Last week we talked about three crucial aspects of a great Management of Change (MOC) program. Those areas were the specificity and detail in the change requests, followed by risk and reward analysis, and the proper selection of a MOC evaluation team. This week we’re going to touch base on a few more important parts to a fully functional MOC program.

The new API Spec Q2 requirements take a risk-based approach to quality management. When making changes, risks must be identified and measured by level of acceptability. Risks that are deemed unacceptable must be paired with mitigation plans. These plans are then designated to be carried out before, during, or after the implementation process. The purpose of the mitigation plans is to help bring the risk down to an acceptable level.

The next area we will address deals with the approval aspect of MOC. Many organizations get into trouble in this area, confusing the need for approval with the need to inform. It’s important to note that every change doesn’t have to have the same approver. A great MOC program should have an approval matrix describing who needs to approve which type of decisions, as well as a list of people who “must be informed”. If your organization gets these steps right, the approval process will be quick and painless.

This leads us to the communication section nicely. As stated before, there are those who need to “approve” and those who “must be informed”. We need to track our communication efforts with respect to the MOC.  In other words, any message and corresponding response must be documented. The person responsible for sending the message is also responsible for getting a confirmation from the recipient. This means after the change is communicated, a receipt confirmation should be requested. Also, it is important to make it clear to your organization that an email response should be expected from the recipient. Simply flagging it as “Request a Read Receipt” isn’t going to get the job done. Once the recipient has responded, stating that they have received the message and understand the information, then the responsibility shifts to them to carry out the appropriate action.

Be sure to check back in next week for part 3 of 3 on Accupoint’s overview of Management of Change.  For more information on how Accupoint’s solutions can help streamline your MOC program, visit www.accupointsoftware.com or call us at (800) 563-6250.

It has come to our attention that a large number of people in the oil and natural gas industry are struggling with the topic of management of change (MOC). Although the details of implementation will be very different for different situations, great MOC programs are developed from the same basic foundation. This will be the first of a three-part overview of what is needed to run a top class management of change program.

The first fundamental aspect of MOC is the actual change request. What change needs to be made? What are the individual specs for the materials needed? What plans and documents need to be included in the change request to fully communicate what is needed? If you can’t clearly communicate what it is that needs to be changed, then the change can’t be implemented properly.

The next aspect of MOC that needs addressed is the reward of the change. Why am I even making this change? Each change should be fully connected to satisfying a business objective. Again, specificity is important in addressing these concerns. The reward needs to clearly satisfy a business goal. If it does not, why even bother taking the risk?

Possibly the most important foundation of the MOC program is the evaluation team. The MOC evaluation team is responsible for the objective evaluation of the requests. Members should represent different areas of expertise throughout the organization, with different experiences under their belt. There shouldn’t be any aspect of a request that the team can’t properly address and evaluate. Team members should be respected among their peers, and confident enough to speak up when they have concerns. If these criteria are used, your organization will select a MOC evaluation team that can handle any challenge put in front of them.

Be sure to check back next week for part 2 of our overview of Management of Change. For more information on how Accupoint’s solutions can help streamline your MOC program, visit www.accupointsoftware.com or call us at (800) 563-6250.

API  Spec Q2 mandates that service organizations have a plan in place to manage contingencies. The requirement states “The organization shall maintain a documented procedure for contingency planning. The procedure shall include incident and disruption prevention and mitigation measures. Contingency planning shall be integrated into services and supporting processes between the organization, its suppliers and the customer.”

So, what does that mean to you?

As an organization, you are required to anticipate issues and ensure that the appropriate plans are in place. You also need to provide proof (documentation) that these plans exist.  

It is important to remember that these contingency plans are not static in nature. They require revisions in order to effectively minimize a disruption in service, which is the whole reason for the requirement. In order for the plan to be effective, employees need to be aware of their responsibilities in the event of a disruption.

Managing these contingency plans is just as important as developing them. The best way to manage these plans is to store them within a reliable and accessible system. Accupoint offers solutions that allow you to effectively manage your important documents and retrieve them on a moment’s notice.

For more information on how to manage your contingency plans, visit accupointsoftware.com or call (800)563-6250.