Configuration & Data Management

Enterprise level Configuration and Data Management provides the backbone upon which Enterprise Management, Program and Project Management, IT Services, Software Management, Systems Engineering, Supply Chain Management and Contractual Requirements Management are built.

Configuration & Data Management - Value Transformation

CDM Managment

Configuration and Data Management processes were first documented in the United States by the U. S. Department of Defense. Out of these requirements grew much of what is found in ISO and GEIA standards. While the currently defined requirements matured over the last 70 years their history pre-dates the Phoenicians and China’s first dynasty.

Change Management

The commercial world is governed by market change dynamics that greatly influence CM considerations, but also the viability and sustainability of products and the infrastructure required to market and support them. This is a much broader application than strictly government considerations for systems and goods often driven by logistical necessity or by a response to international considerations.

Configuration Audit

The validation of the product and the process helps ascertain the abilities of both the product and the manufacturing processes to meet the expectation or defined project and business goals. This phase includes trial production runs, run at rate runs, Measurement System Evaluation, Production Part Approval, and much more.

Configuration Identification

Configuration identification is the process for discovering and categorizing the attributes associated with the hardware or the software. These are recorded and will comprise the baseline of the product.

Configuration Verification

The first U.S. Verification Model (V-Model) appeared in a proposal from Hughes Aircraft in 1982 for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s advanced automation system program. From the V-Model came our current conceptions of allocation, validation, and verification. Allocation assigns product requirements to systems and subsystems. Validation assures that the configuration was built to the engineering aka did we build it right. Verification assures all allocated requirements of a configuration have been met aka did we build the right thing.

Data Management

CM could not exist without its sub-element data management (DM). Although CM is most often associated with a product, DM is associated with every record in the company regardless of form or format. Data Management can be traced to the Samarian culture.

Planning and Management

Configuration planning is perhaps the most important aspect of a successful CM implementation. Not all configuration management activities are performed by an organization called Configuration and Data Management. To truly understand CM in the broader context, it must be viewed in relationship to the business as a whole, and at least a rudimentary grasp of the functional resources within an organization and their role as well as basic concepts regarding each roles primary function.

Status Accounting

Status and accounting is the activity involved in the collection, management, accounting for, and reporting on all of the information that is generated relative to a product regardless of source as well as data mining of that information

Configuration Management – a product management system that ultimately ensures product repeatability of performance, functional and physical attributes, by managing changes throughout the product development lifecycle.

    1. https://cmpic.com/

Configuration Management discussion with Kim L. Robertson and Jon M. Quigley in Eindhoven Holland, during the guest lecture series and configuration management conference at Eindhoven University of Technology February 2019.

CM Theory Practice and Application

Configuration Management Tales part 1 , Joe Dager and Kim Robertson

Tales of configuration management part 1:

Configuration Management Tales part 2 , Joe Dager and Kim Robertson

Tales of configuration management part 2:

Evolution of the product through configuration management , Joe Dager and Jon M. Quigley

Discussion of the role configuration management plays in orchestrating the functional and feature growth of the product through the development process and throughout the product life-cycle:

PM Chat podcasts:

A podcast interview with Jon M. Quigley who along with Kim L. Robertson have written the book: Configuration Management Theory, Practice, and Application!

Jon M Quigley discusses requirements and configuration management required for incremental and iterative product development and it is incumbent upon the project manager to have a modicum of understanding about this product management area to ascertain the level of risks to the project based upon the level of capability of the organization.

Available Soon!

Software Process and Measurement Cast podcasts:

The Big Picture of Configuration Management, Tom Cagley and Kim L. Robertson

Configuration Management is a common thread that ties the various departments and organization together, facilitating coordination of effort and is fundamental to product and human growth.

Product Development and Configuration Management, Tom Cagley and
Jon M. Quigley

Configuration management, the management, and control of project deliverable, is one of the most critical practices anyone building a product, writing a piece of code or working on a project with more than one person involved must learn or face the consequences!

Spamcast 380 – Kim Robertson, The Big Picture of Configuration Management

https://spamcast.libsyn.com/category/Configuration+Management

SPaMCAST 346 – Configuration Management, An Interview With Jon M Quigley

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0yNV2BTLZh5KNkUxf1hzZF

SPaMCAST 575 – Messing Up Agile Hybrids, Deming and Book Club, Essays and Discussions

https://spamcast.libsyn.com/spamcast-575-messing-up-agile-hybrids-deming-and-book-club-essays-and-discussions

SPaMCAST 552 – Fit For Value, Saying No, Essays and Discussions

https://spamcast.libsyn.com/spamcast-552-fit-for-value-saying-no-essays-and-discussions

SPaMCAST 856 Playing Billiards On A Boat, Essays and Conversations with Jon M Quigley

Playing Billiards On A Boat, Essays and Conversations with Jon M Quigley, SPaMCAST 856

Configuration Management Delays: The Hidden Cause of Product Launch Failures

Introduction – Delays Are a Symptom, Not the Problem “Engineering needs three more weeks.” This post was prompted by a LinkedIn post Prevent Delays with CM2.  This statement has become normalized across industries, yet it signals something deeper than scheduling inefficiency. Configuration Management Delays are not caused by lack of effort, poor planning, or even […]

150% eBOM Explained: Managing Product Variants, Configuration, and Verification

Modern products are rarely single, fixed configurations. Instead, they exist as families of variants designed to meet different customer needs, regulatory requirements, and operational environments. Managing this complexity requires a disciplined approach to product structure, configuration management, and verification. One of the most important concepts supporting this effort is the 150% eBOM.  That leads to […]

Centralized Computing and Edge Computing in Software-Defined Vehicles

Centralized Computing and Edge Computing in Software-Defined Vehicles The automotive industry is undergoing a radical transformation driven by software-defined vehicles (SDVs), artificial intelligence, and connected car technologies. At the center of this shift is Centralized Automotive Computing, a modern architecture model replacing traditional distributed Electronic Control Units (ECUs). Combined with edge computing in vehicles, this […]

New Part Number vs Revision Level: Which Should You Use in Product Management?

New Part Number vs Revision Level in Product Management One of the most debated topics in product management and configuration management is the decision between New Part Number and Revision Level. When should a design change require a brand-new part number?When is a revision level update sufficient? The answer affects traceability, supply chain management, quality control, […]

Rapid Prototyping and Low Volume Manufacturing: From CNC Machining to Production-Ready Products

Rapid Prototyping Manufacturing for Faster Product Development If you are searching for rapid prototyping manufacturing, you likely need precision parts fast — without sacrificing quality or production readiness. Value Transformation LLC provides rapid prototyping manufacturing solutions that combine CNC machining, 3D printing, gauge design, wire harness production, and manufacturing test systems. Instead of simply producing parts, we engineer [...]

The Business Cost of Inadequate Testing and Verification

The Business Cost of Inadequate Testing and Verification Inadequate Testing Priorities: The Hidden Business Risk in Product Development In product development, testing and verification are often praised in principle but underfunded in practice. Organizations regularly declare quality as a core value, yet budget allocations and schedule pressures reveal a different reality.  I am grateful to […]

AI in Product Development & Testing: Benefits, Risks, and Engineering Reality

AI in Product Development & Testing: Support and Refutation Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how products are developed and tested — offering speed, insight, and automation, yet also raising questions about reliability, variability, and limits in real-world engineering. This article examines both the support for and refutation of the use of AI product development tools, […]

Verification, Validation, and Digital Twins for Software-Defined Vehicles

Why Software-Defined Vehicles Demand Stronger Verification and Validation Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) are reshaping automotive engineering. Vehicle behavior is no longer fixed at production; it evolves through over-the-air (OTA) updates, software feature toggles, and AI-enabled decision logic. This shift dramatically raises the stakes for SDV verification.  Personally, I think treating a vehicle like IT equipment may […]

PFMEA Control Gap: Control Plan Tools That Fail During Transition

PFMEA Control Gap: Control Plan Tools That Fail During Transition The PFMEA (Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) control gap is one of the most common root causes of quality failures in manufacturing. It occurs when the Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) indicates that risks are controlled, but actual shop-floor execution indicates otherwise.  […]

Iterative Product Development and the Gears That Make It Work

The Iterative Development Process in Modern Product Development The iterative development process is not a single activity or phase—it is a system of interconnected disciplines working together throughout the product lifecycle. The attached graphic illustrates this system as a set of interlocking gears, each representing a critical capability required to move from concept to successful […]

CMMI Tracking

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