Driving Change with Agility: The APMG Advantage with Arcadis
Certification: Agile Change Management Certification
Accredited Training Organisation: Agile Change Management
The Challenge
Arcadis, a leading global design and consultancy firm for natural and built assets, operates in the infrastructure and engineering sector with approximately 35,000 employees worldwide.
As the company experienced rapid growth, the influx of new talent highlighted the need for a unified, consistent approach to managing change within client projects. This challenge was critical to maintaining Arcadis’ commitment to improving quality of life and delivering exceptional results to clients.
The organisation's reputation is built on the expertise and professionalism of its people, the face of the Arcadis brand. Ensuring employees are equipped with the latest knowledge, skills and expertise in change management became the core of the company’s talent strategy. By addressing this need, Arcadis aimed to enhance client satisfaction, employee engagement, and overall business performance.
The Solution
Arcadis chose APMG's Agile Change Coach certification as the foundation for its professional development initiative. This certification was selected for its practical, evidence-based approach to managing change in complex and dynamic environments.
The program focused on tools and frameworks that could be directly applied to client work, aligning perfectly with Arcadis' goals.
The implementation of the training program followed a structured and deliberate process:
- Preliminary Engagement: Arcadis had already sent a few employees to attend the Agile Change Coach course over the years. Their positive feedback and demonstrated ability to apply the training in client projects demonstrated the program’s value.
- Skills Assessment: A team-wide skills self-assessment identified change management as a key area for development.
- Customized Training: In collaboration with Melanie, an experienced APMG accredited training provider, Arcadis designed an in-house, face-to-face training program tailored to their specific needs.
- Strategic Scheduling: To minimize business disruption, the training was scheduled during a quieter period when client activity was lower. Planning well in advance ensured participation from key team members.
The Impact
The program trained 10 employees in the first phase, with plans to extend the training to an additional group in 2025. Participants have since actively applied the frameworks and tools learned during the training to their work with clients. This has led to improvements in internal processes, client-facing deliverables, and team collaboration.
Key benefits observed include:
- Enhanced Consistency: The program has helped standardize change management approaches across teams, leading to more cohesive and predictable outcomes.
- Employee Engagement: Investing in professional development has boosted employee morale and fostered a sense of purpose within the team.
- Client Satisfaction: By equipping employees with advanced skills, Arcadis has strengthened its ability to deliver value-driven change and transformation services to clients.
Feedback from participants indicates that the training has been a resounding success. Employees have shared their knowledge through coaching sessions and contributed to the evolution of Arcadis’ tools and collateral, further amplifying the impact of the training.
Testimonial
Anna Eden, Senior Consultant
"Over the past few years, many of our team have undertaken training courses with Mel Franklin at Agile Change Management. Previously, I completed the Change Management Practitioner Course with her and found the way she grounds theory in evidence and experience particularly engaging.
As our team has expanded, the demand for change training has grown. After discussing our needs with Melanie, we agreed the Agile Change Coach Course was the right fit. It focuses on implementing change in dynamic environments and uses neuro hacks to effectively engage people.
In our hybrid world, there was enormous value in running the training in person for us and creating a shared, purposeful experience. It allowed us to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another in a way that our busy client schedules rarely permit. I’d recommend others thinking about a programme of professional education. To try and understand what your people want first and if this aligns with your business need, it’s a straighter path.
The insights gained have reshaped our approach to agile change management, integrating it throughout project lifecycles and emphasizing incremental improvements for early benefits realization. We’re already looking forward to our next session of training."
Conclusion
By partnering with APMG and leveraging the Agile Change Coach certification, Arcadis has successfully modernized its approach to change management. This initiative has not only empowered its employees with cutting-edge skills but also reinforced its commitment to delivering exceptional client value. As Arcadis continues to expand, its investment in people ensures it remains at the forefront of innovation and transformation in the infrastructure and engineering sector.
