Consolidating Change Requests into Change Orders

A change order is the authorized modification that results from an approved change request. It is legally binding and documents the agreed-upon adjustments. While the change request initiates the evaluation process, the change order implements the approved change, providing a clear and structured pathway from proposal to execution.

You can consolidate entire change requests or individual approved impact lines into a change order, reducing the potential for errors and ensuring that updates to the project plan and budget are accurately reflected. During consolidation, all impact lines from a single change request are grouped as one impact within the change order. For example, if you consolidate impacts from three separate change requests, the system creates three distinct impacts in the change order—one per change request. This approach maintains the link between each change request and its associated impacts.

By default, impact lines consolidated from a change request into a change order remain editable. However, you can restrict edits by navigating to Setup and Maintenance > Search > Manage Project Statuses, selecting the Approved status classification in the Status Classifications section, and clearing the Allow check box for the Update Impact Details in Change Order action in the Status Action Controls section.

Here’s how a change request becomes a change order:

1. The client or project manager raises a change request.
2. Scope, cost, and timeline impacts are assessed.
3. The change request is submitted to the client for approval.
4. The client may request revisions; the change request is updated and re-submitted.
5. The client approves the final version, and required internal approvals are completed.
6. The approved change request is converted into a change order (and may be consolidated with other approved change requests).
7. Project plans, budgets, and contracts are updated on implementing the change order.