Configuring change project management
Many users implement new features or database changes as separate projects. The Change Project Management feature allows you to implement the projects on a staging or a testing environment before implementing them on a production environment to mitigate and minimize operational errors. After the changes are validated, the changes are published on the production environment using agents. Each such project, which is a collection of a number of smaller tasks, is termed as a "Change Project". Each Change Project is divided into a number of smaller independent units of work, each of which, is called a "Change Request". For example, a new functionality or project, "Building Catalog" can have a number of associated tasks such as "creating items", "creating organization", "creating users", or "configuring pricing". In this instance, "Building Catalog" is the Change Project, whereas, "creating items", or "creating users" are Change Requests for the Change Project, "Building Catalog".
Multiple designated users can work on a Change Project simultaneously, however, a user can work on only one Change Request at a time. A change project is complete only when all the Change Requests belonging to the Change Project are complete and they have been approved by a designated user. Once the Change Project is approved, the changes are published on the production environment either soon after approval or at a specific time set in the Applications Manager.
The Sterling Business Center enables administrators to define Change Projects, define Change Requests for the Change Projects, assign contributors to work on the change requests and approve the Change Projects before publishing the changes to the production environment.
Workflow of a Change Project
- Administrator or a user with Change Project permissions creates a Change Project in Sterling Business Center.
- Administrator or a user with Change Project permissions creates one or more Change Requests for the Change Project.
- Administrator or a user with Change Project permissions assigns contributors to work on the Change Requests.
- Administrator or a user with Change Project permissions assigns approvers to a Change Project.
- Contributors execute the Change Requests and mark them as complete.
- Approvers approve the Change Project after all the Change Requests are complete.
- The changes are published on the production environment.