Fast Track Change Lifecycle

A change order (CO) is a change process mechanism that defines, evaluates, and implements a change to existing items. Fast track is the default policy for the change order (CO) when Mass Change Services are used. It can also be used when creating a stand-alone CO.

Note: A CO with the fast track change policy can have only child change orders that have the fast track policy.

The Fast Track Change lifecycle includes these states:

This page discusses:

Draft

A CO starts in the Draft state when it is created. The CO owner with a Configuration Engineer license can define and edit applicability in this state. These requirements must be met before you can promote a fast track CO from the Draft state:

  • A change action (CA) is attached. The CA does not require an attached proposed change.
  • A parent CO can be promoted to In Work if none of its child COs are in the Canceled state.
  • Technical Assignees must be assigned to all CAs.
  • A route template must be connected.
After all requirements are met, the CO can be promoted to the In Work state.

In Work

Completing the last CA automatically promotes the CO from In Work to In Approval. You can also manually promote the change order to In Work without promoting the change action. If the CO has at least one child CO, any child CO that is either not approved or is canceled will prevent the parent from being promoted to “In Approval”. In Work is the last state for a CO in which a child CO can be added to it.

Note: The Assignee is notified when the CA is either promoted or demoted from the In Work state.

When the CO is in the In Work state, you can create a route from a route template and assign tasks to the route members. All related objects assigned to attributes in a Conditional Questionnaire that match the CO's attributes are automatically added to the CO when it is promoted to In Work.

These users can define/edit applicability for a CO while it is in this state:

  • CO owner
  • Change Coordinator
  • Leader
  • Owner

In Approval

The CO can be promoted to the In Approval state only after all the CAs connected to the CO are in the Approved state. When the CO is promoted to In Approval, an approval route starts and is placed between the In Approval and the Approved states. If a review template has already been applied to the CO, an approval route template is automatically generated for users to approve the CO. If the CO does not have a child CO, completing the route promotes the CO to the Completed state. If the CO has a child CO, completing the route promotes the CO to the Approved state. This approval is just a formality and does not impact completed CAs. All prerequisites must be in the Completed state. The CO cannot be manually demoted from this state (the Demote command is disabled). The CAs are moved to Completed only when their governing CO is in the Completed state.

A parent CO will be automatically promoted to “In Approval” when the last child CO or CA is promoted to the Approved state. Promoting the parent to “In Approval” is blocked if one or more of its children is not approved or is canceled.

In Approval is that last state in which applicability for a CO can be defined. Users with a Configuration Engineer license and any of these roles can define the applicability for a CO:

  • CO owner
  • Change Coordinator
  • Leader
  • Owner

Approved

The Approved lifecycle state is shown for all COs but only COs that are children of other COs are held at this state.

  • A CO without a child CO is automatically promoted from In Approval to the Completed state and is not held in the Approved state.
  • A child CO can be promoted up to the Approved state regardless of the state of its parent CO.
  • Once approved, a child CO cannot be demoted from the Approved state until the parent CO is demoted to In Work or earlier.
  • If one or more child COs cannot be promoted, the parent CO will not be promoted.

Completed

After the CO is promoted to the Completed state, the Change Coordinator, distribution list members, originator, and approval list members are notified. A CO in the Completed state cannot be added as an agenda item under a meeting nor as an applicable item under a decision.

  • If one or more child COs cannot be promoted, the parent CO will not be promoted.
  • A CO without a child CO is automatically promoted from In Approval to the Completed state.
  • Promoting the parent CO to the Completed state promotes all of its child change orders and associated change actions to Completed.
  • A child CO cannot be promoted to Completed before its parent CO is promoted to Completed.

Change objects that have dependent change objects cannot be completed until the dependent change objects are completed. Dependent change objects can be promoted to any state before the Completed state.