Configuration Management (CM) is a process of proposing, authorizing, and implementing system or software changes. Configuration Management is important for organizations because of system drift and in some cases regulations. System drift is where a system, over time, changes from the established baseline. Drifting from the established baseline can make supporting the systems harder and introduce security vulnerabilities.
Change authorization is part of the configuration management and is needed to keep systems in a known documented state. A change needs to be considered for system impact, including security and availability before it is approved. If a change is approved, not only should the change be implemented on the system, but documentation will need to be updated. This may include the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), operational procedures, system inventories, and/or other documents.
It is expected that your organization has a configuration management program that includes change management with a formalized, documented approval process.