By IT Brew Staff
less than 3 min read
Definition:
Change management is a systematized process for adding, modifying, or removing parts of IT services with a minimum of disruption. IT professionals who are skilled in change management can handle these implementations in an efficient way, with relatively little risk to those IT services.
Key takeaways
It’s important to note that the term “change management” applies to multiple processes beyond IT, including broader organizational changes. ITIL refers to change management, or “change enablement” in an IT context, with an emphasis on giving IT teams the freedom to enact changes without overly rigid oversight from the broader organization.
Change management for IT pros breaks down change into three categories:
- Standard change: These are planned, low-risk changes that are well-documented.
- Normal change: Normal changes require review and approval by a Change Advisory Board (CAB), which is a group of stakeholders brought together to review such plans.
- Emergency change: During an incident, IT teams may need to enact an “emergency change” approved by a smaller “ECAB” (Emergency Change Advisory Board). An emergency change could include a security patch or other cybersecurity measure.
IT professionals handling change management must juggle the need for stability with the organization’s desire for change. For example, if change management is handled improperly, it can result in IT service outages, software features that don’t work, and tension between IT teams and the broader organization.
