

Version control software tools assist with documentation and prevent more than one person from making changes to code at the same time. Change is not addressed in the middle of an iteration, however changes are scheduled as stories or features for future iterations. Agile software development environments encourage changes that are made to satisfy requirements and/or adjust the user interface. In software development project management, change management strategies and tools help developers manage changes to code and its associated documentation and enable chief information officers (CIOs) to keep projects on track. When a change request is declined, this is also documented and kept as part of the project archives.Ĭhange management for software development Changes that are not entered through a control system are labeled defects. When an incremental change has been approved, the project manager documents the change in one of four standard change control systems to ensure all thoughts and insight have been captured with the change request. Changes to the project may affect procurement of materials and contract labor. Even minor changes can have a domino effect on the project and introduce logistical, financial or security risks. Change requests must be evaluated to determine what risks they pose. Approved change requests must be communicated to the appropriate stakeholders at the appropriate time.


When the project schedule changes, the project manager may lose key resources to other assignments. Change requests must be evaluated to determine if additional or specialized labor is required.

An acceleration of the project schedule, in particular, can affect quality as defects can occur if work is rushed. Change requests must be evaluated to determine how they will affect the quality of the completed project. Labor is typically the largest expense on a project, so overages on completing project tasks can quickly drive changes to the project costs. Change requests must be evaluated to determine how they will affect project costs. Change requests must be assessed to determine how they will alter the project schedule. Change requests must be evaluated to determine how they will affect the project scope. Project areas that change control experts should pay particular attention to include the following: Project managers, or the senior executives in charge of change control, must examine how a change in one area of the project could affect other areas and what impact that change could have on the project as a whole. Change management for project managementĬhange management plays an important role in project management because each change request must be evaluated for its impact on the project. Below are examples of how change management works for project management, software development and IT infrastructure. To understand how change management works, it helps to apply its concepts and tools to specific areas of business. Documentation is a critical component of change management - not only to maintain an audit trail should a rollback become necessary, but also to ensure compliance with internal and external controls, including regulatory compliance. There must be a process for planning and testing change, communicating change, scheduling and implementing change, documenting change and evaluating its effects. To be effective, the change management strategy must take into consideration how an adjustment or replacement will impact processes, systems and employees within the organization.
