← DictionaryChange Request
also called change order
A documented request to alter agreed scope, time or cost.
A formal "yes, but that changes the deal."
What It Is
You will find Change Request in the Business layer, alongside the rest of Delivery. What it actually refers to is a documented request to alter agreed scope, time or cost.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Once it is defined that clearly, arguments about it usually stop.
How It's Used
Most of the time Change Request is used in commercial decisions, pricing conversations and how the business runs. It is usually discussed together with Scope Creep, Scope and Approval. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
Ignoring Change Request rarely fails loudly — it fails slowly. When it is unclear, margin leaks in places nobody is looking. It is worth pinning down before anyone builds on top of it.
Think of it as a name on a box. Open the box and this is what is inside: A formal "yes, but that changes the deal.".
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Practitioners use Change Request as shorthand and expect no explanation — a documented request to alter agreed scope, time or cost.
Outside the industry, most people would just say: a formal "yes, but that changes the deal.".
The Bottom Line
If you only keep one thing about Change Request: a formal "yes, but that changes the deal.". Everything after that is detail.