Change Management Software
Available as a powerful stand alone solution, or as part of the Novo Service Desk Suite, the Novo change management software facilitates the use of Best Practices for efficient and prompt handling of all changes to your controlled IT infrastructure.
Changes in your IT infrastructure, such as server updates and application changes, can cause unnecessary interruptions to crucial services throughout your organization if these changes are not managed appropriately. In order to minimize the number and impact of service outages, you need to ensure that standardized analysis, review & approval processes are followed.
Effective change management ensures that approved methods are utilized and appropriate processes and procedures are used to track all changes. The Novo Change Management Software will facilitate efficient and timely handling of all changes, and maintain the proper balance between the need for change and the potential detrimental impact of changes.
Best Practices:
Change Management Process
- Capture Key Data related to the specific nature of the change being requested. (Novo User Defined Fields allow you to easily create custom fields such as date/time, text, memo, numeric, Boolean (Y/N) or select lists).
- Use Fully Customizable Form Templates to submit the initial Change Request
- Select Category or Sub-Category to reflect the type of change being considered. Category lists (and sub-lists) are fully definable and can be added to at any time. This type of categorization allows for more detailed metrics which are useful when generating reports from the Novo Change Management software system.
- Associate any Appropriate Asset Records (Configuration Items) which could be impacted or may be potentially at risk for service disruption by the specific change being requested. (Requires the addition of the Novo Asset Manager Module).
- Associate other RFC’s (or other types of requests) to this request for easy access by reviewers or others involved in the workflow process.
- Assess and Minimize the Risk a change could have on the continuation of business services and functions.
- Funnel Request for Changes (RFCs) to appropriate team members (such as the Change Advisory Board) through flexible multi-level work flows. Changes can be reviewed for approval at various levels up and/or across your organization to ensure the change is warranted, that sufficient risk assessment has been conducted, and that the change is in line with the business priorities of the organization.
- Define Automated Custom Workflows which can assign “tasks” to specific individuals in advance or “on the fly” in order to track a Request for Change all the way through to post implementation review.
- Provide Data for Review Meetings – As an alternative to managing approvals through a work flow, some organizations review and approve or reject changes through a formal Change Advisory Board. A change request report can be used as a meeting agenda. The report can be displayed on a projector and the full Change Request details can be reviewed and updated live within the tool, eliminating the need for paper notes. Once Change Requests are approved, the next step in the workflow can be automatically triggered.
- Update Request for Change to reflect the current status of the request. Users with appropriate roles / permissions can set priorities, add notes or update key fields within the request form throughout the approval workflow process.
- Carry out the Change – Typically completed changes are flagged as “Implemented – Pending Review” which would then trigger a notification to the person responsible for Post Implementation Review. The Novo change management software system will capture the status change as it automatically adds notes to the change request throughout the life of the request.
- Analyze Change Requests with detailed custom-built reports using the Novo Custom Report Builder Wizard. This powerful reporting tool allows you to create all kinds of reports and charts. The charts created within the report builder can then be displayed in the dashboard, empowering management to have complete control over the change management process.
- Create Detailed Documentation based on post change assessments (requires the Novo Knowledge Base component of the software). Valuable information and ‘lessons learned’ can be captured into articles in the fully searchable database and can be used to help determine the best course of action for similar future changes.
Features
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Web Based, Configurable, Industry Standards- Completely Web Based Online Customer Support Software – only a Web Browser is needed to administer & use the system
- Easily Accessible on your Corporate Intranet or Web Site
- Industry Standard Architecture (MS SQL Server, ASP/ASP.Net)
- In-House & Hosted Editions available
- No Additional Hardware Required (can typically be installed on existing servers)
- Admin Dashboard – fully customizable portal dashboard for at-a-glance viewing of lists and managing reports. Drag and drop components allow you to quickly and easily arrange and sort the dashboard to each administrator’s personal preferences.
- Search Knowledge Base Articles – allow users to search in Knowledge Base articles before submitting a request (optional module)
- Submit Requests – allow users to submit a request directly into the Request Queue (with email notifications – see below)
- Manage Requests – allows users to review request status, add notes and attachments and close requests
- User Roles Management – allows customizable user roles so you can define what your users can and cannot do.
- Multi-Department Request Management – allows Change Requests to be managed at the department level. Each department can create and manage their own requests.
- USE: Many change requests require multiple people in various departments to either approve the request (i.e. a change to a server configuration) and/or complete specific tasks related to the request. The Novo Work Flow System provides a flexible method for automating AND keeping track of these tasks.BENEFIT: Improvement in quality and control of information systems (Change Management), improved response time to requests involving multiple people, and reduction of time spent keeping track of multi-step requests.
- Predefined & “On the Fly” Work flows: Ability to create flexible work flows from a list of predefined tasks you setup or “on the fly” as change requests are being added.
- Completion/Approval Paths: Ability to define work flows with various completion/approval paths.
- Rules Based Auto Assignment: Ability to automatically assign predefined work flows to Change Requests based on flexible business rules (i.e. when a request is added to a particular category).
- Auto Email notifications: Email notifications are automatically sent to the appropriate person or group when tasks are completed or rejected.
- Work Flow Task “Queue”: Empowers managers to view pending task status, assignment, predecessor relationship and deadlines (with color coded due dates for past due, current, future).
- Company-wide Work Flow Tasks – ability to involve admin users, end users and even external partners in managing Work Flow Tasks. Note: In some cases the automatic email module below may be required (i.e. for end users/partners that do not have web access to the software)
- Empowers Change Managers with the ability to customize fields available in a request form to their specific needs.
- Provides the ability to add multiple fields and determine their position on the request form.
- Improved reporting capabilities that result in improved change analysis.
- Ability to add multiple fields to Requests, Accounts and Contacts
- Flexible Business Rules – for auto assignment of requests, auto notifications, etc.
- Multiple AND/OR Conditions & Actions – ability to configure rules based on various field dependencies and perform multiple actions (i.e. update status, reassign, email alerts, etc.)
- Rules Logging – ability to configure log events for each rule
- Ability to Route Inbound Emails to a Particular Change Mgt. Queue (requires the optional Automatic Email Module below) – automatically route incoming emails to different change management departments or “queues” based on the email address it was sent to.
- Maps Active Directory Groups to Departments and Roles – providing single sign on and easier user administration
- User Active Directory Authentication & Search – single sign on for corporate users and staff who may be involved in approving tasks.
- Built in User Authentication – complete built in User Management if Active Directory is not used
- Monitors an email account and automatically adds/updates a request from the email message.
- Support for Multiple Email Accounts – POP, IMAP and Microsoft Exchange
- Work Flow Task Management (Requires optional Novo Work Flow Module) – ability to complete Tasks via email
- Integrate Novo software with 3rd party software applications – allows our change management software to be integrated with your existing software
- Request Templates – create customized Request Templates, allowing you to create simple to complex request entry forms.
- Request Copy – ability to copy/save a request and its related information
- Memorized Requests – ability to memorize repeatedly used requests to speed request entry
- Recurring Scheduled Requests – ability to schedule memorized requests to automatically generate requests for routine tasks
- Confirmation Receipt To Requester- an email is sent back to the initiator that submitted the change request to confirm its receipt.
- New Request Submissions – Change Managers can be notified via email of new requests submitted by users.
- Re-routing of Requests – Change Management staff are notified when a request is re-assigned to them. A link in the email takes them right to the request.
- Quick Attachments – easily add file attachments to a change request.
- Flexible Request Queue – Easily enable/disable columns to display
- Priority Colors – Priorities are associated with a color making prioritization quick and easy.
- Request Filtering – each user can define their own preferred view of the requests by applying multiple filters
- Clean, Straightforward Layout – for ease of use
- Asset Types – allows multiple types of assets (i.e. PCs, laptops, servers, PDAs, Cell Phones, network equipment, office equipment, etc.)
- Custom Asset List Views – each admin user can configure his own asset list view (i.e. the columns to display, list filtering and sort order).
- Attachments – any type of file (i.e. scanned purchase orders, warranty information, service agreements, drawings, MSDS sheets, pictures, technical specifications, etc.) can be attached to an asset. An asset can have multiple attachments.
- Metrics On Demand – ability to configure drill down charts and graphs
- Built-in Reports – numerous standard pre-built reports included
- Flexible Reporting capability - Our powerful reporting system identifies pending Change Requests as well as incomplete tasks/approvals associated with them. Customized Reports can also be scheduled and emailed regularly to the proper Change Management / Review Board personnel.
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