It is highly unlikely that your project is going to go exactly how you intended it to when you put the plan together. In most cases, there will be a number of changes that are required along the way. This is why change management is a critical element of any project. This is a strategic and structured approach in terms of transitioning individuals, teams, and the organisation to the desired state. With that being said, read on to discover everything you need to know about change management.
The importance of change control
A lot of project managers and business owners do not see why change control needs to be a managed process. However, if there is no formal procedure, it is highly likely that there will be big mistakes in terms of handling changes. Plus, there are a number of different reasons why changes can occur, including both external and internal factors. These changes can have a big impact on major elements of your project, including schedules, costs, and resource allocation. If there is no managed or documented process, you and your stakeholders (and team members too!) can easily end up on different pages.
Process for controlling changes
When it comes to controlling changes within your project, you need to ensure that there is a structured approach that is followed. This should be a six-step process, which is as follows:
- Record the change. It needs to be formally requested and there needs to be a document put together that explains the significance of the change, as well as the impact of it and an estimate of any complication.
- The change then needs to be evaluated using a risk analysis.
- There needs to be a plan put together, which should incorporate a regression plan.
- The build stage involves the team building the solution and testing it, so that the change can then be approved so it can be implemented.
- Implement the change.
- Officially close the change once the customer has agreed to it.
Formal change management document
In terms of your formal change management document, there are a number of different areas that will need to be covered. This includes the following:
- Change request forms and logs
- Change management goals
- Project scope change
- Responsibilities
- Change management model
- Project schedule change
- Project cost change
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding change management. If you follow the process that has been mentioned above and take the advice that has been provided into account, you should be able to manage changes more effectively. Not only this, but the vast majority of project management courses and project management apprenticeships today will have an in-depth section on managing changes.
