Change control is incredibly important for organisations in 2022 and we can see ways in which businesses are missing out!
At Escone Solutions we take pride in how we manage change control, working together with our clients to assess their needs and wants, which we can then scope and assess the practical changes required.
Business applications change is not an overnight process and has to be documented, tested, and approved before going live. All businesses want their projects to be managed and implemented successfully. However, problems can often arise if change control is not adhered to correctly.
An example of this is businesses may not know what is happening in their current systems due to knowledge not being transferred. This may be due to several reasons such as staff turnover, knowledge not being shared or lack of documentation.
Some quick-fire questions we ask our clients are:
- Do you have documentation on your current system?
- Do you have a test systems environment?
- Do you carry out systems testing before implementing things into your Live system?
- Do you implement changes into Live without documentation or formal sign-off?
This then paints a picture for us of where you are as a business and where we can best help you to achieve your goals and aims.
Our Change Control Process
This allows our experts internally to assess the changes required and be as transparent with clients as possible in the present and for later in the future when changes will be reviewed and assessed. This allows new staff in the future to have a clear view of change control decisions and routes taken by the department. This process benefits both the client and Escone as we have set out a successful way of aiding businesses to plan for the future and assess changes to their internal systems.
Key considerations during the Change Control process
- Documentation – Having detailed documentation is vital for any business! It allows you to keep a record and retain the knowledge of the original system and any changes and adaptions which have been made within the organisation. Having documented statements of requirements and test plans, for example, allows complete access and an auditable paper trail for future or current use. Without documentation, it is possible that individuals are not sure what is going on and do not have documentation to prove certain changes were made or adapted.
- Transparency – Having a requirements gathering session ensures both the client and consultant understand the changes which are being proposed and that they are both on the same page. It also allows the consultant to be transparent and advise on best practices or other solutions which they may find work better for the client’s needs.
- Approvals – Having each step of the change control signed off and agreed upon by the client before it is executed reduces the chance of project failure. For example, without user acceptance testing (UAT), a project could be in the live system before the client realises the change is not what they wanted, or it is not working properly!
- Compliance/Audit Purposes – Having approved documentation at every step ensures that there is a paper trail which can be audited and used to show why and when changes were made or approved!
If you think discussing your businesses change control needs with us would be beneficial, click here 👉 https://bit.ly/2TM0FVK
