Naivas and Cedar Africa Group Achieve 90% Adoption for ERP Transformation

When Naivas, one of East Africa’s leading retail chains, embarked on implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system across 110 stores and over 12,000 employees, leadership recognized that technology alone would not ensure success. The organization partnered with Cedar Africa Group to design and execute a comprehensive change management strategy that would place people at the center of their digital transformation journey. 

The Challenge

Naivas faced a formidable challenge with Project KOZI, their enterprise-wide ERP implementation. The new system would fundamentally transform operations across finance, supply chain, and point-of-sale systems. An effective ERP system is fundamental to successful retail operations. An ERP system that doesn’t work for employees can put them out of business. 

To ensure adoption, the organization needed to support employees through three critical yet common aspects of ERP system changes: 

• Fears of job losses due to digitization
• Discomfort abandoning familiar manual processes
• Skill gaps and anxiety about using new technology 

With a diverse workforce spread across multiple locations, ensuring the consistent support needed to enable adoption of new processes also presented a significant organizational challenge.

The retail industry’s operational demands meant there was no room for failure. Leadership understood that this transformation required a fundamentally different approach—one that would engage all 12,000 employees in the change journey rather than simply imposing new systems upon them.

The Solution

Naivas partnered with Cedar Africa Group to develop and execute a comprehensive change management strategy built on the ADKAR® Model. Rather than viewing change management as a supplemental activity, the organization embedded it into the project’s DNA, creating a dedicated change team of 10 members supported by a change network of 67 champions across the business.

Key Solution Components:

• Apply ADKAR as part of a structured approach to guide people through adoption 
• Deliver Prosci® certification training for 10 key leaders and stakeholders
• Build a change agent network of 67 people deployed across all locations
• Implement multi-channel communications globally and departmentally 
• Use Prosci Change Triangle (PCT) assessments tracking leadership, project management, and change management dimensions
• Consult with Cedar Africa Group change advisors for strategic support throughout implementation

Delivering world-class change management training

Cedar Africa Group’s engagement began with training key leaders and stakeholders, but the support extended well beyond formal instruction. The training was specifically tailored to Naivas’ transformation journey, ensuring practical application rather than theoretical concepts.

“Where Cedar Africa really came through was not just in the training, but in sharing their insights on how we can properly implement the project.”
—Matthew Barake, Head, Strategic Projects & Program Management 

The methodology and strategy proved immediately actionable in their ERP transformation. The change team knew precisely when they had moved the people from one ADKAR element to the next, and they had a clear strategy and direction for every element. 

“What we were doing in this implementation was a ‘copy-and-paste’ of the training we received. For the first time, I clearly saw where ADKAR was working—through the awareness journey, through understanding the Desire aspect of it, building Knowledge, and so on.”
—Matthew Barake

Helping individuals through change

The change management approach followed a structured progression through ADKAR’s five elements. The Awareness element included multiple global and departmental town halls, coupled with comprehensive surveys to understand employee concerns and readiness. Leadership engagement was prioritized, with each department head receiving personalized briefings on how the transformation would impact their specific teams and processes.

Gaining strategic insights from experts and organizations

Cedar Africa Group also facilitated ongoing support through regular engagement, which provided strategic guidance for implementation decisions. Cedar Africa Group also connected the Naivas team with the broader Prosci community, including site visits from senior Prosci leaders and invitations to regional change management sessions with other organizations undergoing transformations.

Tracking and guiding project health 

The team utilized the Prosci Change Triangle (PCT) to monitor project health across leadership, project management, and change management dimensions, making adjustments as needed to maintain momentum.

The Results

The structured change management approach has delivered measurable success across multiple dimensions to date. Most significantly, Naivas achieved a 90% approval rating for project understanding and acceptance (i.e. adoption) among its 12,000-plus workforce. This is a remarkable achievement for such a large-scale transformation.

“For the first time, everybody in the business knows what the project is all about. We have done so many projects, but for this one, everybody in the business knows what the project is all about and knows the name of the project, which is quite difficult to attain. We have done that through following the proper change management process. To me, that is one of the greatest wins.”
—Matthew Barake

Moving from risk to readiness 

The project health indicators reflected this success. Initial PCT assessments showed all red indicators across leadership, project management, and change management dimensions. This meant the ERP project was at risk of failing. However, the most recent assessment conducted showed all green indicators—demonstrating readiness across all critical success factors as the project approaches its critical go-live date.

Notable employee engagement and support

Perhaps most telling was the shift in employee sentiment. Early surveys revealed significant anxiety and resistance. Later surveys showed that the primary question had changed from “What is Project KOZI?” to “When are we going live?” This indicated genuine enthusiasm for the new system. The change management workstream has consistently maintained “green” or positive status throughout the project timeline.

Embedded change capabilities 

Beyond adoption metrics, the transformation is establishing lasting organizational capabilities. Ten employees earned Prosci certification, and the change network of 67 champions now represents an embedded capability for future transformations. Leaders were participating at unprecedented levels, with department heads actively engaging in town halls and Awareness sessions. 

“The organization has bought into what change means because they have seen what it can do if done well. Instead of viewing adoption challenges as a problem with people, I am proud to say they know this ERP transformation is succeeding because people are the heart of the solution.”
–Matthew Barake

Building a competitive advantage through change

This success has positioned Naivas to pursue its next strategic objective: equipping every leader in the organization to serve as a change manager, recognizing that ongoing transformation is now fundamental to the business’ competitive advantage.

MORE CASE STUDIES FROM CEDAR AFRICA GROUP

CRDB Bank and Cedar Africa Group: Accelerating Strategic Impact Through Enterprise Change Capability

Alice’s Journey to Prosci®️ Certification and Building a Dynamic Change Management Toolkit