The Challenge
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is a publicly owned municipal utility in California responsible for the acquisition, generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power across its service area.
SMUD needed to implement SAP SuccessFactors across its organization — a significant technology transition touching users at every level, from executive leadership through to front-line employees. The primary goal was to streamline processes, improve productivity, and enhance user experience, but the success of the implementation depended entirely on how well people adopted the new system. Resistance to change and poor adoption were the core risks the team needed to address.
The Solution
Motive Power led the people side of the SuccessFactors implementation, applying Prosci's change management methodology and toolset throughout the project lifecycle.
Conducted comprehensive Stakeholder and Change Impact Assessments spanning executive leadership through end users to understand the full scope of change.
Maintained active, ongoing engagement with core team members and end users to drive alignment, gather feedback, and reinforce adoption at every stage.
Developed and executed integrated Change Management Plans covering communications, stakeholder management, adoption strategies, and tailored training programs designed for each user group.
Established a Change Network of 200+ end users with weekly forums, and a Manager Connect group of 60+ leaders to gather feedback, mitigate resistance, and refine training content.
Supported Business Readiness planning and the Change Sustainability Strategy to ensure long-term adoption beyond go-live.
Key Metrics
The Results
73% of employees adopted the new software within the first week of launch, rising to 91% by week two.
99% of training participants agreed they were well prepared to use the new process — a direct result of the highly tailored, user-group-specific training approach.
A Change Network of 200+ end users and a Manager Connect group of 60+ leaders provided an ongoing feedback and coaching infrastructure that reduced resistance throughout the rollout.
Business Readiness and Change Sustainability support ensured the gains made at go-live were maintained long term.
