Really, Eliminate Configuration Management?

Anybody that believes they are saving project time, engineering time and money by eliminating configuration management does not understand how things really work.  This is especially true if the items you are eliminating the configuration management for, interface with other items.  Building a system or subsystems that comprise a variety of software components to which there is no configuration management (traceability) is reckless and will prove either very costly or dangerous.  When you are unable to trace a particular iteration of a number of iterations in a number of different modules that comprise a subsystem or system, you will spend far more than a few hours debugging and determining root cause and subsequent corrective action.  The test department’s work will be much greater and require more hours than the trifle you are saving in the development work. In fact, the farther the product moves from the developers, the more costly the problem and longer in duration to obtain resolution.

After you feel the burn of this questionable configuration management decision, perhaps it will be time to learn just what it is and does.

New Configuration Management book

Configuration Management and System Thinking

This is an example of non-systems thinking, because it saves the developers a few hours, does not mean it is the best solution to be foisted on the other parts of the organization.