Configuration Management

Configuration Management (CM) is the organized control of engineering change

involving the proposing, approving and incorporating of design changes into product
development documentation. Although CM can seem laborious, if not employed, the
results can be devastating to a project in terms of product quality, cost and schedule.
Project activities in which configuration management is useful:
From the point the first document or drawing is created to the retirement of a
product
Other tools that are useful in conjunction with configuration management:
Requirements Management
Introduction
Almost every product design project inevitably involves changes along the way. These
changes may be due any number of reasons including changes in product scope, customer
request, product enhancement, or error correction. Regardless of the source, these
changes need to be carefully presented and evaluated, and if approved, subsequently
incorporated into the necessary documentation and distributed in a timely manner to
persons requiring the information.
CM needs to be applied for even the most trivial seeming changes. What may seem to be
a small, insignificant change may affect other areas of the design that the initiator of the
change did not consider. For example, a carpenter decided to locate the dishwasher in a
home directly next to the dinette believing that this would make the process of stacking
the dishwasher faster. The building contractor later had the carpenter move the
dishwasher near the sink so that it was in close proximity to the plumbing and also,
would easily permit the homeowner to rinse the dishes before stacking the dishwasher. A
unilateral ad hoc decision that initially seemed to be a good idea resulted in schedule and
cost overruns, and embarrassment for the carpenter.
Application of Configuration Management
Document Baselines
The first official or controlled release of any design document, be it a written document
(e.g., specifications, bill of materials, parts lists, technical notes, etc.) or drawing (e.g.,
layout, detail, assembly, etc.), forms the initial baseline for the document. So that these
documents can be easily monitored and controlled, they require a form of identification.
There are a number of identification methods that can be used, each with associated pros
and cons, however the most important aspect of any method is that it is easy to use,
employed consistently and followed scrupulously.

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Assignment of Identification
It is important that each document receives a unique identification and that two
documents are never given the same identification. Therefore, it is suggested that
identifiers be obtained from a single source. This source may be a single person or
department that has the responsibility for identifying and maintaining a current list of
active and superseded documents or it may be an electronic or manual database from
which the originator of the document retrieves the next appropriate identifier in series.

Identification of Written Documents

There are a number of methods for identifying written documents. A simple method that
is employed by many engineering firms involves three or four components:
Project/program this may be a number, or a name or acronym
Document type - specification (product, process, material), bill of
materials, technical note, etc.
Identification number from a project/program series (e.g., each
projects documents start with 1000, 1001, etc.) or assigned from a
company wide series (i.e., every new document receives a unique number)
Revision number or letter each revision is given the next number or
letter in series. For example, the initial release of a document would
receive the revision identifier A or 1. A subsequent release would be
identified as B or 2. Some companies will use a two level numbering
system where a whole number indicates a significant or Class I revision
(e.g., 1.0 to 2.0) while a 1/10th increment identifies a minor or Class II/III
revision (e.g., 1.1 to 1.2). More information will be provided on classes of
changes.
For example, a product specification for a new GT2000 series bike may have the
identifier:
Doc Type Rev

GT2000 - E1002 - B

Project I.D.#

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Identification of Drawings
As with documents, there are a number of methods for identifying drawings. The main
methods include:
Non-significant Drawings are assigned a serial number in the order that
they are created. Although a straightforward method, there is an
associated risk of human error in transposition, duplication, etc. with this
method.
Format Size (partially significant) This method includes a letter that
corresponds with a standard drawing size (e.g., A for 8-1/2 x 11, B for 11
x 17, etc.). A drawing number for a 22 x 34 drawing may be D1234.
While this method helps with filing, it provides little other significant
information.
Project Identifier (partially significant) This prefaces the drawing
number with a project code. For example, GT2000-1234.
Significant This method incorporates a significant amount of
information in the drawing number. This information can include the
project, product type, model number, and drawing type depending on the
size and needs of the engineering organization. While this system conveys
the most information, it may be overly complex for smaller or simpler
organizations.

Document and Drawing Reviews

Every document and drawing should be reviewed by at least one party other than the
creator prior to release. The process for this review will depend on the practices of
individual organizations that in turn will be influenced on size and organizational
structure. In hierarchical organizations, it is often the engineering or program manager
that will approve documents for release. In the case of drawings, the drafting manager
may provide the final approval. In team based organizations, documents may require the
review and approval of a number of identified speciality disciplines. This approach
divides the workload and increases the comprehensiveness of the review. In some cases,
a combination of the two processes is used where the specialist will review and approve
the document before it receives a final approval by management.

Distribution of Documents and Drawings

The distribution of documents requires more attention that first thought. More than one
company has proceeded with the development of a product with an outdated version of a
drawing or specification because of the unawareness of a newer version.

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Depending on the size of the organization, documents and drawings are either distributed
by the originating department or by a central registry that controls distribution for the
entire company. Regardless of who is responsible for distribution, it is important that
careful records are kept concerning what is the most current version of the document, and
who has received a copy and what version is currently in their possession. Although
originals of all documents should be kept, when a new version of a document is released,
it is advisable to collect and destroy all copies of the preceding version.

Change Control

Classification of Changes
Changes range from major to minor and it is helpful to categorize these changes such that
they can be addressed appropriately. Although some organizations have developed their
own classification system, many have adapted the one devised by the U.S. military.
These adapted systems generally classify engineering changes into one of three
categories:
Class I
normally impact form, fit or function
may have impact on contractual requirements such as performance,
hardware interchangeabiltiy, reliability, safety, interfaces, etc.
may require reidentification of a part or assembly
may require review and sign-off by the customer
implementation of changes must usually be expedient and carefully
controlled
Class II
covers most other changes
does not affect contractual requirements
typically can be approved and resolved entirely in-house
implementation of changes can usually be made on the basis of cost or
convenience
Class III
addresses changes that involve corrections to documents
does not involve changes to design
Class III changes should be reviewed to ensure that they are not
misclassified Class II changes

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Initiation of an Engineering Change

Although anyone can identify the need for a change, the engineer(s) or department
responsible for the design of the product typically initiate engineering changes. This
allows the engineer to do an initial review of the validity of the change. At the same
time, it places responsibility on the engineer to seriously investigate each request.

Engineering Change Notice

Once the need for a change has been identified and confirmed, the details of this change
need to be communicated to others in the organization. A document entitled
Engineering Change Notice or ECN is typically used. The actual name, contents and
specific format of this document may be different for each organization.
Most ECNs generally contain the following information:
ECN serial number
project involved
part, assembly or, in some instances, the document involved
brief statement of why the change is needed
technical description of the change
impact of the change (e.g., parts list, work in progress, inventory, manuals,
field units, tooling, etc.)
approval signatures including that of the initiating engineer
Additional information may accompany the ECN to facilitate informed decisions. This
information may include:
sketches, descriptions, part list revisions, etc.
listing of affected drawings and documents, and their required changes
(Note: some companies require that drafts of actual changes be included
with the ECN. While this may expedite the implementation of a change, it
may be wasted work if the ECN is modified in the approval process)
assessment on the effects of changes on other areas

Review and Approval of Engineering Changes

There are a number of different methods that can be employed to review and approve
engineering changes. A simple method is to have the engineer that initiated the change
approve it for implementation, however a review by more than one person is generally
favoured. Another approach is to review and approve the changes in the same manner as
the original documents, either by a single manager or by a number of persons
representing different disciplines.

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Change Control Board

Many organizations employ a Change Control Board (CCB) which is responsible for
reviewing and approving engineering changes. This board is usually made up
representatives from different disciplines and has the authority to approve engineering
changes. There may be a single CCB for the entire company or each project may form its
own CCB. The frequency with which a CCB will meet usually depends on the number
and urgency of ECNs. In some cases, a CCB will meet daily and in other cases, weekly.
The engineers that have initiated ECNs will generally attend the CCB to present the
proposed change to the Board and answer any questions. Often, it is the chairperson on
the CCB who has the final authority on approving the changed based on the input of the
other CCB members. Therefore, the chairperson is often one of the most senior persons in
the organization or, for a project specific CCB, the project or program manager.

Implementation of Engineering Changes

There are three approaches to implementing engineering changes and distributing the
updated versions of affected documents and drawings. The first approach is to complete
the necessary changes to the documents then have them distributed. This approach works
well if timing is not crucial. Another approach is to complete a draft of the change to be
submitted with the ECN, then finalize and distribute once the ECN has been approved. A
final approach is to distribute a copy of the approved ECN to those that need to be aware,
and advise them when the updated documents will be available. This approach allows
action to be taken immediately if required while the appropriate documents are being
updated.
As documents and drawings are being updated, it is essential that only the changes
covered in the ECN be made. If other changes are required, they should be addressed in
another ECN.

Note of Revisions
Every time a document or drawing is revised, it is important to note the changes that have
been made. This maintains a history of changes as well as helps those reviewing the
documents to identify the changes quickly. The revision notes should also include the
date of the revision, the revision number or letter, and the author and/or approver of the
revision. Especially on drawings where there is often limited real-estate, it may not be
possible to list the details of a revision. In these situations, a very brief explanation and
an identification of the applicable ECN is acceptable. Often, attaching a copy of the ECN
to the document or drawing is useful.

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Escrow
Companies are often contractually required to keep certain engineering documents in the
possession of a third party, typically a legal body. These documents may include
specifications, drawings, and in the case of software, the actual code. The purpose of
escrow is to protect both the customer and the supplier. If the supplier ever ceases to
exist, the customer has access to the necessary design information to continue supporting
the product. The supplier is protected in that the documents in escrow reflect the product
as delivered which can be compared illegally made changes or copies.
References
Burgess, John A., Design Assurance for Engineers and Managers, Marcel
Dekker, Inc., New York, U.S.A., 1984. pp. 50-61, 77-83, 84-101. ISBN 0-8247-
7258-X

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