Digital Management of Change for Oil & Gas Operations
Control every change to plant, equipment, procedures, and operating conditions through a structured, auditable digital workflow. No informal approvals. No undocumented modifications. Every change assessed, authorised, implemented, and closed out — on the record.
Uncontrolled change is one of the most common causes of process safety incidents
Major incident investigations repeatedly identify the same pattern: a change was made — to a piece of equipment, an operating procedure, a process parameter, or a temporary modification that was never reversed — without a proper impact assessment or formal approval. By the time the consequences became apparent, the paper trail was incomplete, the decision-maker had moved on, and nobody could say with certainty what had been changed, when, or why.
Elisian's management of change module eliminates that risk. Every change is initiated through a structured digital workflow, classified by type and potential impact, assessed for safety and operability consequences, and approved through a configured multi-level authorisation chain before any physical work begins. Implementation is tracked through to close-out, with verification that the change has been completed correctly and any temporary modifications have been reversed on schedule.
The result is a single, searchable, tamper-proof record of every change made to your operation — the evidence base that regulators expect and investigations depend on.
Every stage of the change lifecycle — controlled and documented
Elisian's MoC module covers the full change lifecycle, from initial request and impact assessment through to multi-level authorisation, implementation tracking, and formal close-out.
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Change Request & Classification
Originators raise a structured change request specifying the nature, scope, and urgency of the change. Changes are classified by type — temporary or permanent, plant, procedure, personnel, or control system — determining the approval chain and assessment requirements that apply.
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Impact Assessment
A structured impact assessment is completed before any approval is sought — covering safety implications, operability consequences, regulatory considerations, and effects on process safety barriers or safety critical elements.
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Multi-level Authorisation
Changes pass through a configured approval chain appropriate to their classification and risk level. Each sign-off is timestamped and attributed to a named, competency-verified individual — with no ability to progress the change without the required authorisations in place.
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Implementation Task Tracking
Actions required to implement the approved change are raised, assigned, and tracked within the system. Outstanding implementation tasks are visible to supervisors and appear in shift handovers — ensuring nothing is forgotten between shifts or deferred indefinitely.
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Temporary Modification Management
Temporary changes carry automatic review and reversal dates within the system. Approaching deadlines generate alerts — preventing the accumulation of temporary modifications that become permanent by default because no one tracked their expiry.
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Close-out & Audit Trail
Changes are formally closed out with verification that implementation is complete. The full change record — from initial request through to close-out — is permanently stored in a searchable, tamper-proof audit trail, available for regulatory inspections and incident investigations.
From change request to close-out — every step controlled
Elisian enforces a consistent, structured MoC process across every change type — so whether the change affects a single valve or a site-wide operating procedure, it follows the same rigorous path to authorisation and close-out.
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Change Request & Classification
The originator raises a digital change request, describing the change and selecting its classification. The system determines the appropriate workflow — assessment requirements, approval chain, and any mandatory actions — based on the change type and risk level. No physical work can begin until the workflow is complete.
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Risk & Impact Assessment
The responsible engineer completes a structured impact assessment covering safety, operability, regulatory, and environmental implications. For changes affecting safety critical elements or process safety barriers, additional assessment steps are enforced automatically by the system.
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Multi-level Approval
The change request and impact assessment pass through the configured approval chain. Each approver reviews the full change record before signing off. Approvals are timestamped and attributed — and the system will not progress the change without all required authorisations.
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Implementation, Tracking & Close-out
Once approved, implementation tasks are assigned and tracked to completion. For temporary modifications, reversal dates are set and monitored. The change is formally closed out when implementation is verified — creating a permanent, auditable record of the full lifecycle from request to completion.
Close the gap between the change record and the work authorisation
One of the most common failures in management of change is the disconnect between the change approval and the physical work to implement it. An MoC is approved, but the work to carry it out proceeds under an informal verbal instruction rather than a controlled permit — leaving no link between the decision to change and the work that was actually done.
In Elisian, implementation work is raised as a permit directly from the MoC record. The permit references the approved change, the change references the permit, and both are permanently linked in the audit trail. The incoming shift team can see active permits and their associated change records in a single system — with no gaps between the safety management and work authorisation records.
Learn More About Control of WorkCommon questions about management of change software
- What is management of change software?
- Management of change (MoC) software is a digital system that controls and documents changes to plant, equipment, procedures, personnel, or operating conditions that could affect safety or operability. It enforces a structured approval process — ensuring every change is assessed for risk, authorised by the right people, and implemented and closed out in a fully auditable way.
- Why do oil and gas operators need a digital MoC system?
- In oil and gas and offshore operations, uncontrolled or poorly managed changes are a recognised cause of major incidents. A digital MoC system ensures every change — temporary or permanent, to equipment, procedures, or personnel — goes through a consistent, documented approval process before implementation. It eliminates the risk of changes being authorised informally, implemented without a proper impact assessment, or closed out without verification.
- What types of changes does management of change software cover?
- Elisian's MoC module covers all change types relevant to high-hazard operations: changes to plant and equipment (including temporary modifications), changes to operating procedures and parameters, changes to personnel and competency requirements, changes to control systems, and changes that affect process safety barriers or safety critical elements.
- How does management of change integrate with permit to work?
- Elisian's MoC module integrates directly with Permit to Work. Implementation work for an approved change is raised as a permit directly from the MoC record — ensuring the physical work is controlled through the permit system in the same way as any other high-risk activity. This closes the gap between the change management record and the work authorisation record.
- How does MoC software handle temporary modifications?
- Temporary changes carry automatic review and reversal dates within Elisian's system. Approaching deadlines generate alerts to the responsible team, preventing temporary modifications from becoming permanent by default. Every temporary change has a documented start date, approved duration, and formal close-out when it is reversed or made permanent.
- How does management of change software support regulatory compliance?
- Elisian records every stage of the MoC process in a tamper-proof audit trail — change request, impact assessment, approval decisions, implementation tasks, and close-out. This provides the evidence required for HSE inspections, PSSR assessments, and Safety Case submissions, demonstrating that changes to safety-critical systems are properly controlled and documented.
Management of change works best in a connected operational assurance platform
Elisian's MoC module integrates with Permit to Work, Shift Handover, and Process Safety — so the decisions made in the change process are visible to everyone who needs to act on them.
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Control of Work
Permit to work, SIMOPS, and isolation management. Implementation work for approved changes is raised as a permit directly from the MoC record — linking the change decision to the physical work in a single auditable system.
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Process Safety
Safety overrides, hazard management, and operational risk assessments. Changes that affect process safety barriers or safety critical elements flow directly into the process safety management record.
Ready to take control of change on your operation?
Talk to us about how Elisian's management of change software can be configured to match your approval hierarchy and change classification framework.