How to handle change requests in a project

Why individual decisions fail

Each wish on its own sounds reasonable and small. Ten small wishes are half a project. Whoever evaluates each individually says yes ten times and wonders about the costs.

The process

1. Everything on a list. No wish is rejected, all are noted.
2. Roughly estimate the effort. Small, medium, large is sufficient.
3. Prioritize every two weeks. Together, in fifteen minutes.
4. When something comes in, something goes out – or the framework is consciously expanded. Both are acceptable, just not unnoticed.

The most important sentence

"Yes, we'll take that on – what should it replace?"

This turns a demand into a trade-off. Almost always, it turns out that the new wish is less important than what would have to be cut.

What belongs on the list, but rarely makes it

Feedback from tests. They are more valuable than any pre-considered requirement because they come from real usage – and they disappear if only mentioned verbally.