changemanagementprocedure

A changemanagementprocedure is a formal, structured process for managing changes to information technology services, infrastructure, applications, and related business processes. It ensures changes are evaluated, approved, implemented, and reviewed in a controlled manner to minimize risk and service disruption.

Scope and applicability: The procedure covers all changes that could affect production environments or critical operations. Standard or pre-approved changes may follow a streamlined path, while emergency changes can use a separate fast-track process, with a post-change review to confirm outcomes.

Process steps: A Change Request is submitted with a description, business justification, impact, urgency, affected configuration items, backout plan, and testing requirements. The change is evaluated by a Change Authority or Change Advisory Board (CAB) for risk, impact, resources, and schedule. A decision to approve, conditionally approve, or reject is recorded. Approved changes are scheduled, implemented according to a detailed plan, and tested in appropriate environments. After implementation, the change is validated, operations are restored, documentation updated, and a post-implementation review conducted. The change is then closed and logged with an audit trail.

Roles and governance: Common roles include the Change Owner, Change Initiator/Requester, Change Manager, and the CAB. The procedure supports IT service management frameworks such as ITIL and aligns with regulatory and governance requirements. Tools typically provide change tickets, backout plans, approvals, and audit logging.

Outcomes and metrics: The objective is continual improvement and risk reduction, measured by change success rate, mean time to implement, and adherence to schedules. Additional metrics may include the number of emergency changes, failed changes, and outcomes of post-implementation reviews.