KB & Associates, LLC

In the business world, change is the only true constant. And the ability to adapt and respond to changes effectively is what differentiates the performers from the underperformers.

Having worked as a project manager in her early professional life, Kindra Benavidez became well aware of this harsh reality. At the time, she saw her employer try to address every organizational need solely with technology. Whether they were introducing national programs, modifying existing ones, or bringing organizational-, technical-, or process-related changes into the system, they only looked at it from a technological point of view.

Unfortunately, many project sponsors never realized that their people and organizational processes were unprepared for these changes. “While planning and managing change are pivotal, it is equally important for organizations to understand how ready they are for the change, which includes their people, process, and technology. To do this, data takes center stage for informed decision making about readiness. That is what I wanted to offer to my customers," she says. And so she did— not under the banner of her employer— but as an independent Senior Project Manager and Organizational Development consultant at KB & Associates, LLC.

Founded by Kindra in 2008, KB & Associates, LLC is an organizational development and project management consulting firm located in Olympia, WA. Customers are typically state agencies, non-profits, or municipalities that are seeking to implement innovative programs or modernizing aging technology systems and supporting processes. The company can take any organization’s goals from conception to reality, whether technical or non-technical, big or small. They use proven tools and techniques to assist customers in successfully planning and implementing organizational development projects uniquely. "Success depends on how much employees, customers, and stakeholders are informed about, prepared for, and invested in upcoming changes. This is where the “softer” skills of communication, leadership, and engagement come into play. We provide tailored guidance and hands-on support in these areas to further protect and enhance productivity so transitions are effective and smooth, and outcomes are measurable” says Kindra. The company’s team members each have proven experience to help envision, plan, lead, and successfully implement a these organizational and technology efforts. Throughout each project, the team’s services integrates managing the people's side of change, which is critical for the organizations’ success.

Dealing with the Data Conundrum

With expertise in implementing change management for state government agencies and other municipal and non-profit entities, KB & Associates, LLC begins an engagement by first understanding their clients’ business needs and challenges. Next, they make thorough assessments, and develop concrete action plans before leading companies and their stakeholders through change. This includes examining the data, translating complex program and/or policy information, and holding crucial conversations with the management teams.

Once the clients’ vision for change is clear, KB & Associates, LLC uses strategic planning, change management, and project management methodologies to identify their “where to go” “how to get there” and “how to measure success” along the way.

KB & Associates, LLC approaches every organizational development effort like a project. It is simply not enough to want your organization to change. We turn your ideas for change into results

As Kindra puts it, “We build the approach based on assessed needs, track progress, measure outcomes, coordinate accountability, and make recommendations to ensure goals stay on track through completion.”

But the process doesn’t end just there. With its transition management services, KB & Associates, LLC helps its customers’ management teams learn how to lead their staff through change, and reinforce change to continue to enhance performance. They also deliver project management support, which is crucial to ensuring that the change is implemented effectively. The team’s capability to consider all the different aspects of a project and manage them within the state governments' limited resources has enabled the firm to maintain a strong hold on the market.

An Expertise Honed by Hands-On Experience

KB & Associates, LLC' value proposition can be validated with its association with two large state agencies in Washington that collaborated on a project. This particular project was the first-of-its-kind program integration in U.S. with a large technology system impacts. The change not only modernized major computer systems, but also integrated two lines of business into one. KB & Associates, LLC was brought in to manage the project's change management aspect.

Having identified all the requirements, KB & Associates, LLC employed the firms’ integrated change management and project management frameworks to produce major measurable, tangible, sustainable results. The company laid a plan to define what process changes had to happen in all the areas. “With our project management services, we were able to work with the technical project managers, speak their language, and collaborate with them to realize the organizational change as the technical change was realized,” explains Kindra.

And the firm demonstrated its ability to help its customer to set goals and measure success along the way. The executive sponsor had a goal of having 60 percent of the 4,000 external users engaged during this change's early access stage. With KB & Associates, LLC approach, sponsor expectations were exceeded with engagement reaching more than 89 percent. Further, in terms of the internal users, the company successfully implemented significant business changes across two agencies. There were impacts in 61 areas across those agencies, and the team carried out 404 business process changes as part of its organizational change readiness effort.

The engagement and business process metrics enabled sponsors to know – not wonder – if they were ready for the change.

And they used the metrics, in addition to technology system readiness metrics, to make the decision to “go live” with the change. These metrics speak volumes about the capabilities KB & Associates, LLC delivered to the customer in this engagement, and highlights how the firm has made its mark in the change management space.

"We use proven tools and techniques to assist our customers in successfully planning and implementing organizational development projects. We are successful in executing these efforts using a variety of tools and following our core methodology"

The Visionary behind KB & Associates, LLC

Capabilities and customer acceptance aside, what drives the company towards success is its leadership. Glance over Kindra's background and one can clearly see that she holds extensive experience providing organizational development, organizational change management, and project management consultation to public and private sector organizations. She is an enthusiastic and practiced consultant with a proven ability to cultivate high-performing teams, help others develop their leadership skills and their ability to effectively manage change. She was among the first 500 individuals world-wide to earn the Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP™) designation from the Association of Change Management Professionals. This credential reaffirms her experience and skills to effectively manage change while also demonstrating her commitment to personal development in the discipline of change management.

Kindra also spends an ample amount of time nurturing new talent—ones that can augment her capabilities and join her in a quest to ensure the continued success of KB & Associates, LLC. The company’s team members have played an important role in organizational change efforts for a wide range of public and private entities for over 20 years. Additionally, KB & Associates, LLC use proven tools and techniques to assist their customers in successfully planning and implementing organizational development projects. The company has been successful in executing these efforts using a variety of tools and following their core methodology. As Kindra states, “KB & Associates, LLC approaches every organizational development effort like a project. It is simply not enough to want your organization to change. The change envisioned must be fully explored, planned, executed, and closely managed for optimal results. Our customers don’t have to wonder if they are ready to “go-live” with a change…we show them the data that informs that critical decision. We are an outstanding choice to help you achieve your vision with exceptional organizational results.”

Kindra envisions continuing this legacy in change management and project management into the future. KB & Associates, LLC aims to expand in Washington state, especially within Olympia the home to many of the state agencies with which the firm consults. "I see a lot of opportunity to help state agencies modernize their systems and processes, maximize engagement and add value to the staff and the stakeholders, including the taxpayers. Our customers have a lot of ideas. We’ll be there helping turn those ideas into results," adds Kindra.