How do you run change control on a project?
Change control is a set routine for every change: raise it, assess it, approve it, then record it. A fixed routine stops work from starting before the price and time are agreed.
The five steps
- Raise: anyone can flag a change, in writing.
- Assess: work out the cost, time and risk.
- Decide: the named approver says yes, no or later.
- Act: only approved changes go to site or to the factory.
- Record: update the register and the forecast.
Checklist to set it up
- Name one person to log changes.
- Name the approver. On a larger job, keep them apart from the person who asked.
- Set a spending limit for each approver, in writing.
- Use one short form and one register.
- Set a target time to answer each request, such as two working days.
- Review open changes in the weekly meeting.
On a small job the person who logs and the person who approves can be the same. Anything above an approver's limit goes up a level. Share the limits with the whole team.
A heavy process gets skipped, so keep it light. A change left unanswered is a risk to cost and to time.
Keep refused and deferred changes in the register too. A change refused today often comes back a month later, and the register shows what was said.
A worked example
Say a machine builder is making a packing line for a food plant. In week six the client asks for a stainless steel guard in place of a painted one.
The design engineer raises the change on the short form. The estimator works out the extra material, two days of shop time and a later delivery date for the guard. The change is under the project manager's limit, so it is approved the same day.
Only then does the shop order the steel. The register and the forecast are updated before the next weekly meeting. Had the request come after the guard was painted, the form would also show the cost of the work thrown away.
Related answers
Questions
Does every change need a formal form?
Every change needs a written record. A small change can use a short email, as long as it is logged.
What if the client will not approve a change?
Record the refusal and the date. Then decide whether to proceed, stop or claim under the contract.
Need this done for your project?