Define the start and finish
Open a change record when a request or discovered condition could alter the agreed work. The contract and responsible advisers determine formal notice and approval requirements; the operating workflow should make those responsibilities visible.
Workflow record and acceptance checklist
| Record | Information required |
|---|---|
| Change description | Requested work and the original scope reference |
| Field evidence | Photos, measurements, or notes supporting the request |
| Impact estimate | Labor, materials, subcontractors, schedule, and affected work |
| Decision evidence | Required internal and customer approvals |
| Job update | Revised crew instructions, purchasing action, and billing reference |
Run the workflow
- Field lead records the condition and follows the agreed stop or escalation rule.
- Estimator or project manager assesses scope and delivery effects, including dependencies.
- Authorized approval is recorded and the coordinator updates production and billing together.
Worked example
Illustrative example: a customer requests a different finish after material has been ordered. The manager identifies the substitution, possible return costs, and schedule implications. Approval addresses those items before purchasing changes the order and the foreman changes the work plan.
Handle the exception explicitly
Urgent safety concerns follow the applicable safety procedure; commercial approval should not be used as a reason to ignore an immediate hazard. Keep emergency action and subsequent change documentation coordinated through responsible roles.
Measures to review
Track unapproved additional hours, approval turnaround, and changes missing billing references. Repeated change types can reveal unclear scope language for future estimates.
Pilot before standardizing
Test this workflow on a small set of real cases with the people who send and receive the work. Keep a record of missing information and decisions that were unclear. Assign one owner to revise the operating instructions, then review the next completed case against the revised version.
Related implementation resources
Discuss the operating problem
Elixir consulting starts at $5,000 per month, with final pricing based on scope. Bring a recent example, the current workflow, and the person who owns the result to define the appropriate implementation scope.