Pulse of Change Index, Accenture, 2024).
- Only 25% of organizations have employees who believe managing change is a major strength of senior leaders (WTW Article, 2023).
- Only 25% of respondents say their leaders inspire and engage employees effectively (The State of Organizations, McKinsey, 2023).
- 95% of respondents believe capability building is crucial, yet only 5% of organizations feel prepared (The State of Organizations, McKinsey, 2023).
- 46% of organizations cite a lack of time to develop capabilities as a major obstacle to change (The State of Organizations, McKinsey, 2023).
- Only 43% of employees believe their organization is good at managing change, down from nearly 60% in 2019 (WTW Article, 2023).
4. Employee engagement and cultural influence
- 64% of employees possess the skills necessary to support successful change, and 74% are willing, but only 25% effectively adapt their work habits (Changing Change Management, Gartner, 2019).
- Organizations with adaptable cultures report a 28% increase in revenue over three years (The State of Organizations, McKinsey, 2023).
- Top-down communication about change reduces understanding and increases resistance compared to inclusive strategies (Changing Change Management, Gartner, 2019).
- Mental health challenges remain a significant concern, with affected employees being 4x more likely to leave their organizations (The State of Organizations, McKinsey, 2023).
- Only 42% of employees feel included in co-creating change strategies (Changing Change Management, Gartner, 2019).
5. Challenges and barriers to change
- Resistance to change, including politics and fear, is the third most-cited barrier to digital transformation, affecting 26% of companies (The State of Digital Transformation, Altimeter, 2019).
- 29% of executives say the lack of clear ROI data is the top challenge in justifying digital transformation investments, marking a 159% increase from the previous year (The State of Digital Transformation, Altimeter, 2019).
- 33% of respondents identified unclear priorities as a key barrier to building resilience (The State of Organizations, McKinsey, 2023).
- Limited organizational buy-in and isolated initiatives are cited by 33% of leaders as challenges (The State of Organizations, McKinsey, 2023).
6. Financial benefits of effective Change Management
- Organizations rated as "change accelerators" experience 264% more revenue growth compared to companies with below-average change effectiveness (WTW Article, 2023).
- Change accelerators outperform poorly rated organizations with 15.9% return on equity, compared to -1.6%, and 3.5% revenue growth versus -3.7% (WTW Article, 2023).
- Resilient companies generated 10% higher TSR during the 2019-2020 downturn and 50% higher TSR during the 2020-2021 recovery (The State of Organizations, McKinsey, 2023).
7. Open-source and inclusive strategies
- Open-source Change Management strategies improve success rates from 34% to 58% (Changing Change Management, Gartner, 2019).
- Open-source strategies reduce implementation time by 33%, increase employee engagement by 38%, and boost intent to stay by 46% (Changing Change Management, Gartner, 2019).
- Shifting implementation planning to employees increases the probability of success by 12% (Changing Change Management, Gartner, 2019).
- Open communication strategies reduce resistance and improve alignment (Changing Change Management, Gartner, 2019).
Conclusion
Managing change is fundamental to organizational success, whether it’s within the technical realm of IT Service Management or across broader business transformations. The statistics shared here underscore both the challenges organizations face and the opportunities they can seize to navigate change effectively.
By adopting structured frameworks like ITIL’s Change Enablement and fostering a culture of collaboration, engagement, and adaptability, organizations can transform change from a disruption into a strategic asset. Aligning people, processes, and technology is the key to ensuring smoother transitions and achieving sustainable growth in today’s dynamic landscape.
Are you ready to embrace change? Start building strategies that work, and unlock your organization’s potential for success.
