Impact Analysis: The Secret Ingredient No One Wants To Do!

It’s a familiar scenario, isn’t it? We’re all wired to solve problems. We identify an issue, envision a solution, and our brains immediately jump to implementation. We tend to gravitate towards solutions and implementing solutions, but this tendency causes us to forget or skip impact analysis of the proposed solution.

This isn’t just a minor oversight; it’s a blind spot that can lead to costly rework, unforeseen dependencies, and a cascading effect of issues down the line. Especially if you know that:

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😧 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝟒𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

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That statistic alone should make us pause and reflect. A staggering 40% of our efforts are spent on fixing changes! Not to mention the opportunity cost! If the change is worth doing, then it is worth doing right the first time. Proper impact analysis and planning don’t hurt anybody; it doesn’t stifle your speed or agility.

Why do we skip this vital step? Is it the perceived time investment? The complexity? Or simply the human inclination to “act” rather than “think”?

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🧠 𝐂𝐌𝟐 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥.
Effective Impact Analysis isn’t about slowing down the change process; it’s about accelerating successful change. It’s about meticulously understanding:
– What components, documents, or systems will be affected?
– What are the potential ripple effects on other projects or products?
– What resources (people, budget, time) will be required for the change and its downstream impacts?
– What risks are we introducing or mitigating?

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When done correctly, Impact Analysis transforms a reactive approach into a proactive, strategic one. It’s the difference between blindly forging ahead and navigating with a clear, illuminated path.

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Impact analysis is not about slowing things down. It’s about enabling speed without sacrifice. It’s the secret ingredient to:
– Preventing rework.
– Ensuring downstream alignment.
– Building cross-functional trust.
– Maintaining digital thread integrity.
– Customer Trust

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🚨 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤:
If your impact analysis looks like:
– “Check with engineering”
– “Email manufacturing”
– “Hope for the best”
You’re not doing impact analysis. You’re flipping a coin.

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💡 𝐂𝐌𝟐 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐩:
Start treating impact analysis as a standardized, teachable, measurable process—not tribal knowledge. Use a CM2 Change Process that enforces structured evaluation of impact before approval. Track the First Time Right Yield to measure progress. You’ll see fewer corrective actions and a more agile system.

So, I want to hear from YOU, the CM2 and PLM community!

How do you ensure thorough Impact Analysis is conducted in your organization?

Ready to go deeper?

Use code Martijn10 for 10% off training—and don’t forget to tell them Martijn sent you 😉.

Copyrights by the Institute for Process Excellence

This article was originally published on ipxhq.com & mdux.net.