Managing change means carefully evaluating each change and then deciding when and if it will be acted upon. 1999 Many developers have had the experience in which an apparently simple change turns out to be far more complicated than expected. This can happen with proposed requirements modifications and when adding enhancements to an existing system. The misperception that change is free is one cause of project scope creep. People make more thoughtful choices when they see price tags on the available options.
Impact analysis is an important part of responsible requirements management.
Impact analysis provides accurate understanding of the implications of a proposed change, helping you make informed business decisions about which proposals to approve. The analysis examines the context of the proposed change to identify existing components that might have to be modified or discarded, identify new work products to be created, and estimate the effort associated with each task. Your ability to perform impact analysis depends on the quality and completeness of your requirements traceability data. No one likes the fact that making a change costs time and money and can have other undesirable consequences. At some point in their career, most developers have been asked to add functionality without affecting the project's cost or schedule.