ITIL describes change management as the process of monitoring and managing change throughout its life cycle, from start to finish, with the objective of minimizing risk. Setting up a systematic change management process helps organizations implement changes without incident and with a high success rate. Change management plays an important role in the area of service transition, as it is part of the ITIL framework and offers best practices for creating, implementing, and transitioning services. When it comes to communicating changes, some people mistakenly believe that sending multiple emails to colleagues will cause them to change their minds. However, this is not the case.
An effective change management process requires a comprehensive plan that involves all stakeholders. This plan should include an assessment of the impact of the change, a timeline for implementation, and a strategy for communication. An emergency change is one that requires urgent attention and must be implemented as soon as possible. A normal change is one that is not standard or emergency and usually requires a major change in a service or in the IT infrastructure. The goal of incident management is to restore services as soon as possible, while change management finds a permanent solution.
A change request is typically created by the person, process, or business unit that requires the change. It is essential that all stakeholders participate in the plan, as it will be important for successful change management. We can even say that change management is the key factor in transforming an organization from a regular service provider to a business innovator. An Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB) can also be established to meet quickly when emergency changes arise; this training should be included in the policy. Designing a standardized change management process with management approval will help organizations manage changes quickly, economically, and effectively when they occur.
Major changes are transmitted to the CAB for evaluation, while minor changes are immediately evaluated and authorized by the change manager. It is crucial to differentiate the functions & responsibilities of change and version management to avoid any conflict. Change management interacts with other ITIL service management processes throughout the service life cycle, including problem and configuration management. Change management is an essential process for companies to carry out quality control and implement new changes smoothly. The biggest mistake I often see in managing change is that company leaders don't usually involve managers in the process of adopting, promoting, and facilitating the changes that need to take place.
Identifying trends in service consumption, measuring the impact of changes, and demonstrating a reduction in business disruptions due to changes are important improvements that help link change management results with business objectives. Such a change requires an in-depth change proposal with financial justification and appropriate levels of management approval.
