Change Management
Hi,
After general opinions, suggestions. KACE covers most things from Help Desk to Patching but the one thing it doesn't have is a change management module. Did some searching of the web but most products are full help-desk suites but as we already have KACE, seems overkill to buy something for which most functions will go un-used. The few standalone change management applications I did find had complicated trial procedures which were not worth the hassle.
Looking to find out what others out there are using for change managment in terms of software to manage it? So logging the change, it's impacts, roll-back option, settings for approvals and so on.
Cheers.
TWIT
Answers (5)
Do you have SharePoint? Our SharePoint developer has implemented some forms with Infopath to help create a Change Management system for our employees to use.
We use the KBOX for project management and tracking. Depending on the level of control you need for the change management the KBOX might work.
You can create a new queue and use processes to trigger a change control and within that create all the sub tickets that are needed along with setting approvals. Might be worth a shot since you already have the KBOX.
You can configure the ServiceDesk in KACE to provide a pretty good Change Management Process, even more so with the new functions in the 5.4 Version. If you are new to Change Management or do not have a process KACE is an excellent tool to get a process in place and then get people used to using it. If you are more mature in Change Management and have a clearly documented process this can be more challenging, however we can provide a cloud based system that will integrate with KACE, holding your central repository of Change data in KACE and allowing users of the process to work via a simple web form style process. There are plenty of options.
Comments:
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I've yet to see anyone document how they created a change management function in Kace. Dell likes to tout the ITIL functions in Kace, mentions Change Management in the blurb on this and many have said you can do this (like Hobbsy), yet there are no practical examples. How does 5.4 help with this?
Do you start with a queue, create a custom ticket, and then set up approval workflow for the ticket? Is it that simple at a basic level? - BGR 11 years ago-
Hi BGR, I've come to the realisation that change management cannot be done via KACE. I setup a queue but even if you ignore all the other difficulties, a queue can only have one approver. A normal change management process is going to have several approvers so for me it falls at the first hurdle. KACE is good, but for Change Management I wouldn't even try.
Cheers. - twit 11 years ago
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Guys, perhaps I'm wrong but a Change Management process has a Change Advisory Board who provide input to a change but actually there is only ever one approver of an RFC in the change and that is the Change Manager? KACE does not provide flexibility in the queue, in terms of sending actions via tickets to different people depending upon the change type, however it does provide a simple process that enables the RFC to be logged, built, reviewed, approved, rejected or implemented and I am more than happy to demo that to anyone, just contact me!
If you want a more flexible change process we do have the capability to add our Change engine to the mix, external and complimentary technology to KACE, that will manage your tickets in the change queue using programmed logic, with that you are able to implement a more "mature" change process but still have a managed Change Management Queue in KACE.
That being said KACE will never be able to compete against ITIL specific toolsets, built for purpose with specific process, however in these times of close budget management, if you have no ITIL process and you want to introduce simple, effective ITIL aligned discipline to your support function, and you have KACE, why bother paying out for licenses of another product when you can use KACE? - Hobbsy 11 years ago-
Hi Hobbsy, what you've described above is essentially what I'm looking for. I'm in the process of creating the queue but may take you up on the offer of a demo of the process.
Thanks,
Gareth - GarethE 9 years ago-
Any time just contact me directly to set up a session - Hobbsy 9 years ago
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Did you succeed? Hit me at sborner@gmail.com with any input you have related to Kace and Change Control. - sborner 8 years ago
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I would like to know if/ how this worked out also - Dave Barnett 7 years ago
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Is this still something that is available? - cb3inco 6 years ago
