IT Change Request Template for Real Estate
A procedure for requesting, evaluating, approving, and implementing changes to IT systems and infrastructure in a controlled and documented manner.
Purpose
To manage IT changes in a way that minimises risk, prevents unintended disruption, and ensures all changes are properly documented, tested, and approved before implementation.
Scope
Covers all changes to IT systems including hardware modifications, software deployments, configuration changes, network changes, and cloud infrastructure changes.
Prerequisites
- Change management process and policy defined
- Change advisory board or change approver identified
- Change request form or ticketing system configured
- Test environment available for change validation
Supports Real Estate Institute compliance, trust account management requirements, and state property legislation documentation.
Step-by-Step Procedure
Submit Change Request
The change initiator submits a formal change request with all required information including description, justification, impact, and plan.
- 1.1Complete the change request form with the change description and business justification
- 1.2Contract the implementation plan with specific steps
- 1.3Prepare the rollback plan in case the change needs to be reversed
- 1.4Identify the risk level and potential impact on users and systems
Review and Assess
The change manager or advisory board reviews the change request, assessing the risk, impact, and readiness for implementation.
- 2.1Review the change request for completeness and clarity
- 2.2Assess the risk level and potential impact on business operations
- 2.3Check for conflicts with other planned changes or maintenance windows
Approve or Reject
Based on the assessment, approve the change for implementation, request modifications, or reject the change.
- 3.1Present the change to the change advisory board if required for the risk level
- 3.2Make the approval decision based on risk, impact, and readiness
- 3.3Communicate the decision to the change initiator with any conditions
Test the Change
Implement the change in a test environment to validate that it works as expected and does not introduce issues.
- 4.1Execute the implementation plan in the test environment
- 4.2Verify the change achieves the desired outcome
- 4.3Test the rollback procedure to ensure it works if needed
Implement the Change
Execute the approved change in the production environment during the designated change window.
- 5.1Notify affected users and stakeholders of the change and timing
- 5.2Execute the implementation plan step by step
- 5.3Monitor the implementation for any issues or errors
- Follow the implementation plan exactly; do not make ad hoc changes during the window
Verify and Monitor
After implementation, verify that the change is working correctly and monitor for any unintended side effects.
- 6.1Verify the change achieves the intended outcome
- 6.2Check that no unintended issues have been introduced
- 6.3Monitor the affected systems for an appropriate period after the change
Close the Change Record
Contract the outcome of the change, update configuration records, and close the change request.
- 7.1Record the change outcome as successful, partially successful, or failed
- 7.2Update configuration management records to reflect the change
- 7.3Close the change request in the change management system
Quality Checkpoints
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Expected Outcomes
Percentage of changes implemented successfully without requiring rollback or emergency fixes.
Number of changes detected that were not processed through the change management system.
Number of incidents caused by changes, indicating the quality of change planning and testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a standard and emergency change?
A standard change is pre-approved for routine, low-risk modifications. An emergency change is required urgently to resolve a critical incident and follows an expedited approval process.
What happens if a change fails in production?
If a change fails, the pre-approved rollback procedure is executed to restore the system to its previous state. An investigation is conducted to determine the cause of the failure before reattempting the change.
How far in advance should change requests be submitted?
Standard changes should be submitted at least five business days in advance. Complex changes may require more lead time. Emergency changes can be submitted and approved on an expedited basis.
What is a change advisory board?
A change advisory board is a group of representatives from IT and business who review and approve changes based on risk, impact, and business need. Not all changes require board review; lower-risk changes may be approved by the change manager alone.
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