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Change Requests

  • Updated

Overview:

A change request is a formal proposal to modify the content of a controlled document. These requests are especially critical in regulated industries, where documents such as policies, procedures, technical specifications, contracts, and project plans must be carefully managed under version control.

The purpose of a change request is to provide control, accountability, and quality assurance whenever a document is altered. By requiring changes to be tracked, reviewed, and approved before implementation, organizations ensure their documents remain accurate, consistent, and compliant.

A typical change request includes:

  • The document requiring modification
  • The description of the specific change proposed
    • Addition, removal, correction, or update)
    • The reason for the change (e.g., error correction, updated requirements, compliance needs)
    • The potential impact (on processes, teams, or systems)
  • The requester’s details and submission date

Once submitted, the request enters a review and approval process, often involving the document owner, quality manager, or a change control board (these can vary from organisation to organisation). If approved, the document is revised, reissued with a new version number, and the modification is logged for full traceability.

In short, change requests provide a structured, transparent process for managing document updates, reducing risk, and ensuring compliance with organizational and regulatory standards.

SmartSuite seamlessly meets all of the above requirements with dynamic, user-friendly functionality.

 

Creating a Change Request:

  1. Navigate the document that you wish to add a change request to (the search functionality or filtering options can assist you to locate this quickly). Once found click on the document Name
  1. Click on the icon of a tick within a clipboard to view the change request section
  1. Click on the + New button located in the top right of the screen or alternatively the centered New button (The centered New button will not be available after the first Change Request has been added, further Change requests will need to be added by clicking on + New button)
  1. Type in a title summary followed by a description of the requested change.
  1. Click on the New Change Request button

*If you need to cancel at any time click on the Cancel button.

Details of the Change request are captured within the Change request panel, versioning numbering for the request and the initials of who is requesting the change are also displayed.

The document owner is notified of the Change Request, they are the key individual in the process in accepting or rejecting this change.

 

Accepting / Rejecting / Resolving / Incorporating a Change Request:

Upon being notified of a Change Request the document owner is able to view the suggested change, they will then make an assessment that identifies its impact to the associated document.

  1. Navigate to the relevant document
  1. Click on the icon of a tick within a clipboard to view the change request section

Filtering options are available within the Change Requests window.

(a) All - Allows you to filter change requests based on their status, you can view All, To Do, Accepted, Rejected, Resolved and Incorporated Change Requests

(b) Search window - Allows you to search keywords for a Change Request

(c) Change Request Summary - Details of the Change Requests for the selected document

 

  1. Click on Change Request

Details of the change request are displayed. The document owner can then decide the Status of the Change Request.

  1. Select a Status option for the Change Request from the displayed options (To Do, Accept, Reject, Incorporated)

 

Examples of change Request Status when selected:

To Do – The change Request has been identified but has not been started

Accept – The Change Request has been accepted and the document adjusted. The Change request status is updated within the Change Request summary window

Rejected – The Change Request has been Rejected, the Change Request status is updated within the Change request summary window

Incorporated – The Change Request has been incorporated into a new version of the document and will be marked as resolved when the new document version has been published

  1. Once the Status has been decided, click on the Close button

The Change Request summary window is adjusted to reflect the suggested Status.

 

Example of multiple document Change Requests, and their different Status:

 

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