How do I create a Transition Plan for my Organisation?

Test your transition plan out on friends

A Transition Plan is used to manage the change from an existing organisational state to a new state.

Time needed: 1 hour

How to create a transition plan for your organisation:

  1. Set your timeframe

    When does it start, how long, when does it finish? Set the Transition Time Frame

  2. Describe the starting state

    Where are you now? How to make a Transition Plan - add the starting state

  3. Describe the target state

    Where do you want to be when the transition is finished? How to make a Transition Plan - showing starting state and target state

  4. Describe the areas that will undergo transition

    e.g. Product, Management, HR, Comms, Process, Location, Supply, Technology, Market, etc. Transition Plan creation, showing the workstream areas for Transition

  5. List the tasks in each area

    For each area of transition, what are the high-level transition tasks? Don’t be too granular. Transition Plan showing the tasks in each workstream area

  6. Show the risk levels

    If there are areas that are risky, call them out. It helps if everyone is focused on the areas that need careful attention. Transition Plan showing risk levels with a legend

  7. Add checkpoints and milestones

    Measurable targets, on the plan, help to focus the team and also to provide status checks along the way. Transition Plan Powerpoint Template

  8. Test it on your friends

    Show your transition plan to a friend, and see if they understand it. Give them five minutes to read it, then ask them questions to see if they were able to understand it. Test your transition plan out on friends

Transition Planning FAQs

What’s the best format for a Transition Plan?

Through experience from hundreds of transition projects, we recommend a Transition Roadmap format, so that you can show the important plans on 1 side of A4 (or 1 Powerpoint slide). Transition Plan Powerpoint Template

How many swim lanes should I have in my transition plan?

Try and keep it to 5 swim lanes (workstreams) or less. If you have too many lanes, the diagram gets complicated, and your message is no longer clear.

Should I show risk levels on my Transition Plan?

Yes. It is healthy to highlight the areas of risk for your teams and stakeholders, so that they can prepare -for and manage the risk.

How do I test my Transition Plan?

Test it out on a friend. Give them 5 minutes to read it, then ask them a series of questions; e.g. “When does the project start?”, “What are the riskiest parts?”, and “Who is in charge of the HR workstream?”

We have created this Transition Plan Template in response to a series of requests for a Timeline template to assist with Change Management.

A screenshot of the Transition Plan Template
This Transition Plan Template will assist you with your Transition Timeline

We have arranged this template into the following areas.

Team and Personnel Changes

It’s likely that you will have to change how people and teams are arranged.

New processes

There could be some business process re-engineering to be rolled-out.

Relocation

You may have to move locations, or start an off-shore supplier relationship.

Starting state and end state

In all change situations, there is a gap between the planned new arrangement and where you are right now – a Transition is required.

Our Transition Plan Template will provide a solid communications and planning tool for your transition.

Features of the transition plan template

  1. Timeline with draggable milestones.
  2. Event markers in each workstream.
  3. Management workstream (to show coordination activities in the transition project).
  4. Communications Workstream (announcements, comms).
  5. HR Workstream (transition HR issues management).
  6. Relocation Workstream.
  7. IT Workstream (PC and telecomms).

View the Transition Plan Template.

Are you short on time?

Use these templates to help with this Best Practice:

Transition Plan Powerpoint

This Transition Plan Powerpoint template is the perfect way to show your plans and important business milestones. Show worksteams, milestones, risk levels & more.

See: Transition Plan Powerpoint

Transition Plan Template (Visio)

Need to manage a large organisational change / Re-Org? This Transition Plan Template will show your “Change Plans” in a simple 1-sider for all stakeholders.

See: Transition Plan Template (Visio)

Excel Transition Plan Template

The Microsoft Excel Transition Plan Template presents your transition in simple roadmap graphic, so that anyone can understand it rapidly. Starting state, plans, milestones, risk level and target state. Simple.

See: Excel Transition Plan Template

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Created : 2020-08-22 14:27:22
Modified : 2021-09-28 13:52:31