This article is part of the How Do YOU CM2? blog series in collaboration with the Institute for Process Excellence (IpX). Although I receive compensation for writing this series, I stand behind its content. I will continue to create and publish high-quality articles that I can fully endorse. Enjoy this new series, and please share your thoughts!
🎄 A CM2 Christmas Carol: The Ghosts of Configuration Management 🎄
In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is visited by three spirits who show him the consequences of his choices and the benefits of change. I often think about how this idea applies to Configuration Management (CM) as well.
👻 The Ghost of CM Past
For years, CM was treated like Scrooge treated Christmas: a nuisance. A background task. A line item.
A formality. But the reality is different.
CM quietly manages more revenue flow than New Product Introduction.
Every change, document revision, and lifecycle transition moves real value across the enterprise.
Yet, like Scrooge’s ledger, that value often goes unseen.
👻 The Ghost of CM Present
Today’s operations are more interconnected than ever.
When CM does not have enough resources, we see the impacts immediately:
🔻 Delayed releases
🔻 Rework and quality escapes
🔻 Compliance gaps
🔻 Customer frustration
When CM is treated as a strategic product, the entire business transforms.
👻 The Ghost of CM Future
Consider what could happen if organizations invested in CM with the same focus as their main products:
✨ Cross-functional CM2 workshops to align goals and eliminate pain points
✨ Process maps that reveal bottlenecks before they slow down value
✨ Digitally enabled traceability that boosts confidence and compliance
✨ Real-time visibility that lets leaders act, not react
In this future, teams shift from firefighting to innovating. Customers receive more reliable products. Leaders gain clarity. And CM evolves from overhead to competitive advantage.
🎁 The Question for You
Your perspective is important to this discussion. Do you view CM as just a maintenance task, or as a strategic product that should be improved over time?
Share your experiences below.
Your insight might be the “spirit” that helps someone else transform their CM practice.
👇 I’d love to hear your story.
🎄Merry Christmas, everyone! More to come next year.
Check out the other How Do YOU CM2? posts.
Copyrights by the Institute for Process Excellence.