Configuration Management Benefits

Originally from UCM Central

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All too often, CM is viewed only as a costly and time-consuming effort to be either ignored or thrown together at the last minute. However, not doing CM guarantees a project will be plagued by chaos, errors, permanent damage, low productivity, and unmanageable product (software and hardware) evolution.

Below we list some of the recognised benefits of CM.

Benefits of Identification:

• Provides us with confidence that we can recreate product again
• Supports central information/data capture and ease of retrieval
• Provides the means to specify all versions, variants, and revisions of items
• Enhances change visibility by providing us with reference point (baseline)

Benefits of Management (Control):

• Avoids product entropy through prevention of chaotic change
• Develops process standards and best practices
• Streamlines process through consistency and reduction of rework
• Reduces unwanted surprise by improving communication
• Reduces production error count through enforcing testing
• Ensures configuration baselines are maintained as changes made
• Facilitates ongoing support of the product (inc. maintenance phase)

Benefits of Status Accounting:

• Provides instant access to information on past, present and future changes
• Enhances decision-making at all stages of life cycle
• Improves forecasting e.g. through trend analysis and metrics
• Standardises Reports

Benefits of Audit and Review:

• Ensures items match documented/identified baselines (physical descriptions)
• Ensures items match functional requirements
• Ensures team members following established best practices
• Ensures all Issues, Releases and Change Requests are tracked to closure

-- PatrickEgan^? - 17 Dec 2002