Change Authorization Form: Document Changes

A simple, but extremely powerful life safer by William Vaughan.

William Vaughan has shared a “tool” he started using back in the mid 90’s and haven’t stopped since. Basically it’s a simple, but extremely powerful life safer called a Change Authorization Form. The form allows you to document any changes the client has requested that fall outside of the original contract that both parties have agreed to and signed.

Changes are quite often and you have to register them. You have to make sure your client remembers all the revisions to never end up with a never ending production that suffers from “feature creep.”

As long as it’s clearly defined, any changes that fall outside of the contract should be greeted with a change authorization form. Even if you don’t plan on charging the client for the changes, it’s a good idea to formally document them so you can track any and all changes that may come up during production. It’s a great resource that has saved my butt several times when a client asks “Why did you change that?” or “Who approved this change?” The form will clearly show why changes were made, who approved them, and how it has affected the project’s time and budget.

William Vaughan

Key elements you’ll want to include in the form:

Name of Client
Name of Artist/Studio producing the work
Who requested the change
Date the request was submitted
Description of change
Reason for Change
Estimated costs associated with change (Time/Money)
Impact on total budget and schedule
If approved, who approved the change

You can also edit your form and remove unnecessary details to fit what works best for you or your studio.

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Change Authorization Form: Document Changes

William Vaughan

Key elements you’ll want to include in the form:

Download The Form

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