ABSTRACT
Software products rarely stand still unless they have become senile or retired. They are subject to constant change, both during development and after release into the marketplace. Indeed, a measure of iteration around the various stages of the life cycle is expected, and can arise either from errors in the process or changes in the user’s requirements. The worst offense which formal change control is intended to avoid is the quick fix mentality associated with what has become known as the cowboy culture. The form features two sets of numbers that must be tracked if change control is to be achieved. The first of these, the Database Request Number, introduces the need for a support database in which all defects and enhancement requests should be logged. However, the change control procedure should include or refer to specific steps to review, update and distribute updated documentation together with software changes. This leads naturally to the question of a version control policy.
