When large-scale transformation projects stall, the cause often isn’t the technology or the budget; it’s the gap between strategy and execution. Leaders invest months crafting ambitious roadmaps, yet when those plans reach the frontlines, they lose momentum.
This was the reality City of Karratha faced. The city’s major ERP implementation, a project designed to transform service delivery and efficiency, was on the verge of being abandoned. Rather than walking away, the leadership team decided to rebuild; starting with people, trust, and culture.
Warren Van Wyk, Director of Corporate & Commercial and Chantelle Louw, Business Transformation & Change Management Coordinator, share how they led a turnaround that transformed not only the ERP project but also the city’s overall approach to process improvement and digital transformation.
Bridging the Strategy-Execution Gap in Transformation Projects
Here’s how the city achieved an ERP implementation turnaround, transforming a project that had lost momentum into a sustainable success story, and how Business Process Management (BPM) thinking along with people-first approach led to lasting success.
1. Recognise the Root Cause of Transformation Project Losing Momentum
Transformation programs often fail long before implementation begins. As Warren noted, the problem usually lies in misalignment between those who plan and those who deliver.
“You have the architect of the strategy and the plan, but it’s not aligned with the people who bring that plan to life.” — Warren Van Wyk
For the City of Karratha, this meant that although the ERP project had a well-documented plan, the people executing it didn’t feel ownership. The disconnect created frustration, resistance, and eventually, stagnation.
Lesson: Before launching any change, ensure the people responsible for execution understand, and believe in the “why.” Strategy must live beyond the boardroom.
2. Put People Before Process and apply BPM
One of the turning points in Karratha’s recovery was flipping the traditional approach to change. Instead of designing new processes first, the leadership began by engaging people.
“We found that process follows people, not the other way around.” — Chantelle Louw
By starting with people, listening to their frustrations, understanding their workflows, and involving them in decisions, the city discovered that sustainable change isn’t about imposing structure but co-creating it.
The team used BPM principles like process mapping, standardisation, and co-design to visualise how work was done and where it broke down. This transparency rebuilt confidence across teams and reconnected strategy, systems, and execution.
They adopted a co-design approach rather than “consultation overload.” This gave staff a voice and agency in shaping the outcome, breaking years of change fatigue and scepticism.
Lesson: Don’t deliver change to people—build it with them. Empowerment turns resistance into ownership.
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3. Rebuild Trust Before You Rebuild Systems
When the ERP project stalled, trust across the organisation was at an all-time low. The word “transformation” itself triggered fatigue. Rather than restarting the ERP immediately, the team focused on rebuilding belief.
They chose a smaller, visible initiative: the intranet redesign, as a pilot to demonstrate the power of genuine collaboration.
“We moved from consultation overload to a co-design approach… By doing that with a smaller project, we showcased that staff can truly influence the process. When they do that, they start to believe in the outcome.” — Chantelle Louw
The success of the intranet project served as proof: when people feel heard, transformation becomes possible again.
Lesson: Before you ask people to change, show them that their voice matters. Trust is the foundation of every sustainable change effort.
4. Make Leadership Visible and Accountable
Transformation requires leadership that is more present than positional. Warren stressed that visible leadership is what gives teams confidence to take risks and stay aligned.
“Leadership is not about being on paper; it’s about being there—in the sessions, in the workshops, leading, listening, advocating.” — Warren Van Wyk
City of Karratha’s leaders didn’t delegate transformation, they modelled it. The CEO and directors attended workshops, joined reviews, and personally communicated the “why” behind every decision. This broke silos, encouraged collaboration, and created transparency.
Lesson: Leadership visibility turns intention into momentum. When leaders show up consistently, change feels real, not theoretical.
5. Build a Coalition of Change Leaders
Warren and Chantelle emphasised that transformation is not driven by a single champion, it’s built by a coalition of change leaders across every level of the organisation.
“It’s bringing together a coalition of change leaders to make that all happen. It’s clear trust—trust that you know we can deliver it.” — Warren Van Wyk
This coalition included executives, project managers, and frontline champions who became advocates for the transformation. Each group had ownership of outcomes, creating a network of accountability.
Lesson: Don’t isolate transformation in one department. Building a united coalition is one of the change management best practices that ensures the whole organisation speaks with one voice.
6. Restore Transformation Project Through Rhythm, Not Reports
Chantelle shared a crucial insight about keeping strategy alive:
“The strategy lives in rhythm, not in reports.”
For many organisations, strategy becomes static, something reviewed annually rather than lived daily. At Karratha, the team embedded rhythm through regular check-ins, stand-ups, and feedback loops, ensuring that strategy stayed in sync with delivery.
This rhythm kept the team connected, responsive, and able to adjust without losing focus.
Lesson: Strategy should live in the cadence of the organisation. Consistent rhythm sustains clarity, while stagnant reports kill momentum.
7. Celebrate Bureaucracy That Enables, Not Restricts
Bureaucracy often gets a bad name, but Chantelle offered a refreshing perspective:
“Bureaucracy can be a good thing. It takes a good process and gives our frontline staff confidence and accountability.”
The city redefined the structure. By streamlining approvals, clarifying roles, and aligning accountability, they turned process into a safety net for action, not a roadblock to innovation.
Lesson: Structure isn’t the enemy of transformation, it’s rigid thinking. Use governance to enable, not to control.
8. Turn Data and Reflection into Renewal
When the ERP project faltered, the easy choice would have been to replace systems or vendors. Instead, the team paused and reflected.
“We went back and did a root cause analysis. We asked everyone involved what went wrong, why it went wrong, and what we could have done better.” — Warren Van Wyk
This process of reflection was transformational in itself. It allowed the organisation to acknowledge mistakes without blame, learn collectively, and build a new foundation for success.
Lesson: Every failure contains data for improvement. Renewal begins when learning replaces blame.
9. Embed Transformation into Culture
By the end of their journey, the City of Karratha didn’t just recover a project, they redefined how transformation happens with its process improvement case study.
“For strategies to come to life, it’s not about them being in boardrooms. It’s alignment with everyone who gives the project its heartbeat.” — Chantelle Louw
That alignment between leadership, staff, and purpose became their blueprint for every future initiative.
Lesson: True transformation isn’t a milestone, it’s a mindset. When change becomes cultural, it becomes continuous.
Also view a step-by-step checklist to ensure your System Implementation is set up for success. Access System Implementation Readiness Checklist
Practical Takeaways for Transformation Projects
- Align strategy with execution before launch.
- Prioritise people over process design.
- Use a BPM solution for process visibility.
- Rebuild trust through visible collaboration.
- Lead by showing up, not signing off.
- Build a cross-functional coalition of change leaders.
- Keep transformation in rhythm, not in reports.
- Use structure to enable action, not restrict it.
- Make transformation cultural, not episodic.
Drive Successful Transformation with PRIME BPM
Turning around a stalled transformation requires more than technology, it demands visibility, alignment, and collaboration across people, processes, and systems. PRIME BPM, an AI-powered, cloud-based BPM services provider, empowers organisations to take that approach. With built-in process mapping, analysis, and optimisation capabilities, it helps teams identify inefficiencies, rebuild process confidence, and drive their digital transformation success stories.
Book a live demo today to see how PRIME BPM can help you turn challenges into long-term success.