What is an Emergency Change?

An Emergency Change is a high priority change that requires the bypassing of the normal change process in order to mitigate a production issue in the shortest possible time. Emergency changes fall within one of the following categories:

• Fix on fail or retroactive situations where the impact to service has already been experienced.
• Fix or fail situations where the impact to service is imminent if action is not taken.

 

Emergency Change Data Flow

 

How to Create a New Emergency Change

1. Navigate to the Service Operations Workspace in ServiceNow, follow URL:
   Home | Service Operations Workspace | ServiceNow
   
   
2. Click on the + (plus) sign next to home tab and select 'New Change Request'
   
3. Click on Emergency card/Tile to start a New Emergency Change Request
   
4. Select 'Continue' option in the top right corner of the workspace.
    Note: Continue button does not get enabled until a card is chosen.
   
   
   
   
5. Complete all the required fields for Emergency Change Request, click on the Save button
   located at the top right corner of this page.
6. Stay on the same form and scroll down to locate the Assignment section>Click on the Assign button
   • Choose an Assignment group name
   • Enter the desired username in Assigned To field
   • Enter Work notes (optional)
   • Click on Save
     
     
7. From the Emergency Change Overview Page, click on 'Set Schedule' button located in the Schedule section.
   • Schedule button opens a new tab for the conflict calendar.
   • Enter your planned Start Date Time and Planned End Date Time for this emergency change.
   • Click the Schedule button to run the conflict calendar.
8. When the conflict calendar runs, you will see blackout and maintenance window schedules along with other changes that may conflict with your planned start and end dates.
   Note: If you choose a date coincides with a conflicting timeframe, the conflict calendar will
                       suggest the next available window and allow you to schedule that time instead or
                       continue with your originally selected dates and times.
   
9. Click on the Details tab to return to the change request page.
   (Note: You will need to return to the details view to submit your request)
   
10. Click on the 'Request Approval' button to start the approval process.
    

Note: After you click 'Request Approval' IT Directors receive an approval request notification. Use steps below after the emergency change request has been approved.

Post -Approval Implementation

1. Navigate to the Emergency Change Request either from your e-mail notification or from 
         Service Operations Workspace (SOW), click on implement button when you are ready to implement the change.
   
   Note: If you are not in the Assignment Group, the Change Task will not get assigned to you. If you are doing
              the work, make sure that the task gets Assigned to a group that you are a member and then assign the
              task to yourself. A notification will be sent to the "Assigned To" individual to complete the work.
2. Click on the 'Closure Information' button after your change implementation is complete.
   
3. Choose a close code (from the list of available codes) and enter any close notes. Click on Close button
         located in the top right corner of the workspace.
   

    Your Emergency Change is now successfully closed.
             

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