Configuration Management originated in the defence industry in the 1960’s. It was an environment where military services paid contractors to develop weapon systems and then took ownership of the system designs.
Traditional Configuration Management has four key functions;
Identification:
*How the product is subdivided into configuration items (CIs);
*How CIs are identified and serialized;
*How each CI is documented;
*How supporting documents for CIs are identified;
*Length and format of identification numbers;
*How owners of configuration items and documents are identified;
*How baselines are used to maintain the above information.
Change Control:
*How changes are requested and the associated forms;
*How requested changes are categorized;
*How requested changes in each category are processed;
*How costs versus benefits are compiled;
*How requested changes are reviewed and dispositioned;
*How approved changes are implemented;
*How the associated baselines are updated.
Status Accounting:
*Validation and release status of required documents;
*Verification (or audit) status of as-built CIs;
*Requested changes currently in the disposition cycle;
*Approved changes currently in the implementation cycle;
*Implementation status of each approved change.
Design Review and Configuration Audit:
*How product baselines are validated and approved;
*How as-built CIs are verified to conform to requirements.
To transition from the traditional approaches CM to CMII, involves an expansion in scope and also a major shift in emphasis. The scope is expanded to include all information that could impact safety, quality, schedule, cost, profit or the environment.
Key functions of CM as reinvented;
As Planned and As-Released Baselines:
*Baselines for products are identified by a Model Number;
*Physical item hierarchies are used as the framework;
*End-item application requirements reside at level 0;
*The end-item and its design basis documents reside at level 1;
*Each item at each level is linked to its supporting documents;
*The ECN authority is provided for each revision of each document;
*Release and effective dates are provided for each document;
*The effectivity for each ECN is provided.
Closed-Loop and Fast-Track Change Process:
*Process is managed by three change administration functions;
*Technical reviews are coordinated by a creator of impacted documents;
*75 to 85% of all changes are processed on a fast-track basis;
*High-risk changes are dispositioned by a Change Review Board and low-risk changes by the creator who did the technical review;
*Separate forms are used to manage analysis and implementation;
*End-item traceability is achieved without breaking the rules of interchangeability.
Lowest Common Denominatorrs (used as information handles):
*Physical items, documents, forms and records plus supporting data;
*Objects and classes are terms used by IT, not CM.
Ownership by Creators and Designated Users:
*Each document is co-owned by its creator and one or more users.
*Each data set is also co-owned and the goal for accuracy is 100%.
Traditional CM plan and CMII Ultimate CM Plan
Generally, companies prepare their CM plan by using MIL-STD-973 or ISO 10007. However, CMII brings a new perspective about CM plan and presents the ultimate CM plan. The ultimate CM Plan is shown below;
Resources;
*CMII open sources, MIL-STD-973, ISO 10007