Even in well-planned projects it could happen that a need for a change arises. In fact, during a project, it can often happen that stakeholders ask for a change request because they want to change the project scope. Let’s see what a change request is and how you can manage it.
What is a change request?
A change request is a formal proposal for an alteration to some product or system. A change request often arises when stakeholders want to add or change one or more project deliverables. In fact, this type of change could involve an additional feature or an extension of service. As change requests are beyond the scope that has been agreed upon, it generally requires an accurate assessment. This assessment will aim at determining the impact on time, cost, quality, and benefits if the change is implemented.
How to manage a change request?
If you want to maximize the chance for project success, you need to carefully manage change requests. In fact, uncontrolled changes to the project plan can cause chaos and confusion within the project team. So you need to have a change control process in place. This process provides you with a way to document, evaluate and prioritise changes so that each change has a defined, measurable aim in contributing to project success.
Why is change control process is important?
Change control is extremely important in project management. In fact, the change control process ensures that each change proposed during a project is adequately defined, reviewed and approved before proceeding with the implementation. The change control process helps avoid unessential changes that might disrupt services. Moreover, this process also helps to ensure the efficient use of resources.
Keep in mind
As the pace of change today is so fast, it is highly probable that projects will face the demand for change during their lifecycle. On one hand, we know that change may help ensure the project’s alignment with business needs. On the other hand, it is important to consider and approve each change carefully in order to maximize the chance for project success.
