Change Management Acronyms and Glossary of Terms

March 24, 2023

There are many change management acronyms used in theory and practice of organizational change, but here are some of the most commonly used ones.

  1. ACMP – Association of Change Management Professionals
  2. ADKAR – Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement
  3. AGILE – Adaptive Growth and Innovation in Leadership and Execution
  4. APQC – American Productivity & Quality Center
  5. APM – Application Performance Management
  6. APMG – Accrediting Professional Managers Globally
  7. BPMN – Business Process Model and Notation
  8. BPM – Business Process Management
  9. CCA – Certified Change Agent
  10. CCM – Certified Change Manager
  11. CCMP – Certified Change Management Professional 
  12. CMC – Certified Management Consultant
  13. CMCA – Certified Manager of Change in the Agile Enterprise
  14. CMP – Change Management Practitioner
  15. CBA – Cost-Benefit Analysis
  16. CCMP – Certified Change Management Professional
  17. CCMC – Change Management Communication and Collaboration
  18. CEB – Corporate Executive Board
  19. CI – Continuous Improvement
  20. CIO – Chief Information Officer
  21. CMII – Configuration Management II
  22. CMS – Content Management System
  23. COGS – Cost of Goods Sold
  24. CRM – Customer Relationship Management
  25. COBIT – Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology
  26. COPC – Customer Operations Performance Center
  27. COSO – Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
  28. COTS – Commercial Off-The-Shelf
  29. CPQ – Configure Price Quote
  30. CRP – Conference Room Pilot
  31. CAGR – Compound Annual Growth Rate
  32. CSF – Critical Success Factor
  33. CTQ – Critical to Quality
  34. CFO – Cash Flow from Operations
  35. DD – Due Diligence
  36. DMAIC – Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.
  37. DMBOK – Data Management Body of Knowledge
  38. DSDM – Dynamic Systems Development Method
  39. DCF – Discounted Cash Flow
  40. EAP – Employee Assistance Program
  41. EAPM – Enterprise Application Performance Management
  42. ESOP – Employee Stock Ownership Plan
  43. ECI – Employee Confidence Index
  44. ECM – Enterprise Content Management
  45. EHR – Electronic Health Record
  46. EPMO – Enterprise Project Management Office
  47. EPM – Enterprise Performance Management
  48. ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning
  49. ERP II – Enterprise Resource Planning II
  50. EBT – Earnings Before Taxes
  51. EPS – Earnings per Share
  52. EBIT – Earnings Before Interest and Taxes
  53. EBITDA – Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization
  54. FMEA – Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
  55. FTE – Full-Time Equivalent
  56. FTC – Federal Trade Commission
  57. FCF – Free Cash Flow
  58. GAP – Goals, Assessment, Plan
  59. GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
  60. GRC – Governance, Risk, and Compliance
  61. HCM – Human Capital Management
  62. HRM – Human Resource Management
  63. IACCM – International Association for Contract and Commercial Management
  64. ICMA – Institute of Certified Management Accountants
  65. ICMCI – International Council of Management Consulting Institutes
  66. IIBA – International Institute of Business Analysis
  67. ITIL – Information Technology Infrastructure Library 
  68. ICB – IPMA Competence Baseline
  69. ITSM – Information Technology Service Management
  70. IFRS – International Financial Reporting Standards
  71. ISO – International Organization for Standardization
  72. ITSM – Information Technology Service Management
  73. IPO – Initial Public Offering
  74. IRR – Internal Rate of Return
  75. KAI – Kirton Adaption-Innovation
  76. KMS – Knowledge Management System
  77. KMP – Kanban Management Professional
  78. KPI – Key Performance Indicator
  79. LCM – Life Cycle Management
  80. LEAN – Leadership, Empowerment, Agility, and Navigation
  81. LOI – Letter of Intent
  82. LIFO – Last In, First Out
  83. LBO – Leveraged Buyout
  84. M&A – Merger and Acquisition
  85. MBO – Management By Objectives
  86. MBO – Management Buyout
  87. MDM – Master Data Management
  88. MSP – Managing Successful Programmes
  89. MOU – Memorandum of Understanding
  90. NPS – Net Promoter Score
  91. NDA – Non-Disclosure Agreement
  92. NPV – Net Present Value
  93. NWC – Net Working Capital
  94. OCM – Organizational Change Management
  95. OCMC – Organizational Change Management Consultant
  96. OCR – Optical Character Recognition
  97. OOTB – Out of the Box
  98. OPM3 – Organizational Project Management Maturity Model
  99. P2P – Procure-to-Pay
  100. PCMM – People Capability Maturity Model
  101. PDCA – Plan, Do, Check, Act
  102. PERT – Program Evaluation and Review Technique
  103. PFMEA – Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
  104. P&L – Profit and Loss
  105. PI – Process Improvement
  106. PMBOK – Project Management Body of Knowledge
  107. PMO – Project Management Office
  108. PMP – Project Management Professional
  109. PPM – Portfolio Project Management
  110. PSA – Purchase and Sale Agreement
  111. PRINCE2 – Projects IN Controlled Environments
  112. PEG – Private Equity Group
  113. PTO – Paid Time Off
  114. PE – Private Equity
  115. RACI – Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed
  116. RCM – Reliability Centered Maintenance
  117. RFQ – Request for Quotation
  118. ROI – Return on Investment
  119. ROE – Return on Equity
  120. RTO – Reverse Takeover.
  121. SaaS – Software as a Service
  122. SARAH – Situation, Action, Result, And How
  123. SCM – Supply Chain Management
  124. SDLC – Software Development Life Cycle
  125. SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission
  126. SIPOC – Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers
  127. SLA – Service Level Agreement
  128. SME – Subject Matter Expert
  129. SPICE – Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination
  130. SPAC – Special Purpose Acquisition Company
  131. SPA – Share Purchase Agreement
  132. SMC – Scrum Master Certified
  133. SAFe – Scaled Agile Framework
  134. SWAG – Scientific Wild-Ass Guess
  135. SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
  136. TCO – Total Cost of Ownership
  137. TEV – Total Enterprise Value
  138. TQM – Total Quality Management
  139. VC – Venture Capital

Change Management Glossary of Terms

  1. Agile: An iterative approach to project management that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and responsiveness to change.
  2. Acquisition Integration: The process of combining the operations of two companies after an acquisition.
  3. Acquisition Premium: The amount by which the price paid for a company exceeds its fair market value.
  4. Acquirer: The company that is purchasing another company.
  5. Asset Sale: A type of acquisition where the buyer only purchases certain assets of the target company, rather than the entire company.
  6. Acquisition: The process of one company buying another company, either through a purchase of stock or assets.
  7. Amalgamation: The process of merging two or more companies into a new entity.
  8. Anti-Trust: Laws and regulations designed to prevent monopolies and promote competition in the marketplace.
  9. Asset Deal: A type of acquisition where the buyer only purchases certain assets of the target company, rather than the entire company.
  10. Adoption: The process of individuals or groups accepting and using new processes, technologies, or behaviors.
  11. Alignment: Ensuring that all parts of an organization are working towards the same goals and objectives.
  12. Analysis: The process of gathering and interpreting data to inform decision-making.
  13. Assessment: An evaluation of the current state of an organization or process to identify areas for improvement.
  14. Best Practices: The most effective and efficient ways of performing a task or achieving a goal, based on experience and research.
  15. Benchmarking: A process of comparing an organization’s performance against industry standards or best practices.
  16. Bid: An offer by a company to acquire another company.
  17. Business Consolidation: The process of combining two or more businesses to create a larger, more efficient entity.
  18. Business Process Reengineering: A method of restructuring an organization’s business processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
  19. Breakup Fee: A fee paid by the target company to the acquiring company if the acquisition does not close.
  20. Business Acquisition Loan: A loan used to finance the acquisition of a company.
  21. Buyout: An acquisition where the acquiring company purchases a controlling interest in the target company’s stock.
  22. Business Process Reengineering: A systematic approach to process improvement that involves radical redesign of processes to achieve significant improvements in performance.
  23. Change Agent: A person responsible for leading and managing change within an organization.
  24. Change Management: A systematic approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state.
  25. Capacity Building: The process of developing the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to implement and sustain change.
  26. Change Readiness: The degree to which an organization is prepared and willing to undergo a change initiative.
  27. Change Request: A formal request to modify a project or initiative.
  28. Coaching: The process of providing guidance and support to individuals or teams to improve their performance.
  29. Communication: The exchange of information and ideas between individuals or groups.
  30. Critical Path: The sequence of activities that must be completed on time for a project or initiative to meet its deadlines.
  31. Customer Focus: An organizational culture that prioritizes the needs and satisfaction of customers.
  32. Continuous Improvement: An ongoing process of identifying and improving processes and practices within an organization.
  33. Culture Change: The process of changing an organization’s culture, values, beliefs, and behaviors to align with strategic goals.
  34. Capital Structure: The mix of debt and equity financing used by a company to finance its operations.
  35. Cash Merger: A type of merger where the acquiring company pays for the target company in cash.
  36. Closing: The final stage of an acquisition, where all legal and financial agreements are finalized.
  37. Collateral: Assets pledged as security for a loan.
  38. Confidentiality Agreement: An agreement between two companies to keep confidential information private during the acquisition process.
  39. Consolidation: The process of combining two or more businesses to create a larger, more efficient entity.
  40. Contingent Consideration: Additional payment made to the seller of a company if certain conditions are met.
  41. Cross-Border Merger: A merger between companies located in different countries.
  42. Carve-Out: The process of separating a portion of a company’s assets or operations to create a new, independent company.
  43. Change of Control: A change in the ownership of a company that results from an acquisition.
  44. Closing Date: The date on which an acquisition is completed.
  45. Design Thinking: A human-centered approach to problem-solving that emphasizes empathy and experimentation.
  46. Data Analysis: The process of analyzing and interpreting data to inform decision-making.
  47. Decision-Making: The process of making choices among alternative courses of action.
  48. Disruption: A significant change that interrupts the status quo and requires adaptation and innovation to respond effectively.
  49. Culture: The shared beliefs, values, attitudes, behaviors, and practices that characterize an organization.
  50. Deal: The acquisition of one company by another company.
  51. Due Diligence: The process of conducting a comprehensive investigation of a company’s financial and legal status prior to acquisition.
  52. Dependency Management: The process of identifying and managing dependencies between different components of a project or initiative.
  53. Digital Transformation: The process of using technology to fundamentally change an organization’s business model or processes.
  54. Definitive Agreement: The final legal agreement that outlines the terms of an acquisition.
  55. Diligence: The process of conducting a comprehensive investigation of a company’s financial and legal status prior to acquisition.
  56. Disposition: The process of selling a company or business unit.
  57. Empowerment: Giving individuals or teams the authority and resources to make decisions and take action.
  58. Engagement: The degree to which individuals or groups are committed and involved in a change initiative.
  59. Earnout: Additional payments made to the seller of a company if certain financial goals are met.
  60. Equity Deal: A type of acquisition where the buyer purchases the entire company or a controlling interest in the company’s stock.
  61. Employee Engagement: The degree to which employees are committed, involved, and enthusiastic about their work and the organization.
  62. Evaluation: The process of assessing the effectiveness and impact of a change initiative.
  63. Executive Sponsorship: The involvement and support of senior leaders in a change initiative.
  64. Fair Market Value: The price a willing buyer would pay and a willing seller would accept in an arm’s length transaction.
  65. Financial Statements: Statements that provide information about a company’s financial performance, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
  66. Forward Merger: A merger in which the acquiring company is the larger company.
  67. Friendly Acquisition: An acquisition where the target company agrees to be acquired by the acquiring company.
  68. Feedback: Information provided to individuals or teams to help them improve their performance.
  69. Governance: The processes and policies that guide decision-making and ensure accountability within an organization.
  70. Golden Parachute: A compensation package for key executives of the target company if they are terminated as a result of the acquisition.
  71. Gap Analysis: An evaluation of the difference between an organization’s current state and desired future state.
  72. Governance Framework: A set of policies and procedures that guide decision-making and ensure accountability within an organization.
  73. Hostile Takeover: An acquisition where the target company does not agree to be acquired by the acquiring company.
  74. Innovation: The process of introducing new ideas, processes, or technologies to improve an organization’s performance.
  75. Interdependency: The relationships and dependencies between different components of a project or initiative.
  76. Integration: The process of combining the operations of two companies after an acquisition.
  77. Intellectual Property: Patents, trademarks, copyrights, and other intangible assets.
  78. Implementation: The process of putting a change initiative into action.
  79. Integration: The process of combining different components of a project or initiative into a cohesive whole.
  80. Joint Venture: A business agreement between two or more companies to pursue a specific project or business opportunity.
  81. Knowledge Management: The process of capturing, storing, and sharing knowledge within an organization.
  82. Leadership: The ability to inspire and motivate others to achieve common goals.
  83. Lean: A methodology focused on reducing waste and increasing efficiency within an organization.
  84. Learning Organization: An organization that prioritizes continuous learning and development.
  85. Leveraged Buyout: An acquisition where the acquiring company uses debt financing to purchase the target company.
  86. Letter of Intent: A non-binding agreement between the buyer and seller outlining the proposed terms of an acquisition.
  87. Leadership: The ability to inspire, guide, and influence others to achieve a common goal or vision.
  88. Lean Six Sigma: A methodology that combines the principles of Lean and Six Sigma to improve process efficiency and quality.
  89. Metrics: Quantitative and qualitative measures used to evaluate the success of a change initiative.
  90. Management Buyout (MBO): An acquisition where the management team of a company purchases the company from its current owners.
  91. Merger Agreement: The legal agreement that outlines the terms of a merger.
  92. Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce the likelihood or impact of a risk.
  93. Merger: The combination of two or more companies into a single entity.
  94. Measurement: The process of quantifying and assessing the impact and effectiveness of a change initiative.
  95. Net Assets: The value of a company’s assets minus its liabilities.
  96. Net Working Capital: The amount of a company’s current assets minus its current liabilities.
  97. Non-Core Assets: Assets that are not essential to a company’s core operations or business strategy and may be sold or divested. 
  98. Net Present Value: A financial measure that calculates the present value of future cash flows.
  99. Non-Disclosure Agreement: An agreement between two companies to keep confidential information private.
  100. Organizational Development: A process of planned change to improve an organization’s performance and effectiveness.
  101. Organizational Effectiveness: The ability of an organization to achieve its goals and objectives.
  102. Operating Synergies: Cost savings and increased efficiency that result from combining the operations of two companies.
  103. Organizational Change: The process of making significant changes to an organization’s structure, processes, or culture.
  104. Organizational Culture: The shared beliefs, values, attitudes, behaviors, and practices that characterize an organization and influence its performance
  105. Performance Management: The process of setting and measuring goals, evaluating progress, and providing feedback to improve performance.
  106. Project Management: The process of planning, organizing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals within a specified timeframe and budget.
  107. Performance Improvement: The process of improving an organization’s performance through changes to its processes, behaviors, or systems.
  108. Portfolio Management: The process of managing a collection of projects or initiatives to ensure alignment with strategic goals.
  109. Process Improvement: The process of identifying and improving an organization’s business processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
  110. Process Mapping: The process of visually mapping out the steps in a process to identify areas for improvement.
  111. Project Management: The process of planning, executing, and controlling a project to achieve specific goals and objectives.
  112. Purchase Agreement: The legal agreement that outlines the terms of an acquisition.
  113. Resistance: The natural human response to change, often characterized by reluctance, skepticism, and fear.
  114. Resistance Management: The process of identifying and managing resistance to change within an organization.
  115. Risk Management: The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with a change initiative.
  116. Restructuring: The process of making significant changes to a company’s operations or structure, often as a result of a merger or acquisition.
  117. Reverse Merger: A type of merger where a private company acquires a public company to become publicly traded.
  118. Readiness Assessment: An evaluation of an organization’s readiness for a change initiative.
  119. Reinforcement: The process of providing ongoing support and resources to ensure that a change initiative is sustained over time.
  120. Reverse Merger: A merger in which the acquiring company is the smaller company.
  121. Risk Assessment: An evaluation of the likelihood and potential impact of risks associated with a change initiative.
  122. Sponsorship: The process of securing support and resources from key stakeholders to ensure the success of a change initiative.
  123. Stakeholder Management: The process of identifying, engaging, and managing stakeholders who are affected by a change initiative.
  124. Strategic Planning: The process of setting long-term goals and determining the best course of action to achieve them.
  125. Seller Financing: A financing arrangement where the seller of a company provides the financing for the buyer.
  126. Spin-Off: The process of creating a new, independent company by separating a portion of an existing company’s assets or operations.
  127. Stock Deal: A type of acquisition where the buyer purchases the target company’s stock.
  128. Strategic Acquisition: An acquisition made to achieve strategic goals, such as entering a new market or acquiring new technology.
  129. Strategic Alliance: A business agreement between two or more companies to pursue a specific project or business opportunity.
  130. Subsidiary: A company that is controlled by another company, known as the parent company.
  131. Synergy: The benefits that result from combining the operations of two companies, such as increased efficiency and cost savings.
  132. Stakeholder Analysis: The process of identifying and assessing the needs and interests of stakeholders who are affected by a change initiative.
  133. Stakeholder Engagement: The process of involving stakeholders in a change initiative to ensure that their needs and interests are addressed.
  134. Strategic Alignment: Ensuring that a change initiative is aligned with an organization’s overall strategy and goals.
  135. Strategic Change: A change initiative that is designed to achieve strategic goals and objectives.
  136. Systemic Change: A change initiative that is designed to fundamentally transform an organization’s structure, processes, or culture.
  137. Sustainability: The ability of a change initiative to be maintained over time and integrated into an organization’s culture and operations
  138. Sponsor: An individual or group with the authority, resources, and influence to support and champion a change initiative.
  139. Stakeholder: An individual or group that is affected by or has an interest in a change initiative.
  140. Team Building: The process of developing relationships and trust among team members to improve performance.
  141. Transformation: A process of profound and radical change that fundamentally alters an organization’s structure, processes, culture, or strategy.
  142. Transformational Change: A change initiative that is designed to fundamentally transform an organization’s structure, processes, or culture to achieve significant and lasting improvements in performance.
  143. Transition Management: The process of managing the human side of change, including addressing resistance, building buy-in, and ensuring adoption.
  144. Triangulation: The process of using multiple sources of data or perspectives to validate findings or make decisions.
  145. Target Company: The company being acquired in an acquisition.
  146. Tender Offer: An offer by a company to purchase the stock of another company at a premium.
  147. Valuation: The process of determining the value of a company.
  148. Value Stream Mapping: A process improvement technique that visually maps out the steps in a process to identify areas for improvement and waste reduction.
  149. Vision: A statement that defines an organization’s desired future state and provides a sense of purpose and direction
  150. Visionary Leadership: A leadership style that emphasizes creating a compelling vision for the future and inspiring others to achieve it.
  151. Workflow: The sequence of tasks and activities that make up a process.
  152. Workforce Planning: The process of identifying and addressing current and future workforce needs to support organizational goals.

About The Author

Tahir Abbas

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