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What is Change management?

By: Robert Thomson

Change Management refers to an IT Service Management discipline whose objective is to ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of changes to controlled IT infrastructure. This is done so as to minimize the frequency and the impact of any related incidents upon service. Changes in the IT infrastructure may be precipitated by external requirements, such as new legislation (for example the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), or may be arise due to an insider’s initiative to increase efficiency or to enable or reflect business initiatives. Change management can help an organization ensure that standardized methods, processes and procedures are used for all changes s well as to facilitate efficient and prompt handling of all changes whilst maintaining a proper balance between the need for change and the potential downside of implementing the changes. Sometimes it is necessary to make to make IT infrastructure changes that are broad in scope and designed to address serious security or compatibility issues. When, for instance, a security flaw is discovered in a widely –used software application or a piece of hardware, it becomes necessary to patch all the affected systems to counter the vulnerability at the earliest opportunity. These patches could be in form of a new software or hardware and perhaps new methods and procedures to support and use the affected product.
In many cases, a necessary change affects many or all people in the organization, and may have unfavorable consequences if applied haphazardly. A well-engineered change management process in the information technology infrastructure usually goes a long way in streamlining the procedures and reducing risks. In many other fields apart from the information technology, change management is considered a compelling exercise. In order to deal with the politics, culture, actual and potential resistance to change, change management requires planning and thought more than other types of management. If all the elements of change management are not implemented and carried out effectively, there can be certain unpleasant consequences which may include;
• People who are resistant to change win and it will be difficult to implement future change.
• Processes, activities and work go back to being inefficient with even greater zeal.
• The organization is not seen as innovative by the outsiders, and this may have grave implications on supplier and customer relationships as well as the investment market.
There are ways in which suave managers approach change management, and that may be premised on the following broad themes.
• Grassroots participation. There can only be lasting change if the will to carry on the policies, procedures and work rules that were put in place are supported and sustained by the employees in the departments, as it is them who are doing the work on a daily basis.
• Upper level support, but only with limited participation. Managers in every organization have many other issues and subjects to deal with everyday. Besides, heavy management involvement can interfere and impede the change.
• Collaboration. The more the merrier, as change cannot be carried out by the few.
• One should also recognize that change is often highly political.
• Be culturally sensitive.

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