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!
Everyone loves the shiny side of developing new products. The innovation. The speed to market. The “sexy” features that light up roadmaps and wow leadership.
But how often does serviceability get the same spotlight?
It’s often pushed off as a “later” problem. After all, who wants to slow down a launch to think about what happens three years from now when a field engineer needs to service the product?
Yet, when organizations don’t define and manage the as-maintained configuration during new product introductions, they aren’t just saving time. They’re planting the seeds of a future crisis.
What does that crisis look like?
- A product ships without a clear baseline.
- Service teams are left piecing together outdated drawings and inconsistent documentation.
- Downtime increases because the “as-maintained” configuration is incomplete.
- Maintenance costs balloon as teams waste time troubleshooting.
- Quality issues start to erode customer trust.
That’s when you have an as-nightmare instead of an as-maintained configuration.
The as-maintained configuration is not optional. It is not paperwork. It is not “extra.” It is a core deliverable of new developments.
If you capture it early, you:
🔹 Enable faster, more accurate service interventions.
🔹 Protect revenue streams tied to aftermarket and long-term support.
🔹 Strengthen the digital thread by connecting as-designed → as-built → as-maintained seamlessly.
🔹 Create customer loyalty by delivering quality during the entire lifecycle.
But if you don’t? You rob future teams of the resources, clarity, and trust they need to succeed. You force service and support into firefighting mode. And you pay for it in cost, time, and reputation.
The mindset shift:
Instead of an afterthought, consider serviceability as an integral part of innovation. The ability to maintain, support, and extend a product’s life is as critical to success as launching it on time. In the end, the long-term experience of the product is a key indicator when it comes to customers returning for more and ordering upgrades, not the on-time launch of the product.
So, let me ask:
👉 How do you manage the as-maintained configuration, and when do you start, early or later?
Because “later” has a way of turning into as-nightmare.
Check out the other How Do YOU CM2? posts.
Copyrights by the Institute for Process Excellence.