Once a change request is approved, the implementation phase begins—building, testing, and deploying the solution. Organizations mitigate risk through unit testing, static and dynamic code analysis, integration testing, QA, and user acceptance testing. After deployment, a post-implementation review examines whether the change is functioning as expected, typically within 90 days. Unsuccessful implementations should trigger contingency workflows, rollback procedures, or incident response plans to address issues and prevent future failures.

The approval procedure is one of the most significant parts of the IT change management process—the last milestone before implementation. Depending on the scope of the change, approvals may involve a single approver, tiered approval stages, multiple approvers, or a full Change Advisory Board (CAB). Clearly defined roles and responsibilities are crucial; when approvers don't understand their duties, tickets get stuck and projects stall. Automated approval workflows can help streamline communication and reduce risk by notifying the right people at the right time.

After drafting an IT change request, the next step is review by your change management team or Change Advisory Board (CAB). This vital gatekeeping step evaluates business and security impact, assesses risks and benefits, and ensures contingency plans are in place. Key components include the Business Impact Analysis (BIA), Security Impact Analysis (SIA), and documented backout procedures in case things go awry. IT change management software can help automate these workflows and complete reviews more efficiently.

An IT change request (RFC) is the formal documentation of details around a requested change to your IT infrastructure. A thorough RFC should cover who is requesting the change, why it's needed, what risks are involved, and whose approval is required. Formalizing this process directly informs authorization to work, serves as a reference point for tracking progress, and helps regulate high volumes of requests across your organization.

IT change management encompasses the formalized processes organizations use to update or introduce technology within their IT infrastructure. It protects your business, limits the risk of outages and security breaches, and enables quicker, safer rollouts through standardized procedures. Key roles include the requestor, change oversight personnel, and the change advisory board (CAB)—all working together to ensure changes are implemented thoroughly and correctly.

Systematize your ITIL Change Management process in Zendesk while maintaining high-quality standards. Myndbend Process Manager helps you establish tighter controls around IT services and software releases with automated tasks, parent/child tickets, and multi-level approval workflows. Keep your change advisory board happy, establish reliable audit trails, and reduce risk—all within your existing Zendesk setup.

Asking for approval by email may seem simple, but there's an art to it. Success depends on clear writing, organized thought, solid research, cost-saving strategies, and soft sales techniques. Lead with pain points, include ROI analysis, anticipate objections, and end with a clear call to action. With the right approach, a simple email becomes a compelling proposal that gets the green light.