Configuration Management Best (and Good) Practices

1. Perform Configuration Management up front and throughout projects and programs (See book and articles to understand and apply Configuration Management)
2. Conduct an assessment, if required
3. Select tools, methodologies *
4. Perform Requirements, Design, and Product Management
5. Prepare a requirements document/documentation or specification with a traceability matrix. For the Agile development process the documentation may be …)The functional and physical/design characteristics are defined: Configuration Identification)
6. Identify and label documents and products
7. Establish library/software control * (we have versions control software)
8. Baseline (or document and approve for control purposes) requirements, design, code/product/system – a basis for control (including financial)
9. Establish a Configuration Control process and entity (review team/board/committee). As part of the overall change management process.
10. Document a release management process (sprints in Agile for iterations and increments)
11. Address and implement security and access control
12. Create and keep Status Accounting reports
13. Conduct functional and physical examinations
*Identify and select the appropriate tools, applications, and methodologies
Worst/Bad Practices
1. Considering and implementing CM as software identification/labeling and version control without requirements and design management
2. Implementing CM as documentation (data administration) and not product definition and control for the system or software development life cycle (SDLC)
3. Not implementing CM and Configuration Control in the beginning of a project and program, under Change Management