Management of Change - Part Two

As we mentioned in our previous post on preventative maintenance programs, the vast majority of catastrophic incidents are not the result of a single factor.  Time and again, however, a lack of effective communication appears as a root cause.

Specifically, a lack of communication with respect to policy, procedures, process or instructions can result in ill-informed employees and a failure to identify hazards.  How can an organization manage this communication process with respect to proposed changes within the organization?  One way is to develop and implement an effective Management of Change program. 

Management of Change (MOC) is defined as a process used to prevent an incident or loss by identifying, assessing, managing, documenting, and communicating proposed changes prior to implementing them.  The complex nature of MOC causes many companies to struggle with implementing an effective system.  Often, existing MOC is accomplished using a manual system of spreadsheets which result in increased costs, time delays and lack of visibility. 

One common obstacle to an effective MOC program is the tendency to route all information or all changes through an MOC program.  This is not necessary and often is detrimental.  Develop the MOC program so that only necessary information moves through the process.  Typically, MOC is NOT required when the change is like for like or kind for kind.

That being said, let’s turn our attention to program structure.  There are six basic steps to an effective Management of Change program:

1.       Initiation

• During this stage, the requested changes are documented with related details and submitted to the appropriate parties for the advancement of the project.

2.       Impact Analysis

• Impact analysis determines how the proposed changes will affect operations, as well as similar processes.

3.       Approval

• During this stage, the appropriate parties approve the proposed changes and modifications.

4.       Execution

• During execution, the program will communicate the change, verify the tasks, and integrate with customer requirements.

5.       Review

• Review is an after-action evaluation to determine effectiveness and lessons learned, as well as a transfer of knowledge. 

6.       Closure

A well-documented Management of Change (MOC) program can be used to demonstrate an organization’s commitment to due diligence in risk mitigation efforts.  By effectively implementing and communicating proposed changes, you ensure a safer, more informed and more efficient work environment that reduces liability and prevents incidents.

To learn how Accupoint’s cloud-based solutions can help streamline your Management of Change process, please call us toll-free at 800-563-6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com