Requests and changes

A Service Request records something a person asks the IT team to do. It names the requester, service, request type, requested and due dates, completion time and status. A Change records planned work on a service. Its risk, scheduled start and end, rollback plan and approval status support a deliberate decision before implementation. These records should not be treated as interchangeable simply because both may result in technical work.

The Service Manager manages both records. The Change Approver can read a change under review and the surrounding service context. The Service Manager records the change decision under the agreed review policy. Requests and changes can be considered together in a meeting while retaining their own state and timing.

• Review requests. Check the requester, service, due date and requested work before moving a request from submitted to approved or rejected.
• Plan changes. Record the risk, window and rollback plan before asking for a decision on planned service work.
• Verify outcomes. Move a change through implementation and verification, or record a rollback outcome when that is what occurred.

Agree what kinds of requests require a separate change and who makes each decision. A request may be approved without proving that a resulting service change is safe. For changes, define what evidence the Service Manager needs before approval and who reviews high-risk work. Confirm that the scheduled window reflects the service team’s actual operating calendar. A rollback plan should state what the team will do if verification fails.

The Change Approver reviews change records and advises on the plan. The Service Manager records the decision. Agree how that advice reaches the manager and who is accountable for the final status before the first change review.

A requester asks for work on a supported service. The manager reviews the request and its due date, then records an approval decision. During planning, the team sees that the work affects an asset used in production. The manager creates a Change, records its risk and schedule, and writes a rollback plan. The planned change is reviewed before implementation.

After the work, the manager records whether the change was verified or rolled back. The original request remains a separate record until its own work is completed. Reviewing both outcomes helps the team avoid marking the request complete merely because a change was approved, or marking a change verified merely because the scheduled window ended.

• Requests awaiting decision — Submitted requests with the requester, service and due date for review.
• Changes awaiting decision — Planned changes in review with risk, window and rollback plan.
• Change schedule — Approved or implementing work arranged by its planned dates.

Review a request and plan a change.