Change control: requests, decisions and a record
Every project changes. Change control makes sure each change is asked for, weighed and decided, not just absorbed.
These are the eight planning threads the Krong course is built around. The highlighted ones are covered here. What are the planning threads?
The cycle
- Request. Someone asks for a change. Log it.
- Assess. What does it do to time, cost and scope?
- Decide. Approve, reject or defer, by someone with the authority.
- Record. Note who decided, when and why.
- Update the plan. The baseline moves only after approval.
In Sen
- The Change requests register holds the request, the impact on schedule, cost and scope, and the status.
- When you set a request to Approved, Rejected or Implemented, Sen adds it to the change log with its reason.
- The Decisions log records bigger choices, such as a gate.
- The baseline lets you compare today's plan with the approved one.
Why it matters
Small changes add up. Each one seems harmless, and together they move the end date. When every request has a recorded impact, you can show a sponsor exactly what a change cost, and they can make the call with the facts.
Link it to the status report
Requests waiting for a decision and a finish date slipping from baseline both show in the Scope and change line of the status report.
Questions people ask
Who should approve changes?
The person with authority over the baseline. Often the sponsor, or a board for larger changes.
Should every change go through this?
No. Set a threshold. Small changes inside a task can stay with the owner.
What is a baseline?
A saved copy of the approved plan, used to measure drift.
See it in a real plan
Open Sen and explore the Caldera Freight example. Every figure on this page comes from it. Copy it, change a task, and watch the plan move together.
Open Sen, free About the course