An emergency fix was applied overnight. What should happen afterward?
Unreviewed emergency changeStabilize the service, preserve what was changed, and complete the authorized retrospective review promptly. Emergency handling should not erase evidence or leave temporary access and workarounds unmanaged.
What to do now
- Record the actual change and authority
- Verify service and data integrity
- Review unintended consequences and temporary controls
- Complete follow-up approval and corrective actions as required
When to escalate
The change's origin, effect, or authorization cannot be established.
The authorized change decision maker
Example
An overnight restoration is followed by configuration review, regression checks, and removal of temporary access.
Mistake to avoid
Leaving an emergency change outside the normal configuration record.
Prevent a repeat
Compare delivered changes with authorized decisions and keep the current baseline distinguishable from earlier versions.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Documents
- Approvals
- Tasks
Keep the change request, impact assessment and recorded decision together; update affected tasks only after the appropriate authorization. See the platform
Related cases
- How do we keep change control lightweight for a small team?Proportionate change recording
- A sponsor approves scope but not the extra budget. What should we do?Unfunded change approval
- Retrospectives produce actions that never happen. What should change?Improvement without follow-through
- How do we identify projects that should be stopped?Unreviewed continuation