assess.one – AI-powered business operations platform

Workflow Template

Change Order Approval Workflow

Captures a project change order request, routes it through technical review and cost-tiered commercial (and optional client) approval, updates the project baseline and implements approved changes, and notifies the requester and stakeholders of the outcome. Rejected changes are returned to the requester with a reason and can be revised and resubmitted.

Organisations managing capital projects, construction programmes, or client engagements require a defensible, auditable process for evaluating and approving project change orders before scope, cost, or schedule baselines are altered. This workflow captures the change order request, routes it through technical review and cost-tiered commercial approval, incorporates optional client sign-off, and updates the project baseline once changes are approved and implemented. Project managers, technical reviewers, commercial approvers, clients, and project stakeholders are engaged at defined decision points, with rejected requests returned to the requester with documented rationale for revision and resubmission.

Business Outcomes

  • Helps reduce delays in change order turnaround by routing requests automatically to the correct reviewer
  • Supports clearer accountability through documented technical, commercial, and client approval trail
  • Designed to minimise scope creep by tying baseline updates to formal approval completion
  • Makes it easier to enforce cost-tiered approval thresholds without manual escalation tracking
  • Improves stakeholder communication with automatic notification of approval outcomes

Workflow Steps

Steps

  1. 1
    Create Change Order Recordcreate record

    Registers the submitted change order as a record.

  2. 2
    Set Status to Submittedupdate record

    Marks the change order as submitted.

  3. 3
    Set Status to Under Technical Reviewupdate record

    Marks the change order as entering technical review.

  4. 4
    Technical Reviewcreate task

    A technical reviewer assesses the change for feasibility and impact.

  5. 5
    Route on Technical Recommendation

    Routes based on the technical reviewer's recommendation.

    technical_recommendation: "Recommend Rejection"Set Status to Rejected
    technical_recommendation: "Recommend Approval"Set Status to Under Commercial Review
    technical_recommendation: "Needs More Information"Restart Technical Review
    DefaultSet Status to Under Commercial Review
  6. 6
    Restart Technical Reviewrestart from step

    Sends the change order back for further technical review.

  7. 7
    Set Status to Under Commercial Reviewupdate record

    Marks the change order as entering commercial approval.

  8. 8
    Route Approval by Cost Impact

    Small changes go to the project manager; larger changes require commercial approval.

    cost_impact: "25000"Commercial Approval
    DefaultProject Manager Approval
  9. 9
    Project Manager Approvalrequest approvalrequires approval

    Project manager reviews and approves or rejects small-value changes.

  10. 10
    Route on PM Approval Outcome

    Routes based on the project manager's decision.

    approval_status: "approved"Check if Client Approval Required
    approval_status: "rejected"Set Status to Rejected
    DefaultEnd
  11. 11
    Commercial Approvalrequest approvalrequires approval

    Commercial manager reviews and approves or rejects larger-value changes.

  12. 12
    Route on Commercial Approval Outcome

    Routes based on the commercial approver's decision.

    approval_status: "approved"Check if Client Approval Required
    approval_status: "rejected"Set Status to Rejected
    DefaultEnd
  13. 13
    Check if Client Approval Required

    Determines whether the contract requires client approval for this change.

    contract_requires_client_approval: "true"Set Status to Under Client Review
    DefaultSet Status to Approved
  14. 14
    Set Status to Under Client Reviewupdate record

    Marks the change order as awaiting client approval.

  15. 15
    Client Approvalrequest approvalrequires approval

    The client reviews and approves or rejects the change as required by contract.

  16. 16
    Route on Client Approval Outcome

    Routes based on the client's decision.

    approval_status: "approved"Set Status to Approved
    approval_status: "rejected"Set Status to Rejected
    DefaultEnd
  17. 17
    Set Status to Approvedupdate record

    Marks the change order as approved.

  18. 18
    Update Project Baseline and Implement Changecreate task

    Project team updates the baseline schedule/cost and implements the approved change.

  19. 19
    Set Status to Implementedupdate record

    Marks the change order as implemented.

  20. 20
    Notify Requester and Stakeholders of Approvalsend email

    Sends approval notification to the requester and affected stakeholders.

  21. 21
    Notify Affected Stakeholder of Approvalsend email

    Informs the affected stakeholder that the change was approved and implemented.

  22. 22
    Set Status to Rejectedupdate record

    Marks the change order as rejected.

  23. 23
    Notify Requester of Rejectionsend email

    Returns the change order to the requester with the reason for rejection.

  24. 24
    Notify Affected Stakeholder of Rejectionsend email

    Informs the affected stakeholder that the change was rejected.

Fields

  • Requester Name*
  • Requester Email*
  • Affected Stakeholder Email
  • Change Title*
  • Description of Change*
  • Reason for Change*
  • +9 more fields

Forms

Change Order Request

10 fields

Data Views

All Change Orders

change_title, change_status, cost_impact, schedule_impact_days +1 more

Dashboard Widgets

Change Orders by StatusChange Order SummaryTotal Cost Impact Requested

Recommended integrations

Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.

  • Send email in the workflow

    AWS SES logoAWS SES
change order approvalconstruction change orderproject variationcontract variationchange request

Similar Workflows

Similar Categories

FAQs

How is this change order workflow audited?

Every status transition, from submission through technical review, cost-tiered approval, client sign-off, and implementation, is recorded with a timestamp and the user who actioned it. This creates a complete audit trail suitable for internal governance reviews, client audits, or dispute resolution. Rejection reasons and resubmissions are similarly logged, so reviewers can trace the full history of any change order.

Who has access to change order records and approval decisions?

Access is configured by role within assess.one, so requesters, technical reviewers, project managers, commercial approvers, and client stakeholders only see the information and actions relevant to their step. Administrators can adjust these permissions directly in the platform as project teams or organisational structures change. This role-based visibility helps maintain confidentiality of commercial terms while keeping the process transparent to those who need it.

How does this integrate with existing project management or notification tools?

Notifications to requesters and stakeholders, including email and Slack alerts, are configured inside assess.one without requiring separate development work. This allows change order outcomes to reach the right people through the channels your organisation already uses. Integration settings can be adjusted at any time as communication needs evolve.

What happens when a change order is routed for cost-tiered commercial approval?

The workflow evaluates the cost impact of the request and routes it to the appropriate approval tier, which may involve project manager approval, commercial approval, or both depending on configured thresholds. Approvers can approve, reject, or request revisions, and the outcome determines whether the request proceeds to client review or is returned to the requester. This tiering helps ensure higher-cost changes receive proportionate scrutiny without slowing down lower-cost approvals.

Is client approval always required for a change order?

No, the workflow includes a conditional check to determine whether client approval is required based on the specifics of the change order. When required, the request is routed to client review before final approval; when not required, it proceeds directly to baseline update and implementation. This logic is configurable within assess.one to match contractual or project-specific requirements.

Can the technical review and approval steps be customised?

Yes, the steps, reviewer roles, routing logic, and cost thresholds in this workflow can all be adjusted directly within assess.one to reflect your organisation's approval hierarchy. Teams can modify the technical recommendation routing, add or remove approval stages, or change notification rules without needing developer support. Changes take effect as soon as the updated template is published.

What happens if a change order is rejected during technical or commercial review?

Rejected change orders are returned to the requester along with a documented reason for rejection, ensuring the requester understands what needs to be addressed. The requester can then revise the request and resubmit it, at which point it re-enters the technical review stage. This closed-loop process helps maintain quality control while giving requesters a clear path to resolution.

How long does it take to implement this change order approval process?

The workflow template is ready to use and can be published within minutes, after which your team can begin submitting and processing live change orders immediately. There is no lengthy implementation project or external software installation involved. Any adjustments to steps, roles, or approval logic can be made directly in assess.one as your process evolves.

What compliance considerations apply to this workflow?

The workflow supports compliance objectives by enforcing sequential review and approval steps, maintaining a documented decision trail, and preventing baseline updates until formal approval is complete. Organisations with contractual or regulatory documentation requirements can rely on the recorded history of statuses, approvals, and rejections as supporting evidence. Approval logic and required sign-offs can be tailored to align with specific compliance or contractual obligations.

Ready to use this workflow?

Create a free account and customise this workflow for your business.

Change Order Approval Workflow | assess.one