This documentation supports the 21.3 version of BMC Helix ITSM: Change Management. To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Create change requests in the Initiation and Recording stage

The Change Initiation and Recording stage is a mandatory stage and the starting point of the change request lifecycle. This stage collects the prerequisite information that is required to create a change request.

Most change requests are created by the change coordinator generated from an emergency incident or problem investigation that has converted to a known error. When change requests are generated by any of these records, some information is copied from the record. For example, when a change request is generated from an incident, the Description, Impact, Urgency, and the Product and Service Categorization fields are copied to the change request. The Requester Information defaults to the user initiating the change request.

Important

Change requests that are created from another BMC Helix ITSM application like Incident Management, Service Request Management, any external application, or by using email, are created in the Request for Authorization status.

g_cm-initiate_61424_516.gif

In addition, Change Management enables any user with the Change Submit permissions to enter change requests. Change managers (and change coordinators) can enter and resolve change requests quickly with the option to define and relate items before saving the change request. For more information, see Creating-a-change-request-at-the-Initiate-stage.

The process of creating a change request is similar for BMC Helix ITSM and BMC Helix ITSM: Smart IT. The main difference is in the User Interface layout.

While you are creating a change request:

  • Select the role of a change requester, which is the default role.
  • Select the Change Location Company, which represents where the change is taking place and your company as defined in your people profile record is the default.
  • If you are not creating a change request from scratch, search for and select a template. If you are creating the change request from scratch, you are directed to select the change request type. The change class attribute typically drives the process flow and approvals. You are then directed to a view that follows a standard form layout with tabs to help guide you in filling out the change request.

Best practices

  • Change requests must be initiated by a change coordinator, who are considered subject matter experts for Change Management and would have most of the needed information to create the requests. 
  • Use the change templates to initiate a change request to ensure that consistent and accurate details are captured for the request.
  • Use change templates for all the Standard changes because these are pre-approved changes with the necessary documentation attached.
  • We recommend that because the type of change, its location, categorization, impacted areas, and the associated CIs, are all important to determine the appropriate approvers for a change request, you must have as much information completed when submitting the change request after the Draft state.

The following process flow diagram explains the recommended steps and the roles that are a part of the Change Initiation and Recording stage. In this stage, the change requester plays a key role and anyone who has access for creating a change request can initiate the process. However, we recommend that the user must be assigned the role of a change coordinator.

Change Initiation and Recording.jpg

After you create the change request and move it out of the Draft state, the change request proceeds to Analyzing-the-risk-and-impact-of-change-requests-in-the-Review-and-Authorize-stage.



 

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