Change management

System Fundamentals

Students should understand there are a number of factors that need to be managed to ensure change is successful. The way that change is managed can have significant effects on employers and employees.

SL version

When you have a system that is working, it is common to get requests to change the system. There is a difference between a feature request, and a bug report. If something if isn't working, a user should file a bug report and report it needs to be fixed. If everything is working and the user wants to change it, we begin the change management process.

The important thing to understand about change management is you MUST carefully consider all the possible ramifications of the change. Changes must be carefully planned, implemented, tested and then refined. We don't just make a change without thinking because this could create unintended problem later on. We could also create technical debt that we need to pay later. Changes should follow the same process as building software (that is, the design cycle).

Change requests usually orginate from:

• problem reports that identify bugs that must be fixed, which forms the most common source
• system enhancement requests from users
• events in the development of other systems
• changes in underlying structure and or standards (e.g. in software development this could be a new operating system)
• demands from senior management (Dennis, Wixom & Tegarden, 2002).

Real-world practical advice

"Hey can you change this one little thing for me?". This is a very common request. Here's the thing: users think a request is minimal, "no big deal" or "just a little thing". But because end-users don't have a full picture of a system, they do not have information to evaluate if a change is minimal or if it more involved.

When a user asks you to change something, you should smile and take a deep breath. You should then spend time carefully understanding exactly what functionality the user wants and how you can best plan and implement the functionality.

In larger organizations, there is a well-established Request For Change process which uses a change request form.

Do you understand this material?

Imagine you are the chief information officer for a company. The company wants to plan a system that keeps track of employees, their birthdays, salaries, and date the employee was hired. What are ten questions you would ask as you plan this system? It may be helpful to review this wikipedia entry which discusses context analysis.

Please consider the following examples, and answer the questions:

Example 1

This is a simple example:

A small business which wants to plan a new system. The new system is a computer kiosk inside the store which allows customers to sign up for a email newsletter. If a custmer signs up for a newsletter inside the store, they will get a 10% discount on their first purchase at the store. The owner hopes this 10% discount will be an incentive for customers to sign up for the email newsletter. The business will then regularly email the customers special offers and savings. The business owner expects to benefit from this system by having increased sales. The customers expect to benefit from this system by having access to special offers, to save money, and to see what is new and trendy at their store.

Question 1: List the stakeholders we should consult when planning this new system. Be careful, as there is a hidden stakeholder group that is not mentioned here!

Question 2: Infer from the example what questions should be asked of each stakeholder group.

Do you have an advanced understanding of this material?

Example 2

This is a complex example:

A school of 900 students wants to plan a new system. The school hopes the new system is a secure web-based application which manages attendance data. The school administrators want to carefully track attendance for the students so it can identify when students have been absent for a customizable threshold. For example, the school might set a threshold of 5 absences within 30 days, which then automatically notifies the student, parent, and teacher there is a problem with attendance. The threshold might be 3 times within 10 days, or something like that. The system should keep track of attendance and tardies. The system should have customizable attendance codes. For example, "abscence for school trip", "excused abscence", "medical abscence" are all allowed abscence codes.

School administrators expect to benefit by having data about attendance so they can support students and parents to be in school. School administrators also expect to benefit by giving parents and students information about attendance (so parents can support their children to be in school). Finally, school adinistrators expect to benefit by using attendance data to apply for government funding (as they can prove how many students were in class on a specific day).

Parents expect to benefit by knowing when their children are in school or miss school. This way parents can support their children to be in school. Being in school is a shared value that the school hopes the parents share.

Students expect to benefit by understanding how many days of school of they have missed. The school expects students to have a strong "ownership of learning" and manage their attendance.

Question 1: List the stakeholders we should consult when planning this new system. Be careful, as there is a hidden stakeholder group that is not mentioned here!

Question 2: Infer from the example what questions should be asked of each stakeholder group.

Standards

• Describe the need for change management. Level 2

A unit of abstract mathematical system subject to the laws of arithmetic.

Provide an answer from a number of possibilities. Recognize and state briefly a distinguishing fact or feature.

Assess the implications and limitations; make judgments about the ideas, works, solutions or methods in relation to selected criteria.

Give a sequence of brief answers with no explanation.

Deduce reason from premises to a conclusion. Listen or read beyond what has been literally expressed.

Use an idea, equation, principle, theory or law in relation to a given problem or issue.

Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.