The Impact of Change Management on The Successful Implementation of Product Lifecycle – APPLE INC

Background Of The Study

Developing innovative and quality products and services are the core business strategy of Apple Inc. Innovation and qualities both are not only helping the company to stay ahead of the competition but also enhancing their brand value. As a result, the company now is currently holding a large share of loyal customers. The company has been following Product lifecycle management (PLM) technique for supporting their business. Their change management strategies are helping them to implement PLM successfully. The management of Apple Inc. has given key priority towards their organizational structure and culture as these are mostly affected by the process of change management and they also have significant contribution towards product development, quality and innovation.

Aims And Objectives Of The Research

The key aim of the current research is to analyze the impact of change management on the successful implementation of product lifecycle management using the context of Apple Inc.

Objectives Of The Research

• To analyze the impact of product lifecycle management (PLM) implementation on the organizational culture, structure and process of Apple Inc.
• To analyze the change management methods of Apple Inc. and to justify whether these methods are efficient enough for successful product lifecycle management (PLM) implementation in case of Apple Inc.
• To analyze the most appropriate change management strategies of Apple Inc.
• To analyze the process implemented by Apple Inc. for integrating change management within product lifecycle management (PLM) implementation

Research Hypothesis

 = The structure and the culture of the organizations plays key role for implementing product lifecycle management (PLM) successfully.

 = Effective change management is the key success factor for product lifecycle management (PLM) implementation.

Literature Review

In order to cope up with the current business environment, which is frequently changing its nature based on the current economic scenario, competitive factors and various other situations, it is very important for the organizations to formulate and to implement some changes within their way of doing business and operation. Additionally, it is equally important for the organizations to manage these changes effectively as inefficient change management may lead the company to various consequences in terms of both legal and income obligations.

Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the process that most of the successful and leading manufacturing companies are implementing. Innovation and quality are the key features of PLM. Manufacturing processes are not cost effective but product lifecycle management can reduce the associated costs as it simplifies the entire manufacturing process. PLM also enables the process to become flexible. Additionally, the chances of developing the final product from the design phases also become faster and efficient. Companies are also formulating PLM for maintaining compliance with laws and regulations. PLM also enhances the productivity, thus the revenue.

There are various impacts of change management in case of implementing product lifecycle management. First of all, the companies are estimating the necessity of change management and the consequences if anything goes unexpectedly. Next, it is very important for the companies to formulate and implement effective strategies to conduct change management. The following step is to organize the resources such as HR, finance to support the process of change management. In case of dealing with any change management task, the efficiency and the involvement of the workforces are very important. For expertly crafted and impactful discussions on change management, consider exploring MBA essay writing services to ensure your essay reflects the nuances of organizational strategy and leadership in the context of change. Therefore, the companies should train and motivate their employees and influence them to perform within a dynamic team for achieving organizational goals. The final stage is to monitor the change management process for either improving the process or dealing with any issues.

Research Methodology

Quantitative research methodology will be followed for performing the research as the methodology helps performing the research by forming a relationship between the theories or theoretical models and numerical data and based on change management and Product lifecycle management (PLM). The research will be based around deductive approach for analyzing the theories with the numerical values. Clear objectives have been constructed for the research. Thus, the research will follow positivism approach. The current research will be conducted using descriptive design for communicating effectively with the research participants. Quantitative data analysis will be organized by arranging surveys with the employees of Apple Inc. Similarly, qualitative data analysis will be arranged by interviewing the managers of Apple Inc. Both type of data collected for the research will be kept confidential and the personal information of the research participants will be secured and will not be shared.

Reference List

Barratt-Pugh, L. and Bahn, S. (2015). HR strategy during culture change: Building change agency. Journal of Management & Organization, pp.1-14

By, R., Armenakis, A. and Burnes, B. (2015). Organizational Change: A Focus on Ethical Cultures and Mindfulness. Journal of Change Management, 15(1), pp.1-7

Davidson, J. (2015). What’s all the buzz about change management?. Healthcare Management Forum, 28(3), pp.118-120

Investor.apple.com, (2015). Apple – Investor Relations. [online] Available at: https://investor.apple.com/ [Accessed 14 Jul. 2015]

Ketchen, D. and Bergh, D. (2006). Research methodology in strategy and management. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI