Change request management in a project context includes all of the organizational processes required to administer, implement and document change requests throughout the project execution. All tasks, measures and activities are being summarized and processed. Changes in the original execution plan can result in the realization of new strategies, structures, processes and behaviors. Every change can be divided into three phases: preparation phase, change phase and implementation phase.
Change management is becoming increasingly important in project management. Against common belief, changes that occur while the project is underway don’t necessarily indicate that the initial project planning was done poorly. Most often it is a sign that some of the essential developments taking place during the execution of a project could not be analyzed at the onset of the project. Some project relevant aspects are only detected during the project realization, resulting in increased actual effort compared to what was defined in the project plan. This requires corresponding adjustements throughout the project execution. Apart from change processing and implementation, effective change management can limit the time it takes to implement the required changes.
The difference between change request management and change management is very important and actually quite simple. While the term change request management is clearly to be understood in the context of an individual project, the term change management is used to describe the active shaping of changes in a team, an organization or a company.