Change Management Process in ServiceNow¶
Overview¶
A Change is any change within the IT Infrastructure of an organisation that can affect the service of an organisation.
It is important that a Change is aligned with the organisation’s goals and provides value.
The ITIL definition of a Change is:
“The addition, modification or removal of any authorised, planned, or supported service or service component that could have an effect on IT services.”
Change Management is a process that helps organizations make changes to their technology systems in a controlled and efficient manner.
It ensures that any changes made to these systems are well-planned and do not disrupt the day-to-day operations of the business.
How ITIL Change Management Works¶
Request¶
A formal request is raised to introduce a change.
Review / Assessment¶
The change is analyzed for risk, impact, and feasibility.
Approval¶
Appropriate authorities approve or reject the change.
Planning¶
Implementation and rollback plans are prepared.
Testing¶
The change is tested to ensure it works as expected.
Implementation¶
The approved change is deployed to production.
Monitoring / PIR¶
The change is monitored and a Post Implementation Review (PIR) is conducted.
Key Takeaway¶
Following this process helps organizations reduce system failures, improve change quality, and maintain reliable technology infrastructure.
Change Management Workflow Diagram¶
Change Types in ITIL¶
IT change management classifies all changes as standard, emergency, or normal, and relies heavily on automation where possible.
Standard Changes¶
Standard changes are low-risk and follow an established procedure.
Examples: - Software patching and updating - Replacing outdated hardware - Making DNS changes
Emergency Changes¶
Emergency changes are unexpected and must be implemented immediately to minimize the impact.
Examples: - Response to zero-day exploits - Isolating networks from DDoS attacks
Normal Changes¶
Normal changes fall between standard and emergency changes and are further categorized by risk: - Minor - Significant - Major