What is configuration management?
Configuration management is a process that is part of a larger system that helps organizations keep track of their infrastructure and applications, such as hardware configurations of equipment, and software versions that are in use. It ensures that all changes to these systems are documented and approved by the appropriate people (sometimes agencies) before they are implemented. This helps to avoid surprises and ensures that everyone is on the same page with regard to the current state of the systems.
Why is it important?
Configuration management is important because it helps to ensure the stability of critical systems and prevents unauthorized changes from being made. It also makes it easier to roll back changes if something goes wrong.
How can it benefit your organization?
Good configuration management can help to avoid outages of service, equipment downtime, and can save organizations money, here are some examples, all have ROI;
Reduced risk: By having a formal process for managing changes, the risks associated with making changes to a system are reduced.
Improved quality: Configuration management can help to improve the quality of a system by ensuring that changes are made in a controlled and consistent manner.
Increased efficiency: A well-managed configuration can help to make a system more efficient by reducing the need for rework and ensuring that changes are made in a timely manner.
Improved communication: Configuration management can help to improve communication between different team members by providing a clear and concise record of all changes made to a system.
What are some best practices for configuration management? Our top 5, in no particular order:
- Change control of requirements
- Status flow for all records with Clear in Box Assignments
- Separate Problems/Issues/Defects from Activities/Features/Tasks
- Data record Owner and Assignee
- Unique identifiers using “dumb numbering system”
The DV7 Engineering team can make this happen for you from the start of a project, or on an existing piece of equipment, software, or device. DV7 will institute Configuration Management to make the project more cost-efficient, the product safer and the future more manageable from both a technical and financial perspective.