You use the Changes application to plan, review, and report actuals for implementing changes or deploying new, standard configurations to existing assets. You also can create changes in other applications. A change is a type of work record. Other types of work records are work orders, releases, and activities.
A change typically begins when someone submits a service request to upgrade an original asset. For example, to upgrade a pump with a larger motor. In effect, that person is requesting to change the configuration of that pump. The upgraded pump will have more horsepower, a higher gallon-per-minute rate, and so on, than the original pump asset.
After the service request is approved, a Change is created. The change is written up against the Asset number or CI number of that pump. The configuration of that pump changes from a smaller motor to a larger motor.
Sometimes, a change involves a more complex process such as requiring high-level approvals, in-depth testing, and validation. The process might also include notifying anyone who uses that asset about the pending change and obtaining their approval regarding when the change can occur, and identifying what else the change might affect.
You use the Changes application to define, plan, and schedule the work required to implement a change. You also can use it to assign an owner to the change, categorize the change, and update its status as it moves towards completion. You can relate other records to the change to simplify management of multiple, similar records, and you can create follow-up records directly from the change.
When the change work is completed, you — or the owner of the change — can open the change record and report actual start and finish times, labor hours and costs, material quantities, locations, and costs, and tool quantities, hours, and costs.