Configuration Management

Introduction
 When Configuration Management principles are applied
using effective practices, return on investment is
maximized, product life cycle costs are reduced and the
small investment in resources necessary for effective
Configuration Management is returned many fold in cost
avoidance.

 These Guidelines provide the reader with the basic ideas

of the industry needs, the benefits to the implementing
organization and describes Configuration Management
functions and principles.

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 1. What is “Configuration”?

 Functional and physical characteristics of existing or

planned hardware, firmware, software or a combination
thereof as set forth in technical documentation and
ultimately achieved in a product.
 Proper CM implementation can positively impact Product
Quality, On time Product Delivery, and decrease
development and life cycle costs
 Product configuration presents a particularly difficult set of
challenges :
 Large products involving a highly complex set of
systems
 Complex set of environmental and safety regulations
 Ability to respond effectively to customer demands

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 2. Applicable terms and definitions

Configuration Management (CM)

 CM is a methodology which provides a technical and
administrative framework for managing the development,
manufacturing and maintenance of Configuration Items.
 CM is an integral part of the product life-cycle
management.
 Activity for establishing and maintaining consistent record
of the performance parameters of a product and its
functional and physical characteristics compared to the
product design and operational requirements.
Configuration Management (cont’d)
 This discipline is applicable to hardware, software,
processed materials, services, and related technical
documentation throughout the entire lifecycle of the
product (i.e. development, production, deployment,
operation, maintenance and disposal).

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Configuration Item (CI)

 Support and designated for separate procurement is a

CI. An aggregation of hardware, firmware, software or
any of its discrete portions, which satisfies an end use
function and is designated by the developer or customer
for separate configuration management. Any item
required for logistic.

Configuration Item (CI) selection

 CIs should be selected with the object of maximizing

control and minimizing the effort required to achieve that
control.

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Configuration Baseline

 Approved status of requirements and design of a product

at key project milestone that serve as reference for
activities throughout the life cycle of the product.
 Baselines, plus approved changes, constitute the current
approved configuration.
 There are three formal baselines designated configuration
baselines in the life cycle of a configuration item
 Functional Baseline (system specifications)
 Allocated Baseline (subsystem specifications)
 Product Baseline (complete technical data package for the
CI)

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Configuration Identification

 Coordinated activities to establish rules or configuration

item selection, baseline content definition, and product and
document identifiers. Identification is provided in the
approved baseline technical documentation, as shown in
specifications, tests, drawings, associated lists, and
reference documents.

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Configuration Item Identification Numbers

 For each configuration item you need to know at any

time the technical description of the item and the
identification should be changed when the
technical characteristics are changed and when the two
items are not interchangeable. Every item which is
defined as a CI must be marked as agreed.

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Configuration Control

 Coordinated activities for controlling change

to configuration baseline. Configuration control should
be applied to established baselines, configuration
identifications and all released engineering data.
Configuration control system should screen, classify and
process changes in a manner that provides fully
coordinated, approved change packages in compliance
with the requirements or contract.

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Configuration Status Accounting (CSA)

 A formal process of recording and reporting of product

configuration information, the status of proposed
changes and the implementation status of approved
changes.

Configuration Audits (CA)

 Performed before the acceptance of a configuration

baseline to assure the product complies with its specified
requirements and to assure the product is accurately
reflected by its configuration documents.

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Functional Configuration Audit (FCA)

 A formal examination of functional characteristics of a

configuration item (final product), to verify that the item
has achieved the performance specified in its
configuration identification.

Physical Configuration Audit (PCA)

 A formal examination of the "as-built" configuration of a

product or a CI against its technical documentation, in
order to establish conformance between the product and
its current configuration identification.

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3. The Objective of CM
 CM represents a discipline which ensures that all parties
to the acquisition of a product:
• the buyer
• the developer/designer
• the manufacturer, and
• the user (customer)

 Have a common understanding about:

• how the product looks (physical shape/ software code)
• what the product is supposed to do (functionality,
performance)
• how the product can be operated (mission
profile/capabilities); and
• how the product is maintained (supportability)

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 CM is the process or a set of requirements to be included in
every industrial process for establishing and maintaining a
consistent record of a product’s functional and physical
characteristics compared to its design and operational
requirements.

 Configuration management is applied through-out the entire

life cycle of the product and allows one to:

• know at any moment the technical description of a system

and its components, using approved documentation
• record and control effectively and continuously evolutions
in the technical description and provide traceability of such
evolutions throughout the life-cycle of the product
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• facilitate the consistency of the system’s components
(control of external interfaces) and the products that
make up these components (control of internal
interfaces)
• verify that documentation is and remains the exact
image of the products it describes
• identify the current configuration baseline and the as-
built configuration of a product, to record
discrepancies detected during production, delivery or
operation and dispositioned for further use;
• enable any user to know the operational capabilities
and limitations of each product item and, in case of
variances or non conformances, to know which items
are affected
CM accomplishes this through control
of the product defining technical data 27
4. Benefits for an enterprise gained through
appreciation of CM
 Conclusive and current information, knowing at any time
what the enterprise is;
• developing
• building
• testing
• delivering
• maintaining

 Assured product consistency, being enabled to;

• deliver identical items
• repeat performance
• support the delivered product remotely
• modify the product without the need of reverse
engineering

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 Control of cost, CM helps a project to stay within the
authorized budget frame;
• Product changes may involve high cost considerations. The
right processing of changes and analysis of costs can keep
expense per change at its lowest rate.
• Unauthorized changes will be prevented.
• Thorough identification of all affected documentation and
product elements reduces cost of search and analysis of
effects.
• Approved changes can be immediately incorporated in
the technical documentation, but released for
implementation into the product in accordance with an
authorized budget schedule.
• Proper identification and change control reduced cost of
maintenance and reuse.

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 Visibility in planning, CM helps project planning by
ensuring that;
 any schedule effect of a proposed change is reviewed prior to
disposition of the change
 interface requirements are assessed for effect of the change on
other design organization’s schedules
 Compliance with requirements, CM ensures the intended
configuration by;
 supporting internal and formal design reviews
 performing the functional and physical configuration verifications
(audits)
 maintaining traceability of software configurations to functional
requirements
 controlling changes to the approved documentation
 communicating change status to all involved parties
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5. The Configuration Continuum
Project Life Cycle – Configuration Progress
Request for
Contract
Information/ Proposal
Proposal Award

As Specified - Customer As Quoted As Accepted

Requirement Baseline Configuration Configuration
Contract
Production Design Review/
Planning
As Built As Designed As Planned
Configuration Configuration Configuration

Delivery Service

As Documented As Maintained
Configuration Configuration
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 Proper management and control of customer documents is a
condition essential to the maintenance of a well regulated
production process. The management and control of the
customer's documents and drawings should be done as
specified by the contract.

 The customer defines the configuration management

requirements for the project. These requirements are
applicable to all the actors of the project.

 The purpose of the CM plan is to define the process & resources

for managing the configuration of the product in a controlled &
traceable manner throughout the project life cycle.
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6. Configuration Management Functions
CM Process Flow
Configuration
Management

Configuration
Identification

Configuration
Control

Configuration
Report
Definition of Baseline
configuration Configuration
items

Product
Hardware, trees
Contract
software, Functional
SRR
documents Baseline Change
numbering System
Specification management
methods
Docume
Specifications + Allocated nt status
Configuration PDR
Baseline
Documentation
Production Drawings
+
CDR Change
Version Description Product
Documents * status
Baseline

Hardware * Including assembly

production Waivers
50 MRB activity drawings, test and
integration documents