Submitting change requests through the approval phases

Your organization's policies might require change requests to be approved by a manager or other team members. The change approver confirms that the change request implementation does not adversely impact any other assets, that there are no conflicts in its schedule, and so on, and then approves the change request. After the change request is approved by the change approver, it moves to the next stage.

In the approval stage, the approver needs to approve, reject, or hold the change request. When an approval is required, you cannot move the request to the next stage unless you first receive an approval or a rejection. When a request requires an approval, its approvers are notified. Notifications are sent according to the method specified in the approver's record in the User form.

The Approval Process Configuration form is used to configure the sequence when a request is approved or rejected, or to configure how the system should respond if no approvers are available. After you have finished planning the request, and have supplied all the information that the approvers require to review the request, you can submit the request to the approval process.

Related topics

Setting-up-approval-process-configuration-records-for-your-company

The following video shows how different approver types can approve, reject, or hold the change request:


icon_play.pnghttps://youtu.be/mUZ40M7-EX4


Before you begin

To approve a change request in  Smart IT , you must have permissions to view the change request in Smart IT. Otherwise, the change request can be approved by using Approval Central or email-based approvals. For more information, see Roles-and-permissions-in-Change-Management.


To review and approve a change request

When a change request is submitted for approval, the approver receives a notification about it. An approver can also search for change requests requiring approval by using filters in the Ticket Console (for example, Ticket Type = Change, To be approved by = Me, or Approval Status = Change Awaiting Approval).A direct approver takes the following steps to approve the change request:

  1. Open the change request.
    MicrosoftTeams-image (6).png
  2. Enter the approval reason in Rational for approval.
    The administrator can configure the Rational for approval field as mandatory. For more information, see Form to create and modify approval processes. 

  3. If the Password field is displayed, enter the value in the Password field.

    Important

    You do not see the Password field in the following situations:

    • If you are authenticated by using BMC Helix SSO, you do not see the Password field, you enter the user id and password from the login screen.
    • If your administrator has not configured the Password field as mandatory in the change approval process. For more information, see Form to create and modify approval processes. 
  4. Click Approve.
    You can similarly reject or hold a change request. 


Instructions for classic interfaces


View instructions for classic Smart IT

To review and approve a change request

After the change request has been submitted for approval, the approver receives a notification about it. An approver can also search for change requests requiring approval by using filters in the Ticket Console (for example, Ticket Type = Change, To be approved by = Me, or Approval Status = Change Awaiting Approval). 

On the change request, the following banner appears. The approver can approve, reject, or keep the request on hold.

Tip

The approver must refresh the change request profile before reviewing. To do so, click the Refresh Refresh icon.gificon available on the change request. Mobile users must pull down the change request screen to refresh the ticket.


CR Banner.jpg

The administrator can configure the approval process to require a justification when you approve or reject a request. For more information, see Form to create and modify approval processes.

Important

From the classic Smart IT screens of a change request, you can enter the justification only when you Reject. To enter a justification when you Approve a change request, use Approval Central, or Progressive Web App (PWA) screens.

If BMC Helix Single Sign-On is not integrated with Smart IT, to authenticate yourself as the approver, enter Smart IT login password in the Login password field. In the rationale field, provide a reason for the review, and then submit the review.

If BMC Helix Single Sign-On is integrated with Smart IT, after adding the reason for the review, when you as an approver submit the review, you are directed to the BMC Helix Single Sign-On login page. Enter the Smart IT login credentials to authenticate yourself.

After authenticating you as the approver, the system accepts the review. After you complete the review, the change request is displayed on your Updates feed.

To see details about the approvals, click Show approvers > (right arrow) and view the Approval List.

View instructions for Mid Tier

To submit the request to the approval phase

  1. Open the change request or release request.

  2. Proceed through the states of your request.

    Tip

    When you reach a crucial state and perform an important action (for example, adding dates in the Scheduled status), refresh the request to make sure you are viewing the correct step in the workflow.

    Approving change requests.jpg


  3. When you reach an approval phase, in the Approvals section, click Approve or Reject.
    The Approve and Reject options are enabled only if you are a valid approver or an alternate approver for the selected approval record. As a change manager or a change coordinator (or a release coordinator or release assignee), you can perform these actions for standard approvals if you are the approver or an alternate approver.
    • If the change is configured for the change level approval process, all the approvers on the first level are notified that they must review the request.
    • If the change is configured for the change management chain (parent-child) approval process, the manager of the Requester For user is notified.
    • If the change is configured for the ad hoc approval process, the change manager is notified.

    • The signature of the last approver completes the approval process, and automatically moves the change request to the next status.
      The administrator can configure the approval process to require a justification when you approve or reject a request. For more information, see Form to create and modify approval processes.

      Important

      From the classic Mid Tier screens of a change request, you can enter the justification only when you Reject. To enter a justification when you Approve a change request, use Approval Central, or Progressive Web App (PWA) screens.

  4. Click Save.

 

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