Change control sounds bureaucratic. Done well it is the opposite — the thing that keeps your project honest and your budget intact.
Change control sounds bureaucratic. Done well it is the opposite — it is the thing that keeps your project honest and your budget intact.
Every project changes. New needs appear, priorities shift, vendors suggest alternatives. The question is never whether change happens; it is whether change is written down and agreed before it costs money.
Written change control is simple. When something new is asked for, write it down, note the impact on scope and cost, and get a yes or no before doing the work. That single habit prevents the most common cause of budget overruns.
If a consultant or vendor resists writing changes down, that is a warning. Written change control protects you as much as it protects them. It is how both sides stay on the same page about what was agreed.
