What are some best practices for handling unplanned changes in IT operations?

1 Assess the urgency and impact

The first step in handling an unplanned change is to assess its urgency and impact on your IT services, processes, and stakeholders. You need to determine how quickly you need to act, what resources you need, and what consequences you might face if you delay or ignore the change. You can use a simple matrix to prioritize the changes based on their severity and likelihood. For example, a high-impact and high-likelihood change would be a critical one that requires immediate attention, while a low-impact and low-likelihood change would be a minor one that can wait for a scheduled release.

2 Communicate and collaborate

The second step in handling an unplanned change is to communicate and collaborate with the relevant parties. You need to inform your team, your management, your customers, and your vendors about the change, its scope, its status, and its expected outcomes. You also need to coordinate with them to assign roles and responsibilities, to share information and feedback, and to resolve issues and conflicts. You can use various tools and channels to communicate and collaborate effectively, such as email, chat, phone, video conferencing, ticketing systems, and dashboards.

3 Follow the change management process

The third step in handling an unplanned change is to follow the change management process as much as possible. You need to document the change request, the change plan, the change approval, the change implementation, and the change review. You also need to follow the best practices and standards for testing, deploying, and verifying the change. You can use a change management software or a framework, such as ITIL, to guide you through the change management process. However, you also need to be flexible and adaptable to adjust the process according to the nature and complexity of the change.

4 Learn and improve

The fourth step in handling an unplanned change is to learn and improve from the experience. You need to evaluate the results and outcomes of the change, as well as the performance and satisfaction of your team, your customers, and your vendors. You also need to identify the root causes, the lessons learned, the best practices, and the improvement opportunities for the change. You can use various methods and tools to learn and improve from the change, such as surveys, interviews, reports, audits, and analytics.

5 Prevent and prepare

The fifth step in handling an unplanned change is to prevent and prepare for future changes. You need to analyze the trends and patterns of the changes, as well as the risks and opportunities they pose. You also need to implement preventive and corrective actions, as well as contingency and recovery plans, to reduce the frequency and impact of the changes. You can use various techniques and tools to prevent and prepare for the changes, such as risk management, change control, change freeze, and change calendar.

6 Automate and optimize

The sixth and final step in handling an unplanned change is to automate and optimize the change management process. You need to leverage the power of technology, such as cloud, AI, and automation, to streamline and simplify the change management process. You also need to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of the change management process, by eliminating waste, reducing errors, and enhancing quality. You can use various solutions and tools to automate and optimize the change management process, such as DevOps, CI/CD, and ITSM.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?