Famous singer/songwriter Bob Dylan once crooned, "The times, they are a-changin'." For many people these changes are inconvenient, as they require adaptation. However, when it comes to the health of companies, changes are incredibly important for a variety of reasons, especially if they want to keep chugging along.

Accommodation of Growth

As a company grows and expands, it takes on more projects, clients, production and work. While the structure that was in place prior to this growth may have been sufficient to keep operations going, growth can force a company to make structural changes to accommodate the new workload. For example, more people may need to be hired, which would result in a need for more managers and supervisors to coordinate the new worker's efforts. Without changes like these, an organization could quickly become disorganized and overwhelmed.

Identify and Fix Problems

As an organization continues to operate and the environment it operates in continues to evolve, it may find out that one of the processes it's been relying on no longer works as effectively as it could. For example, a company that is repeatedly facing suits for sexual harassment may consider changing its training protocol to encompass sexual harassment protocol. Changes such as these can help address issues that continually complicate operations, and save money as time goes on.

Keep Up to Date with Technology

Another motivation for change in an organization may be the need to keep up to date on market trends and technology. Technology is changing at an incredibly rapid pace, and a failure to keep up with it can have devastating effects. For example, a company that fails to update its assembly line may be beat out by a company that has newer technology, can produce more products at a quicker rate, and therefore offers a lower price. While it may seem like a lot of bother to change your legacy systems, the efficiencies and cost-savings on offer can more than compensate for the hassle factor.

Keep Up with Changing Customer Expectations

Over time, customers have grown more sophisticated and what used to be good enough no longer is. An example is the huge change in consumers' tastes in coffee and the rise of the latte and other specialty coffees. Consumers now expect wireless internet to be available for free in cafes, hotels and gathering spaces. Business must respond to these changing expectations or else they will fall behind their competition.

Seize New Opportunities

While change may seem inconvenient in an organizational setting, the promotion of that change can not only benefit your company via the alterations made, but by the attention it brings to the organization. Stores that advertise with signs that they are "under new management" may bring in new customers. Companies that change their pay and benefits structure may be able to hire more people, or attract job candidates of a higher caliber.

New Income Streams

A company takes a risk every time it introduces a new product or service to the market. However, these changes are also some of the only ways to develop new avenues for revenue generation. By making changes, expanding production or adding a new department to an office, you can diversify the sources of income for your company, helping the bottom line.