What is a Change Request and How to Manage It Effectively
A change request is a proposal to alter a product or system and it is often brought up by the client or another team member.
Summary
- Change requests are inevitable and often legitimate - In constantly changing business environments, nobody knows exactly what they will need at project start, making resistance futile and management essential, with three key questions determining merit: what is the change, what is the benefit, and how important is it
- Inside vs. outside scope determines impact - Inside-scope requests involve small corrections with minimal budget impact, while outside-scope changes take considerable time and significantly affect budgets, potentially causing over-budget problems or wasted effort on unagreed work
- Five-step process prevents miscommunication - Request supporting materials with written articulation of why and anticipated benefits, determine scope impact on all project aspects, have team assess priority using common sense (clients might not know their best interests), approve or reject with appropriate authority level, then update all deliverables and communicate new course of action to impacted stakeholders. See how Tallyfy manages change requests with built-in audit trails
During a project, a change request can often be met with dread.
But the fact is, they’re a reality in the business world and often, change requests are submitted for legitimate reasons. In our constantly changing business environment, it’s impossible for anyone to really know exactly what they will need to achieve their objectives at the start of a project.
So the best way to handle change is by managing it rather than avoiding it.
Although teams should resist unnecessary changes, it’s important to stay open to new opportunities that could bring more value to the project and the organization. This article will explain what a change request is and discuss five steps for effectively manage them.
What is a change request
A change request is a proposal to alter a product or system, often brought up by the client or another team member.
During a project, this can happen when a client wants to change or alter the agreed upon deliverables. Change requests can also be initiated internally as well and can include things like changing or upgrading software.
In general, there are two types of change requests: those that are inside the scope and those that are outside the scope of the project.
Change requests that are inside the scope involve small corrections to an existing requirement. They usually have minimal impact on the budget or the rest of the team.
On the other hand, change requests that are outside the scope take a considerable amount of time to implement and have a more sizeable impact on the budget.
But a change request is often inevitable and should be expected at some point in any project. That’s just reality.
And when the entire team is up-to-date on the change request it can be dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner. It’s the change requests that are not approved or not communicated to the other team members that ultimately cause a problem.
Once a change request has been made, the entire team should be informed and they can come to an agreement about how to satisfy the request without using unnecessary resources.
There are three important questions to ask about any change request:
- What is the change?
- What is the benefit?
- How important is it to you?
Without a formal approval system, change requests can become chaotic - requests get lost, approvals are unclear, and there is no record of who approved what and when. Here is a solution designed specifically for managing approvals with complete visibility and accountability.
Approval Management Made Easy
5 steps for managing change requests
There are a lot of obstacles to overcome when trying to deliver on a project.
A change request will often come up throughout the course of most projects so it’s a good idea to have a plan for how to handle them ahead of time. Often, change requests are necessary and can offer many benefits.
Managing this process in an effective way can allow for greater internal communication, efficiency, and alignment with overall business goals.
Here are five tips on effectively managing change requests:
Request supporting materials
You want the person who is making the change to be as specific as possible.
Ask that person to put their request in writing and provide any supporting materials that might be helpful. Have that person articulate why they are requesting this change and what the anticipated benefit of their change request is.
This will help your team determine whether or not the change request is worth the effort.
Determine whether the change request is inside or outside scope
It’s a good idea to consider what the scope of the change request is.
If your team chooses to implement this change, what new requirements will this put on the project? You will want to consider all aspects of the project that will be impacted by implementing this change request.
If the request is outside of the scope, a lot of problems might end up popping up - going over-budget, for example.
Or having to waste too much time on a project you had never even agreed on.
Have your team assess priority
Before your team implements any changes to the project you should consider any possible risks. At Tallyfy, we have seen that this risk assessment step is the one most often skipped by operations teams, usually to their regret.
What is the expected benefit of the change being proposed? Is this change request the result of an actual need to respond to a change in the marketplace or would it simply be nice to have? This distinction matters more than most people realize.
You can consider the opinion of the person who proposed the change request, but at the same time, use common sense.
The client might not know what is in their own best interests. Have clearly defined guidelines for evaluating the urgency as there may be varying opinions amongst team members.
Approve or reject the request
Now that you know how important (or unimportant) the change request is and understand the impact it will have on the project, the team can either approve or reject the request.
Different organizations will have different ways of going about the approval process.
Generally, a change request that will require minimal additional work can be approved within the team. Whereas a change request that would require a month of additional work may require executive approval.
Decide on a course of action
If the change request is approved then the project deliverables will need to be updated.
This can include plans and schedules, business process documents, and the requirements documents. Once these updates have been made, the project manager can communicate the new course of action to everyone who will be impacted.
Now you can delegate the necessary tasks to the people in charge of implementing these new changes.
Manage change requests with a structured approval workflow
Conclusion
The best way to handle proposed changes to a project is to have the right processes in place to manage them.
A sure-fire way to do that is by using the right workflow software. This ensures that none of the essential steps are missed, and everyone is on the same page with what is going on.
Tallyfy can help you manage and track your workflow and will ensure that every team member stays in the loop.
And because every step is recorded, you have a built in an audit trail that will allow you to go back and retrace your steps if something goes wrong.
Ready to manage change requests more effectively? Schedule a free demonstration to see how Tallyfy can help.
Related questions
What is meant by change request?
A change request is like asking to make an adjustment to the recipe when you are cooking a cake.
It’s the formal way to recommend changes to something - a project, product or process that is already in motion. Think of it as if you are building a treehouse, but when you are already halfway through, you think - I want a slide into a swimming pool!
That is precisely what a change request is designed to do - give you a place to suggest changes to the original plan (work), and manage that change, so at the end you have a visual, written record of what is changing and why.
What is an example of a change request?
Imagine this: You are organizing a birthday party, and you have invited over everyone for a picnic in the park.
All of a sudden, there is a rainy forecast. A change request in this case would be wanting the party to be held indoors.
At work, this may be asking for added features on a software project, an extension of a deadline date or for the materials that are being used for a construction project.
It’s a way of adjusting to changing conditions or new demands that develop in the course of the journey.
What are the reasons for a change request?
Change requests are the plot twists in a novel - they occur for all kinds of reasons.
In some instances, it is because someone had a great idea about how to make things better. Sometimes it is a matter of solving a problem no one saw coming.
It might be because of changes in the market, new regulations, or even something a customer has said.
Think of it as a means to ensure that your project doesn’t become obsolete before it’s even completed. Change requests help keep things flexible and responsive, sort of like how a chameleon changes colors to adapt to its environment.
What are the four different types of change requests?
Change control requests are as varied as ice cream.
There’s a “whoops, we need to fix that” kind, which is largely about correcting errors, the “we screwed up” type, and so on. And then there’s the “let us make it even better” type, interested in enhancement and improvement.
The third type is the “wait, we need to change direction” request, in response to major project scope or goal changes.
And finally, there’s probably the most common request of all: “let us bring this thing up to date” - which is used to update a project to new technologies, regulations, market conditions.
Each kind is useful in different situations to ensure that projects progress smoothly and in the most recently updated state.
About the Author
Amit is the CEO of Tallyfy. He is a workflow expert and specializes in process automation and the next generation of business process management in the post-flowchart age. He has decades of consulting experience in task and workflow automation, continuous improvement (all the flavors) and AI-driven workflows for small and large companies. Amit did a Computer Science degree at the University of Bath and moved from the UK to St. Louis, MO in 2014. He loves watching American robins and their nesting behaviors!
Follow Amit on his website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit, X (Twitter) or YouTube.
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