Change Management / Request for Change

[smithson83]

Hi Guys and Gals.

 

With school networks becoming so complicated and mission critical these days, I was wondering how you guys track changes.

 

I'm looking to formalise changes our setup. Whether that's to 365 config, switches, servers or even just user access etc. Who requested it, why, the impact etc..

 

So how do you do it? Do you run software or a proforma document, or something else...

 

Any ideas welcome...

[georgeescott]

Previously I’ve used Sharepoint to track requests for changes and then they get approved from there by a Change Advisory Board (CAB).

 

Now I’m in a smaller team, we don’t formally request changes like that now (obviously we meet and plan for it) but we use Microsoft Planner to plan changes, then a Teams chat as the ‘changelog’ so that changes are posted there and made visible to the whole team.

[Roberto]

Hi Guys and Gals.

 

With school networks becoming so complicated and mission critical these days, I was wondering how you guys track changes.

 

I'm looking to formalise changes our setup. Whether that's to 365 config, switches, servers or even just user access etc. Who requested it, why, the impact etc..

 

So how do you do it? Do you run software or a proforma document, or something else...

 

Any ideas welcome...

 

Probably not appropriate to a school but we run servicenow and use the change board facility on there.

 

Ultimately, map the path you would like changes to take between raising and approval, stakeholders, requirements for emergency or standard change management, that kind of thing and plan from there.

[steve]

Probably not appropriate to a school but we run servicenow and use the change board facility on there.

 

Ultimately, map the path you would like changes to take between raising and approval, stakeholders, requirements for emergency or standard change management, that kind of thing and plan from there.

 

We have ServiceNow too, but a few ticket systems offer change / ITIL functions.

 

Our system has these change types:

 

Standard - a templated, repeatable change performed to a set of instructions by the same people, e.g. switch port change, firewall rule change, software upgrade, Windows patching.

Normal - (with risk and scale identified) - These are undocumented changes that need approval. They need a justification, description, plan, backout plan, comms plan, etc.

Emergency - either urgent that can't wait for the change board or they are retrospective after a change has been made in a hurry.

 

Changes can be seen as a bit of a waste of time, but they do get you into good practice of understanding exactly why and what you are doing and how you can back out if the worst happens. And they are good at documenting activity that doesn't come via tickets.

 

In a smaller organisation you might find it difficult to get enough people to make up change board that can ask the right challenging technical questions.

[Roberto]

Yup, I’m a regular on our CAB, whether representing a change or just attending to give oversight and there’s never less than 30 people on a call. That number isn’t one people have to aspire to to have a CAB, but you do need oversight from potentially affected teams, governance, stakeholder representation, peers, and enough people to avoid conflict of interest or lack of oversight (this is a problem for us sometimes; I can’t peer review my own changes for example, nor could a change owner also be responsible for its governance. The number of required attendees to make it meaningful goes up surprisingly quickly. Edited August 26, 2022 by Roberto

[TechMonkey]

FreshService has it all built in, not using it yet but I would like to get it working to provide better transparency and accountability. May be OTT though.

[smithson83]

FreshService has it all built in, not using it yet but I would like to get it working to provide better transparency and accountability. May be OTT though.

Let me know if you do, and what it's like, We use Freshdesk currently, so could be a good fit. Even if, like you say, a bit ott.