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Configuration Management (CM) Definition:
CM is a management discipline for capturing and controlling product data.
The goal of the CM discipline is to identify and control the product design and build data from cradle to grave, i.e., including during the business activities of proposal, contract negotiation, specification generation, design, integration, test, manufacture, delivery, and support. It involves the cooperation of all business personnel. A CM 'mindset' is a 'must' for today's businesses, whether it be a small operation or an international corporation. Product data must be fed to all partners of the business community, including the customer, suppliers, subcontractors, and all internal and external company program personnel. It is the job of the CM personnel to assure that 'everyone is singing from the same sheet'.

The CM discipline establishes processes and procedures that may be implemented either manually (as in the past) or via an automated system such as a Product Data Management (PDM) system or a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system. Data Management techniques are also employed in the accomplishment of CM goals.

CM is a comprised of five elements:
  • Configuration Identification -- identify and document the product design and the physical product; establish baselines
  • Configuration Control -- identify and resolve problems; manage the configuration and design change process
  • Configuration Audits -- verify CM processes
  • Configuration Status Reporting -- provide CM information to all who need it
  • CM Planning -- identify, negotiate and document CM processes for each program; establish roles and responsibilities
Program-specific processes and procedures make up each of these elements.

Configuration Management deals with the control of both the product design data (files/paper) and the physical product, itself.
 
Definition provided by David Lyon		 FlexDM Alliance Partner David Lyon Image


Classic definitions of Configuration Management (CM)
Some of you who are reading this definition may ask: "Whatever happened to the older, classical definitions of CM?"  They are listed below for anyone who likes to read MIL-STD material:

MIL-STD-973 definition:

As applied to configuration items, a discipline applying technical and administrative direction and surveillance over the life cycle of items to:
  • Identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of configuration items.
  • Control changes to configuration items and their related documentation
  • Record and report information needed to manage configuration items effectively, including the
  • Status of proposed changes and implementation status of approved changes
  • Audit configuration items to verify conformance to specifications, drawings, interface control documents, and other contract requirements
As applied to digital data files, the application of selected configuration identification and configuration status accounting principles to:
  • Uniquely identify the digital data files, including versions of the files and their status (e.g. working, released, submitted, approved)
  • Record and report information needed to manage the data files effectively, including the status of updated versions of the files
 How would you like to articulate that job definition to someone you just met at a party or ran into on the street?

EIA 649 made life a little easier by providing the following definition of CM:

A management process for establishing and maintaining consistency of a product's performance, functional and physical attributes with respect to its requirements, design and operational information throughout its life.

Need more input? Get Dave's latest book," Practical CM III "

Dave Lyon Configuration Management Book, Practical CM IIIThis is Lyon's third book on Configuration Management and an extension of his Practical CM (ISBN 0966124820). The key difference between the two books is this one is more focused on engineering development and reflects more of the author's ideas. The first book was more influenced by MIL-STD-973 and the related EIA standard 649. This one does not conflict with those standards, but does take a more real world approach, with a distinct focus on product management. In fact, there is more similarity between this book and Lyon's "Transparent Configuration Management (ISBN 0966124804), especially in the detailed documentation of best practices versus current industry practices and the in-depth treatment given to each stage of Configuration Management.

For more information about our FlexCM? Alliance Partner Dave Lyon or his book, please visit http://configuration.org/ for more details.

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If you have questions at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.
 
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