Change Authorization

Authorization Rules

Requested change authorization and its hierarchy can be documented at the Ticket Type level using one or more attachments linked to the Change Type via its 'Attachments' reference catalog.

The approval person(s) or group(s) of a specific change depend on several criteria, such as:

Change type and category: only Change Manager or CAB or ECAB
Related CIs of the change: System Owner or Service Owner
Related Release of that change: Release Manager

All detailed approvals are documented in corresponding process task instances, change activities and log descriptions.

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Authorization Process

Throughout its life cycle, the Change proceeds through different statuses. Status transitions are tracked and stored in change log descriptions. When an approval/authorization is done, the status changes and this event gets documented in a new 'Description', including additional date/time and person/user information.

The permissions to individual steps in change processing are based on Valuemation authorization roles. In standard customization, the permission to authorize changes is granted to the 'Change Management' role.

Change Authorization Roles

-Chm.Change Basic Read	Rights to read all ticket information in this area (incl. print)
-Chm.Change Initiation	Rights to initiate new RFC/Change tickets. The role 'Change Initiatior (CI)' has the following tasks: - Create and describe RFCs (Request for Change) - Be available for questions from the change manager to specify ticket content and schedule
-Chm.Change Support	Rights to do the operational work in this area. The role 'Change Support (CS)' has the following tasks: - Support of Change Manager in all areas - Provide needed skills from different function areas - Receive RFCs and protocols - Cooperate with creators (CIs) on RFCs prioritization - Change Builder tasks - Monitor builds of new software versions - Prepare hardware changes - Initiate the procurement of equipment or external services - Monitor the creation of test cases - Monitor the creation of back-out plans - Monitor the creation of documentation - Monitor the preparation of user training
-Chm.Change Management	Rights to do the management work in this area, such as approvals, reports, prints. The role 'Change Management (CM)' has the following tasks: - Overall responsibility for the change process, i.e. for all process activities (in practice there is always a team) - Authorization of changes - Using FSC (Forward of Changes) as a controlling tool - Working with KPIs (publish KPIs via Service Desk) - Planning PSA (Project Service Availability) - Control Planning, testing, introduction and time-controlling of changes - Review of executed changes and still opened RFCs - Creation of trend-analysis (based on existing data)

If organizational entities such as CAB are involved in change authorization, special process tasks for the corresponding organizational group are created.

Change Organizational Roles

CAB (Change Advisory Board)

Definition: A group of people that advises the Change Manager in the assessment, prioritization and scheduling of Changes. This board is usually made up of representatives from all areas within the IT Service Provider, the Business, and Third Parties such as Suppliers.
Valuemation Context: CAB is an organizational role and not a permission role, which means that a support group is used for this role. Activities and process tasks can be assigned to this support group.
The Change Manager is the chairman of a CAB meeting and has the final responsibility for the Change process flow after consulting with CAB members.

ECAB (Emergency Change Advisory Board)

Definition: A subset of the Change Advisory Board that makes decisions about high impact Emergency Changes. Actual membership of the ECAB may be decided at the time a meeting is called, and depends on the nature of the Emergency Change.
Valuemation Context: ECAB is an organizational role (based on ITIL specifications) and not a permission role, which means that a supportgroup is used for this role. Activities and workorders can be assigned to this supportgroup, they are then processed in Valuemation by the Change Manager as a member of ECAB.