✅Approval Process

NEW

Also known as: Change Approval Workflow

Formal sequence of reviews and authorizations required before implementing a change into controlled environments.

DESCRIPTION

An approval process ensures appropriate oversight and risk management for changes. It involves defined roles, criteria, and evidence such as impact assessments and test results. In ITSM, CABs advise on significant changes. In software, code reviews and protected branch policies serve a similar purpose. Automated gates verify compliance and quality. Pre-authorized standard changes can bypass manual approvals. Clear audit trails demonstrate conformance and accountability.

ALTERNATIVE DEFINITIONS

Atlassian

A change advisory board (CAB) is a group that advises the change manager in the assessment, prioritization, and scheduling of changes.

Positions CAB as a core advisory element of change approvals.

Source

GitHub

Pull request reviews help teams discuss and review changes before merging into the main branch.

Frames approval in software via collaborative code reviews.

Source

RELATED TERMS

Change Advisory Board Change Request Governance Segregation of Duties Pull Request Code Review Risk Assessment Releasing Transaction Audit Data

COMPETING TERMS

Planned Changes Continuous Delivery

RELATIONS

• Broader: Approval Workflow
• Narrower: Approval Gates Change Request Process

KNOWLEDGE AREAS

Data Governance Collaboration Software Engineering Data Management

TARGET AUDIENCE

Data Governance Manager Chief Information Officer DevOps Engineer Data Architect Data Engineer

EXTERNAL SOURCES

• Wikipedia - Change management (ITSM)
• Atlassian - ITSM change governance overview
• Microsoft - Branch policies and approvals
• GitLab - Code review and approvals

TOP QUESTIONS

Why is an Approval Process necessary?

It enforces governance, reduces risk, and ensures changes meet quality criteria before reaching production.

Category: Relevancy

What evidence supports an Approval Process?

Impact assessments, test results, rollback plans, and sign-offs from accountable roles.

Category: Requirements

How do CABs fit into Approval Processes?

CABs advise the change manager on prioritization and scheduling for significant changes.

Category: Example

Can approvals be automated?

Yes, policy-as-code gates can automatically validate tests, security scans, and compliance checks.

Category: Example

When can approvals be bypassed?

Pre-approved standard changes may proceed without separate manual approvals per policy.

Category: Opinion

What’s a common approval mistake?

Rubber-stamping without verifying evidence or understanding downstream impacts.

Category: Mistakes

How does code review relate to Approval Processes?

Code reviews serve as peer approvals, ensuring correctness and maintainability before merging.

Category: Example

How to keep approvals fast yet safe?

Automate checks, define clear criteria, and escalate only higher-risk changes for human review.

Category: Management

What audit artifacts should be retained?

Approver identities, timestamps, evidence links, and rationale for go/no-go decisions.

Category: Requirements