| Change Management is a critical piece for | | | | Once the website administrator has finished the initial |
| corporations. Large corporations depend on it for | | | | change management request form (electronic or |
| anything that affects their production environment. | | | | hardcopy) it goes up one level to his direct manager |
| But what is change management at all? Change | | | | and with his approval the change management |
| Management is the process that kicks in when a | | | | request is being distributed among departmental |
| change is made to the production environment of a | | | | points of contact that have been defined in an earlier |
| business. For the matter of this article we will use an | | | | process. The different departments and business |
| Information Technology related case to explain | | | | groups review the change management request to |
| Change Management. | | | | evaluate the impact to the department or group. If |
| Company "A" uses change management to keep | | | | no impact is visible or if a possible impact is already |
| track of changes to its web servers. The change | | | | addressed and covered in the change request the |
| management process also allows to inform all internal | | | | department or group approves the change |
| business units and departments of the upcoming | | | | management. If a possible impact is not addressed |
| change to the web servers and what parts of the | | | | the group or department denies approval and ask for |
| business are affected by this change. The change | | | | more information or how the issue in question will be |
| management process is started by the decision to | | | | addressed. Approval for the change request goes to |
| update the web servers with a newer version of the | | | | "pending". |
| web application. The website administrators, the QA | | | | Once all issues are addressed and worked out and |
| department and the developers have finished the | | | | every necessary approval has been submitted the |
| final testing of the new application update and now it | | | | change management request awaits one more step - |
| is time to go live. | | | | CTO (Chief Technology Officer) or CIO (Chief |
| The website administrator starts the process by | | | | Information Officer) approval might be required. This |
| writing down the purpose of the change and what | | | | process makes sure that a track record of changes |
| steps are required to complete the task. He also | | | | that affect the business is created and that every |
| describes the impact to internal and external users | | | | group, every department and the business |
| and which departments of the business might be | | | | management are aware of what is going on. |
| affected (example: external customer service). The | | | | Some critics see change management as a process |
| description of these tasks for the update are usually | | | | that slows down the ability to act fast when needed. |
| high level and not too detailed. The reason for this is | | | | Others see it as assurance for continuing business |
| more to inform the business about the change and | | | | success as department A might not realize how big |
| not to list an exact how to step by step guide. | | | | the impact of a proposed change is to department B. |