When should we raise a Change Request instead of an Incident ?

[iekosmadakis · Accepted solution]

In ServiceNow (and ITIL practices generally), there is a clear breakdown to clarify when to raise a Change Request vs. an Incident:

 

- When to raise a Change Request:

• You are planning to implement a change to the IT environment (infrastructure, applications, configurations, etc.).

• The change is pre-approved or scheduled, not a reactive fix.

• Examples:

  • Deploying a new feature or update.

  • Upgrading hardware or software.

  • Changing a network configuration.

• Goal: Prevent issues or improve services, not to restore service.

- When to raise an Incident:

• There is an unplanned interruption or degradation in an IT service.

• You need to restore normal service as quickly as possible.

• Examples:

  • Server down.

  • Application not loading.

  • Network outage.

• Goal: Restore service, not make a controlled change.

 

- Key difference:

• Incident = reactive, fix what's broken.

• Change Request = proactive, implement something new or modify.

Please consider marking my answer as helpful and accepting it as the solution if it assisted you in any way.

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

@vaibhavshar2358 

Technically, every answer here is correct in its own way.
You can accept multiple answers to acknowledge the effort and insights shared by different community members. 🙌
It’s a great way to encourage active participation and keep the community thriving!

[SD_Chandan]

Hi @vaibhavshar2358 ,

Here's a quick way to decide:

• Raise an Incident when something is broken, not working, or needs urgent fixing.
  Goal: Restore service ASAP.

• Raise a Change Request when you're adding, removing, or modifying something intentionally.
  Goal: Plan, assess risk, and get approvals.

Examples:

• Server down? → Incident
• Upgrading software? → Change Request