1. The IT department is geared up to provide modifications,changes, enhancements, and so on. This includes both those that are made internally and those that can be done by the software vendor.The necessary funds have been budgeted in the cost benefit analysis.
2. Requests for changes are submitted first to the IT department for an evaluation of the amount of work involved. There should be an understood dividing line between minor and major project changes and the request should be classified accordingly. IT also adds any other comments about the technical nature of the change but does not comment on the business validity.
3. The request then goes to the project team. If the request is for a minor change, the project team decides whether to grant the request or defer it until phase III.
4. If the request is for a major change, the project team reviews it and makes a decision. The key issue here: Is this change necessary in order to run the business and/or for ERP to work properly? Does the function in question require the computer or can it be done manually?
If the answers verify that the change is important for the business and requires the computer, then it must be done either now or very soon. If not, defer it to phase III.
5. At times, those proposing the change may have a very strong disagreement over rejection by the project team. In this case, there needs to be a process for the change idea to go to the steering committee. The steering committee needs to be prepared to hear both sides of the issue and then make the final decision.