Organizational Change Management

Drive confident adoption across your AMI journey by putting people at the center of transformation.

AMI success isn’t just about selecting the right technology — it’s about ensuring your people are ready, engaged, and aligned every step of the way. Util-Assist’s Organizational Change Management (OCM) services embed structured, role-based support across the entire lifecycle, from early strategy alignment to post-implementation reinforcement. We help utilities reduce risk, accelerate adoption, and build the internal capabilities needed to sustain long-term value.

Align leadership and stakeholders early to build trust and readiness
Reduce resistance through targeted engagement and communication
Ensure cultural and operational fit with selected AMI solutions
Accelerate user adoption of new systems and workflows
Reinforce sustained behavior change and benefits realization
Strengthen internal change capability for future modernization initiatives

Empower Your People for AMI Success

AMI introduces new ways of working that will impact every level of your utility. Start with a consultation to explore where change will occur, how to align your organization, and what support your people need to succeed.

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Trusted by leading utilities across electric, water & gas

Why Organizational Change Management Matters in AMI

AMI isn’t just a technology upgrade, it’s a fundamental shift in how your utility operates, makes decisions, and serves customers. New tools and data streams require new roles, reimagined processes, and a culture that can adapt and evolve. But many utilities underestimate just how much internal change is required. Our approach to OCM is designed to help utilities anticipate the impacts of AMI, engage the right people at the right time, and build alignment and confidence from the executive level to the front lines.

Turn Resistance Into Trust

AMI changes how people work — and change often triggers uncertainty. We help you engage stakeholders early, uncover concerns before they become roadblocks, and build trust through transparent, two-way communication. By addressing fears head-on, we reduce resistance and turn skeptics into allies.

Accelerate Adoption that Lasts

New tools and systems only deliver value when people use them. Our OCM approach ensures that employees at every level understand what’s changing, why it matters, and how to adapt. With role-based support and targeted readiness plans, we help teams embrace change faster and with greater confidence.

Unite Leaders and Front-Line Teams

Utilities often struggle to connect strategic goals with day-to-day execution. We help bridge that gap by aligning executive vision, operational readiness, and project delivery. Leaders become visible champions of change, and frontline teams are supported with clear direction and meaningful involvement.

Develop Organizational Capabilities for AMI

AMI demands new skills, roles, and ways of working across your utility. We help build the organizational capabilities — from data-driven decision making to customer engagement and operational excellence — that enable your teams to confidently manage, sustain, and maximize the value of AMI investments.

Expert Guidance for Every Stage of Transformation

AMI transformation unfolds in stages — from shaping the strategy to realizing long-term benefits — and each phase presents unique organizational challenges. Util-Assist embeds organizational change management throughout this lifecycle, ensuring your people are ready and aligned at every step. Our proven approach connects leadership priorities with frontline adoption, helping you reduce risk, accelerate delivery, and sustain value through change.

Strategy & Business Case Alignment
We help utilities define what success looks like from the start — not just in technical terms, but in human terms. By assessing readiness, surfacing cultural gaps, and aligning leadership early, we ensure the AMI strategy is grounded in achievable organizational outcomes.

How we drive alignment:

Executive alignment workshops

Change readiness assessments

Stakeholder engagement strategy development
Procurement & Contracting Enablement
We bring the voice of the organization into the procurement process. By using impact and readiness insights to shape requirements, evaluate vendors, and define change support in contracts, we ensure selected solutions are fit for purpose — both technically and culturally.

How we shape success early:

Change-informed requirements development

Evaluation criteria for organizational fit

Change enablement language in RFPs and contracts
System Integration & Adoption Planning
During deployment, we focus on preparing people for new roles, systems, and ways of working. Through targeted communications, training alignment, and hands-on support, we help utilities minimize disruption and accelerate confident adoption.

How we drive adoption:

Role-based impact mapping

Readiness monitoring

Leadership and end-user enablement
Benefits Realization & Long-Term Sustainability
OCM doesn’t stop at go-live. We help you confirm that behavior change is sticking, benefits are being realized, and internal teams are ready to take ownership. We also capture lessons learned to strengthen your future change capability.

How we sustain success:

Post-implementation adoption reviews

Lessons learned and success storytelling

Transition planning and capability building

From Technology to Transformation: Ready Your People for AMI

Every AMI journey brings its own mix of technical, regulatory, and organizational challenges. Util-Assist’s OCM practice is built on proven methodologies that align strategy, systems, and people to accelerate confident adoption. We bring deep expertise across the AMI lifecycle, ensuring utilities are ready, resilient, and positioned to realize long-term value from their investments.

Executive Sponsorship
We prepare and support executives to lead the people side of AMI transformation with confidence. By equipping leaders to be visible and credible champions, we help them align stakeholders around a clear vision, model the right behaviors, and reinforce adoption across the organization. Strong executive sponsorship creates trust, builds momentum, and ensures change is embraced from the top down.
Stakeholder Engagement & Alignment
We design strategies that connect with people across the utility — staff, unions, regulators, and vendors — in ways that build trust and reduce resistance. By tailoring communication and involvement to each group, we ensure stakeholders feel informed, included, and aligned, creating the collaboration needed to drive successful AMI adoption.
Proven OCM Methodology & Tools
We apply a structured methodology and set of tools that put people at the center of AMI transformation. Through readiness assessments, impact analysis, resistance management, adoption metrics, and reinforcement planning, we enable utilities to anticipate challenges, support their people through change, and achieve lasting outcomes with confidence.
Organizational Capability Development
We build and strengthen the capabilities people need to operate and sustain AMI. This includes developing leadership capacity, enhancing decision-making, and equipping teams with new practices that embed AMI-enabled ways of working. By building these skills across the workforce, utilities are prepared not only for today’s transformation but also for future modernization.
Sustainment & Continuous Improvement
We design reinforcement and feedback mechanisms that keep people engaged and accountable after go-live. By embedding AMI practices into daily operations, tracking adoption, and capturing lessons learned, we enable utilities to realize benefits and foster a culture of continuous improvement that strengthens their ability to manage future change.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does organizational change management include, and how is it different from training and communications?

Training and communications are important tools — but they’re just part of the picture. OCM takes a strategic, structured approach to managing the people side of change. It includes readiness assessments, leadership alignment, impact analysis, stakeholder engagement, resistance management, and post-implementation reinforcement. Our goal is not just awareness, but confident adoption and sustained behavior change.

When should we engage OCM in our AMI 2.0 journey?

The earlier, the better. Engaging OCM at the strategy or business case stage allows us to identify risks, align leaders, and ensure organizational considerations shape procurement and deployment decisions. But it’s never too late — even if you’re mid-implementation, we can help recover momentum, address resistance, and support adoption.

How do you tailor your OCM approach to our utility?

Every utility has its own structure, culture, and pace of change. We start by understanding your people — their roles, concerns, and readiness — and then develop customized plans that align with your timeline and business goals. We also integrate seamlessly with your internal teams, governance structures, and vendor partners.

How do we measure success from an OCM perspective?

We define success in terms of people outcomes: Are employees aware of the change? Do they understand it? Are they adopting it in their day-to-day work? We use structured metrics based on the ADKAR® Model, stakeholder feedback, and performance data to track adoption and identify gaps. This ensures that change sticks — and that benefits are fully realized.

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Empower Your Utility in the AMI 2.0 Era

Ready to explore how Organizational Change Management can help your utility lead AMI 2.0 transformation with confidence?

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