Digital transformation in a live operational environment is rarely just a technology challenge.
In complex settings such as an Airport Operations Centre, change has to be introduced while the operation continues to run safely, reliably and at pace. That creates a very different delivery environment from a conventional system implementation.
Why PRINCE2 and Prosci work together
For me, this is where PRINCE2 and Prosci work particularly well together.
PRINCE2 provides the governance discipline needed to control delivery. It gives clear roles and responsibilities, defined tolerances, structured decision points, risk management and a strong focus on continued business justification.
Prosci addresses the other side of the equation: whether the people affected by the change are actually ready, willing and able to adopt it.
That distinction matters. A project can be technically complete and still fail operationally if the people, processes and behaviours are not ready for the new way of working.
Using ADKAR to make readiness visible
Using the Prosci ADKAR model helps make that readiness visible:
- Awareness — do operational teams understand why the change is needed?
- Desire — do they support the change, or see it as something being done to them?
- Knowledge — have they been given the right information and training?
- Ability — can they perform effectively in the new environment?
- Reinforcement — are the new behaviours being sustained after go-live?
PRINCE2 and Prosci therefore solve different but complementary problems.
PRINCE2 asks: Are we governing and controlling the delivery effectively?
Prosci asks: Will the organisation actually adopt and sustain the change?
In a busy operational environment, both are essential.
People before technology
My own approach starts with:
People → Process → Technology → Construction
That sequence is deliberate. Technology should support an agreed operating model, not define it.
The same applies to improvement:
Standardise → Simplify → Automate
There is little value in automating an inconsistent or poorly understood process. Standardise the operation first, simplify where possible, then introduce technology where it delivers a clear operational benefit.
For programmes such as an Airport Operations Centre, this creates a much stronger basis for decision-making.
From delivery to operational adoption
PRINCE2 provides the governance and delivery control.
Prosci provides the adoption and organisational readiness lens.
Together, they help ensure that transformation is not simply delivered, but embedded into live operations without destabilising the environment it was intended to improve.
That, for me, is the real measure of successful digital transformation.