Change is inevitable.
Whether you’re just beginning to draft your design documents or have already secured approval from all stakeholders, being prepared for change is essential.
During the design and prototyping phases, a well-defined process makes managing change straightforward. However, once customers become involved – demanding alterations to fully approved requirements – things can get complicated.
Navigating the Complexity of Change Requests
Change requests come in many forms:
- An Excel file full of updates
- A new ReqIF document
- Informal client emails
- (Or even the occasional WhatsApp message – if that’s you, we sympathize!)
Without a clear, structured process, managing these requests can feel overwhelming.
Key questions quickly arise:
- What does the requested change mean for your team and organization?
- How do you estimate the cost, assess the risks, and determine the impact?
Analyzing, reviewing, and making decisions on these changes can seem daunting – especially if you’re lacking the tools to streamline and structure the process.
Establishing a Robust Change Management Process
To manage change effectively, you need two things: structure and clarity.
Step 1: Capture and Organize
Start by implementing an efficient system to record all change requests – regardless of source or format.
Step 2: Define a Review Process
Once captured, every request should move through a clear review workflow involving the Change Control Board (CCB). This group provides recommendations for approval or rejection, with input from:
- Project managers
- Product managers
- Program managers
Step 3: Assess Scope and Impact
The affected teams must then:
- Estimate the internal effort
- Conduct impact analysis and risk evaluation
- Assign specific tasks across relevant disciplines
The customer should remain engaged – particularly if the change introduces additional cost or requires a formal order.
Step 4: Final Approval
After completing the review and assessment, the change can be formally approved or rejected by the Change Request Manager or Program Manager, in collaboration with the client.
Step 5: Report and Monitor
Comprehensive reporting at every stage is critical. It helps identify bottlenecks and maintain visibility over the entire change management process.
Partner with Kanzen for Seamless Change Management
At Kanzen, we turn change management from a daunting task into a streamlined, integrated workflow.
We specialize in leveraging Codebeamer’s ALM platform to create flexible, scalable processes that align with your operational environment. We don’t just implement tools – we deliver complete solutions tailored to your needs.
What We Offer
For organizations needing detailed change tracking, we provide:
- Sophisticated trackers
- Automated workflows
- Risk assessment matrices
- Multi-stage review processes
All seamlessly integrated with your existing systems.
For agile teams, we offer lightweight templates that reduce complexity while keeping your workflows fast and focused.
Why Choose Kanzen?
- Platform Analysis: We dive deep into your current setup to understand your needs.
- Custom Configuration: We craft workflows that match your team’s rhythm.
- Tracker and Template Creation: We build efficient artifacts tailored to your processes.
- User Training: We ensure smooth adoption across your team.
- Ongoing Support: We continuously optimize your approach for peak performance.
Let’s Turn Change Into Opportunity
With Kanzen, Codebeamer becomes your single source of truth – every change tracked, every link maintained, every decision documented.
By eliminating manual processes and embedding change management directly into your requirements, testing, and development workflows, we ensure flexibility isn’t just a feature – it’s a promise.
If you’re facing challenges in managing customer-driven changes, reach out to us. We’ll give you a free guided session to help you get started and show you how to turn change into a competitive advantage.
DISCLAIMER: While all our content is researched and written in-house, we do use generative AI tools to refine our writing style and produce accompanying images.