Overview

Any change to a specialist product whether outlined as a Request for Change or Off-Specification starts as a Project Issue and will likely have an effect on cost or time constraints. Dealing with these changes is outlined in the Change Control Approach. It is needed because once a product has been approved (i.e. successfully passed its Quality Review) it cannot be changed without approval from the Project Board.

Once entered into the Issue Log the required change is investigated using impact analysis. If within Tolerances the sub process CS7 Taking Corrective Action is used to implement the change, if not the sub process CS8 Escalating Project Issues is used and, if necessary, an Exception Report is presented to the Project Board during the sub process DP4 Giving ad hoc Direction. If chosen to be implemented without corrective action it is called a Concession, if the change will impact adversely on the project or stage an Exception Plan is requested.

Tips

• A change may impact more than just the customer, it may impact the business, user or supplier as well.
• Contracts stipulating costs to be borne by the supplier will alter who has the decision authority for making changes.

Notes

• Describes the way Project Issues requesting a change to an approved product should be dealt with
• The Project Manager may chose not to make a decision and instead refer the issue to the Senior User (who may class it as pending, rejected or accepted)
• The Project Manager decides if the DP5 Confirming Project Closure should be implemented within existing constraints (and should discuss this with the Senior User and Senior Supplier)
• If the problem is unable to be solved by the Project Manager within the project's Tolerance margins an Exception Report is created (CS8 Escalating Project Issues)
• The Project Manager should NOT however authorise any changes on existing approved products, this is the responsibility of the Project Board in cases where there is an overall 'Change Body' in the organisation they, not the members of the Project Board, will have ultimate authority over change issues.

Case studies and examples

Related links

• Search our forum for 'Change Control Technique'
• Request for Change
• Off-Specification
• Issue Log
• Quality Review
• SB6 Producing an Exception Plan.