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

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 […]

Deterministic vs Probabilistic: What They Mean for Quality and Manufacturing

Deterministic vs Probabilistic: Definitions that Matter in Engineering In engineering, deterministic vs. probabilistic refers to how we model cause-and-effect relationships and uncertainty.  The difference between the two requires concepts that are important and should drive how we behave.  A deterministic view assumes that the same inputs will always produce the same output; given the system […]

Is PPAP Overkill or Essential? A Pragmatic Look at Automotive Quality

What PPAP Is Trying To Achieve (And Often Does) At its best, PPAP in manufacturing is a structured way to prove that a supplier’s process can repeatedly produce parts that meet all customer and regulatory requirements. The AIAG PPAP intent aligns with Ioan Feloniuk’s framing: demonstrate that design intent, process capability, and evidence are in place […]

APQP Testing Limitations in Real-World Manufacturing

APQP Testing Limitations in Automotive and Manufacturing Quality Advanced Product Quality Planning promises robust launches, but APQP testing limitations often emerge when teams equate “meets spec” with “fit for use.” APQP testing limitations become most evident when products pass all defined tests yet still fail in customer applications, field use, or long-term durability. The root cause […]

Verification, Validation, and Digital Twins in Software‑Defined Vehicles (SDVs)

Why SDVs Demand Stronger Verification and Validation The shift to software‑defined vehicles (SDVs) is transforming automotive engineering—and multiplying its risks. As ECUs consolidate into centralized compute platforms and features increasingly rely on AI, machine learning, and over‑the‑air (OTA) updates, safety, cybersecurity, and reliability take center stage. This complexity makes verification and validation (V&V) more critical than ever. Regulators are tightening expectations […]

Remote Downloads Are Not a Shortcut: The Truth About OTA Software Updates

The Growing Myth of OTA Quick Fixes The automotive industry loves the promise of OTA software updates. The idea that misbehavior in the field can be “fixed remotely” has become part of both product strategy and marketing. Industry voices often proclaim, “If something goes wrong, we’ll just push an update.” Yet, rising software-related recalls and increasing regulatory scrutiny tell a […]

What Is IATF 16949 Standard?

What Is IATF 16949 Standard? The IATF 16949 standard is the global benchmark for automotive quality management systems, built on ISO 9001 and tailored to the automotive supply chain. It defines how organizations design, develop, produce, install, and service automotive products while continually improving, preventing defects, and reducing variation and waste.  Standards often get a […]

When Margins Are Unknown: Why Manufacturing Controls Fail Without Clear Design Intent

When the Margin Is Unknown, Control Becomes Reaction Not everything can be turned into a process. This is especially true in early product development, where learning, discovery, and iteration dominate. However, when ambiguity persists beyond its appropriate stage—especially around dimensions, tolerances, and margins—organizations unintentionally transfer risk downstream. The image illustrates a simple truth: when the […]

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