Re: Change Management System

Don Schenck <schencd%AM_LZCH%VASELL@mr.mops.wl.com> wrote:
>I'd just like to encourage you and say "you are doing The Right Thing" by
>considering a Change Management system. This is a sign of professionalism, and
>I'm encouraged by it. I've seen too many "fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" shops
>out there.

We implemented MKS Implementer during this past year, and it's amazing
how much better the programming staff operates now.  We enjoy using
the product, it prevents us from over-writing each others' code
because two of us are working on the same program without each other
knowing, and it makes rolls into production a lot easier by bundling
all the new objects into a few move requests, staged ahead of time.
The automation of a lot of mundane tasks is great, and the number of
problems we encounter after implementing a change has gone down
dramatically.  

However, let me clarify by saying that we did more than just implement
change control software.  We also established an entire set of change
control policies and procedures, including a change control form which
must be filled out by the change requester detailing the relevant
information about the change.  Specific signatures must be acquired
before the change can be moved in.  A production quality committee was
formed to evaluate each change request before approving it to go in.
The committee is made up of representatives of different areas of the
technical staff, not management, and the chairman of the committee's
signature must be on the form along with the managers'.

To tell the truth, the big factor which pushed us to better control
changes was our implementation of Vision Solutions OMS Gold Suite.
We found it was impossible to maintain the mirroring of the systems
when the production system was constantly changing without proper
planning and communication before, during and after the change to
handle the aspects of mirroring.  My signature must now be on every
change request to show I'm aware of it, so it can be handled for High
System Availability.  If something changes, I'll know about it when
OMS complains, and if I don't have a change request, the person who
did it had better run and hide.  <grin>  Seriously, to anyone
considering implementation of any HSA product, you need to plan on
implementing change control if you don't already have it.  Otherwise
you're in for a nightmare when you try to keep the systems in synch.

It was tough getting used to the extra paperwork involved with the
change control policy, and the increased time to move something in
was seen as a real problem at first.  But in the long run we've saved
a ton of rework by doing it right the first time, and our users have
been very understanding of the increased time it takes to get their
requests implemented.

Terry Herrin
Sr. Programmer/Analyst
New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Wilmington, NC
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