Why Use Standard Change Templates?
Speed and Efficiency
Standard Change Templates eliminate the approval bottleneck for routine, well-understood changes. Once a template is approved, anyone with the appropriate permissions can create changes from it without waiting for technical and operational approvals.
Consistency
Templates ensure that the same procedure is followed every time. This reduces human error and ensures that:
- Implementation steps are consistent
- Test plans are comprehensive
- Rollback procedures are documented
- Risk assessments are standardised
Compliance and Audit
Even though Standard Changes skip the approval workflow, they maintain full traceability:
- Every change created from a template is linked back to that template
- Variable values used are recorded for audit purposes
- The template's approval history is preserved
- Usage counts track how often each template is used
Reduced Workload for Approvers
By pre-approving common procedures, technical and operational approvers can focus their attention on complex, high-risk changes rather than rubber-stamping routine operations.
When to Use Standard Changes
Standard Changes are ideal for:
- **Routine maintenance** - Scheduled restarts, patch applications, backup procedures
- **User management** - Password resets, account provisioning, permission changes
- **Configuration updates** - DNS changes, firewall rule additions, certificate renewals
- **Monitoring changes** - Adding/removing monitoring alerts, threshold adjustments
- **Documentation updates** - Updating runbooks, procedures, or system documentation
When NOT to Use Standard Changes
Standard Changes should not be used for:- **First-time implementations** - New systems or untested procedures
- **High-risk changes** - Changes that could cause significant outages
- **Complex changes** - Multi-system changes with dependencies
- **Changes with unknown outcomes** - Experimental or investigative work
The Standard Change Workflow
Key Benefits Summary
| Benifet | Description |
| Faster Deployment | Skip approval workflow for routine changes |
|
Reduced Risk
|
Standardised procedures reduce human error |
| Better Compliance | Full audit trail maintained |
| Improved Efficiency | Approvers focus on complex changes |
| Knowledge Capture | Best practices documented in templates |
| Scalability | Handle more changes without bottlenecks |