From the course: Putting ITIL® into Practice: Change Enablement

What is a request for change, and why use it?

From the course: Putting ITIL® into Practice: Change Enablement

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What is a request for change, and why use it?

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- A request for change or RFC isn't just a suggestion. It's a formal proposal to modify an IT service or infrastructure. Before action, changes that are material that can impact services and users must be evaluated, approved, and planned. Why? Because uncontrolled change leads to chaos. RFCs keep changes structured with the aim of reducing risk and disruption when you implement them. Not all changes are good changes. Requests for change ensure that every change is deliberate, reviewed, and controlled. RFCs reduce risk, prevent disruptions, and keep IT aligned with business goals. Without RFCs, unapproved changes lead to outages, security gaps, and operational chaos. But with them, teams assess risks, plan for impacts, and schedule wisely. RFCs bring accountability, transparency, and stability, so changes happen for the better, not the worse. Because in IT, it's not just about making changes, it's about making the right changes the right way.

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