Most IT service disruptions occur because someone makes changes to application code or infrastructure incorrectly or at an inappropriate time or without informing those who will be affected. Maintaining high service availability is dependent, therefore, on an effective change deployment process.

Poor Change Control Results in Service Disruption

The management of technology changes is one of the cornerstones of effective service management. According to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), "The goal of the Change Management process is to ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of all changes, in order to minimize the impact of change-related incidents upon service quality, and consequently improve the day-to-day operations of the organization."