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Change
Control Program Support
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Have you have ever participated in a
project, had everyone in agreement, and then - at the last moment - someone says, "Oh no, you
can't do that; it conflicts with . . . "?
Or have you been involved in
work when a schedule change was not properly communicated to everyone?
Everything stops for endless meetings to revise the plan.
This can happen, over and over, wasting time and money.
Order and
efficiency are the main reasons for having a formal Change Control
process active in any project. A well-designed
Change Control system
periodically assembles representatives
of every participant group to review and agree on Plans, Timelines,
and Plan Changes that might affect others.
A
Change Control system formalizes the planning and change
process - reducing miscommunication and waste. When
a Change Control group foresees a conflict, it's
resolved at that time - before work is underway. If a change
of plans is needed,
it's brought before the full group for examination and approval.
After approval, the change is formalized in the Project Plan and made available
to every participant. The
system allows all participants to hear, see, discuss, coordinate, and
approve proposed activities in a routine, orderly manner.
Here's how T-21 helped one
company work through a difficult and complex project:
NEW
PROJECT CONTROL.
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Problem. A
Project Director described an assignment, involving several primary- and
sub-contractors, to her T-21 Team Manager (TM). "This
new project is a promotion for me," she said, "so I've got to do well on
it."
She added that there had already been some missteps causing delays, waste and customer
frustration, "I can't have this thing spin out of control."
Plan. The TM assembled a
Change Control Team that suggested the establishment of an Information Control
Point; (for an example of this, click: Coordination-Example). On the Director's approval,
her T-21 Team created a secure
Coordination Web Site with daily updates. Then they worked with
her on detailed procedures for the Project's Change Control program.
A Change Control
Committee, including a representative of the customer and each participant
work group, was appointed to meet weekly.
The Director appointed a
Coordinator to: chair the meetings, make
proper notifications of emergency changes, and ensure that all new changes and
schedules were sent to the new Information Control Point.
Change Control Committee members
attended regular weekly meetings, in person or by telephone.
All schedules, proposed changes, and work updates were presented to this group for
approval before proceeding.
They were then forwarded to the T-21 Team for posting on the
project's
Information Control Point, to inform all participants.
Results.
The
Information Control Point kept everyone updated with the latest, most accurate information, changes, and schedules.
Many potential problems and conflicts were averted by the Change Control
Committee's review, discussions,
coordination, and information dissemination.
The project is on-going,
on-schedule, and on-budget. The Project Director commented to
her TM, "You
helped save
this thing, and it makes me look pretty good. I won't forget
it."
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