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
- 1Create Change Order Recordcreate record
Registers the submitted change order as a record.
- 2Set Status to Submittedupdate record
Marks the change order as submitted.
- 3Set Status to Under Technical Reviewupdate record
Marks the change order as entering technical review.
- 4Technical Reviewcreate task
A technical reviewer assesses the change for feasibility and impact.
- 5Route on Technical Recommendation
Routes based on the technical reviewer's recommendation.
technical_recommendation: "Recommend Rejection"→Set Status to Rejectedtechnical_recommendation: "Recommend Approval"→Set Status to Under Commercial Reviewtechnical_recommendation: "Needs More Information"→Restart Technical ReviewDefault→Set Status to Under Commercial Review - 6Restart Technical Reviewrestart from step
Sends the change order back for further technical review.
- 7Set Status to Under Commercial Reviewupdate record
Marks the change order as entering commercial approval.
- 8Route Approval by Cost Impact
Small changes go to the project manager; larger changes require commercial approval.
cost_impact: "25000"→Commercial ApprovalDefault→Project Manager Approval - 9Project Manager Approvalrequest approvalrequires approval
Project manager reviews and approves or rejects small-value changes.
- 10Route on PM Approval Outcome
Routes based on the project manager's decision.
approval_status: "approved"→Check if Client Approval Requiredapproval_status: "rejected"→Set Status to RejectedDefault→End - 11Commercial Approvalrequest approvalrequires approval
Commercial manager reviews and approves or rejects larger-value changes.
- 12Route on Commercial Approval Outcome
Routes based on the commercial approver's decision.
approval_status: "approved"→Check if Client Approval Requiredapproval_status: "rejected"→Set Status to RejectedDefault→End - 13Check if Client Approval Required
Determines whether the contract requires client approval for this change.
contract_requires_client_approval: "true"→Set Status to Under Client ReviewDefault→Set Status to Approved - 14Set Status to Under Client Reviewupdate record
Marks the change order as awaiting client approval.
- 15Client Approvalrequest approvalrequires approval
The client reviews and approves or rejects the change as required by contract.
- 16Route on Client Approval Outcome
Routes based on the client's decision.
approval_status: "approved"→Set Status to Approvedapproval_status: "rejected"→Set Status to RejectedDefault→End - 17Set Status to Approvedupdate record
Marks the change order as approved.
- 18Update Project Baseline and Implement Changecreate task
Project team updates the baseline schedule/cost and implements the approved change.
- 19Set Status to Implementedupdate record
Marks the change order as implemented.
- 20Notify Requester and Stakeholders of Approvalsend email
Sends approval notification to the requester and affected stakeholders.
- 21Notify Affected Stakeholder of Approvalsend email
Informs the affected stakeholder that the change was approved and implemented.
- 22Set Status to Rejectedupdate record
Marks the change order as rejected.
- 23Notify Requester of Rejectionsend email
Returns the change order to the requester with the reason for rejection.
- 24Notify 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
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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.
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