Advanced Customization > Services and Infrastructure Customization > The Enterprise Layer > Change Abstractions
  
Change Abstractions
The change2 package includes the basic service methods and change item classes necessary to support change management. The change management module provides the means by which users can identify, plan, and track changes to the product information managed by the Windchill product data management system.
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The change2 package replaces the change package available in releases prior to Release 4.0.
The following figure shows the five conceptual steps in the change management process.
Change management process
To understand the Windchill change management object model, it is important to understand these conceptual steps, as described below. Although the order of these steps is not fixed, they are presented here in a logical sequence.
Describe symptoms
The symptoms of a perceived problem are recorded. The person experiencing the symptoms could be an internal employee, a customer, or any other end user or person. This person records the symptoms.
Pursue formal change
At some point, the group of symptoms is evaluated. A formal decision is made to investigate the symptoms.
Identify problem pause
By investigating the symptoms and performing analysis, the root cause of the problem is determined. As part of this work, the person investigating the problem may identify relevant parts or documents.
Propose solution
A course of action to fix the problem is proposed. As part of this work, the person preparing a solution may identify relevant parts or documents.
Implement solution
A solution is chosen and implemented. As part of the implementation work, the users of the change process identify part or document revisions, both old revisions (that is, those that require a change) and new revisions (that is, those that have been changed). This step includes the incorporation of the solution into production, if appropriate.