Overview

Updated on 13 Dec 2023
2 Minutes to read

Article summary

Did you find this summary helpful?

Thank you for your feedback

The right Impact values make all the difference in Change Management!

Impact refers to the effect or consequence that a proposed change can have on various aspects of the IT environment, services, processes, and stakeholders. It is a critical factor in assessing and managing Change Requests effectively. The impact of a Change Request can be multifaceted. It typically involves evaluating the potential consequences across different dimensions, for example, technical impact, service impact, operational impact, or organizational impact.

Configuring Impact values for Change Requests is essential for assessing risks, prioritizing changes, planning resources. Most importantly, knowing the Impact of Change Requests helps in making informed decisions, ensuring service continuity, and facilitating continuous improvement in the IT environment.

User Persona: Administrator

Let's explore the following use case.

User Persona: Administrator

Solution

ACME receives a Change Request for implementing a major software upgrade across ACME's IT infrastructure. However, they are concerned about the potential disruptions and risks associated with the change. Without proper understanding of the impact, ACME's Administrator, Fredrick, is unsure about the necessary steps to mitigate risks, allocate resources effectively, and ensure a smooth change.

ACME's Administrator can configure Impact to measure what will be the degree or level of impact of the Change.

Following are some of the examples of Impact in Change Management:

🎯High Impact: A change that has a significant effect on the business processes. It may require substantial resources, involve a high level of risk, and have a wide-reaching impact across multiple departments of ACME.
⚠Medium Impact: A change that has a moderate effect on the business processes. It may require a moderate allocation of resources, involve some level of risk, and impact specific areas or departments within ACME.
🕛Low Impact: A change that has a minimal effect on the business processes. It may require minimal resources, involve low risk, and have a localized impact.

Configure Impact

Impact provide a standardized framework for assessing the impact of Changes. By configuring Impact, you can establish a common language for evaluating the potential effects of Changes and prioritize changes based on their potential Impact.

To configure Impact, perform the following steps:

Login to the platform with Administrator access.
Navigate to Module > Select Change > Configurations > Change SLA Configs > Impact. The Impact List page is displayed. Click New to configure a new Impact value for Change Requests.
Figure: Impact list page
The Impact ID page is displayed.
Figure: Impact ID details page
Enter the required details in the Impact ID details page as described in the following table.

Field	Description
Department*	Select department from the dropdown menu for which you want to configure Impact for a Change Request. This is a mandatory field.
Description	Specify brief description about the Impact. This may include information that helps stakeholders understand the potential effects of the proposed change.
Impact Name	Enter the name of the Impact. This filed becomes mandatory after the selection of Department.
Sort Order	Select the sort order in which the Impact values are displayed or listed within the ITSM system when Analysts are selecting or viewing them.
Default	Select the check box to display the Impact for the selected Tenant, by default.
Active	Select the check box to make the Impact available on the other pages of the application.

4. Click Save to save all the details and configure a new Impact for Change Requests. Click Cancel to discard the all the filled in details and close the configuration page. Click Reset to revert all settings or input fields to their default values.

Figure: Impact details page - Reset, Cancel, Save

Was this article helpful?

What's Next

Manage Impact

Table of contents