What’s all the hubbub about change management? It’s simple. Sort of. When an organization alters its course, the success of the change is strongly influenced through the process of implementation. A change may be worthy, but if it’s handled in the wrong way, watch out. Software change management, on the other hand, is a horse of a different color …

The Fed’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) defines change management as:

activities involved in (1) defining and instilling new values, attitudes, norms, and behaviors within an organization that support new ways of doing work and overcome resistance to change; (2) building consensus among customers and stakeholders on specific changes designed to better meet their needs; and (3) planning, testing, and implementing all aspects of the transition from one organizational structure or business process to another.

Microsoft, within the context of its Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), defines change management as:

The practice of administering changes with the help of tested methods and techniques in order to avoid new errors and minimize the impact of changes.

The terminology can get a little sticky. There’s Software Change Management and then there’s Change Management Software. Transpose those words and you’ll end up with different meanings. Rather than revamping organizational structure, software change management involves the application life cycle — i.e.: swatting bugs, tracking changes, and implementing patches.

Change management software developers include: Elsinore Technologies, Remedy, Seapine Software, Serena Software, SoftLanding Systems, and Zavanta.