Next to this newsletter I have been posting a new series of posts on my blog mdux.net and LinkedIn. The Configuration Management is… series posts are not intended to limit the scope of Configuration Management, but to create awareness of the breadth of CM. Each of these elements is part of good Configuration Management Practice.
Here are a few of these posts. More can be found here.
#ConfigurationManagement is #Identification
People ask me sometimes: Why do you need #CM? Well, for one, how else will you identify your parts/items, documents, datasets, changes, baselines, etc. If you do not have rules and governance in place on how you identify the objects relevant to your business, your probably are running a shell company or your will run your company into the ground.
Identification is key in any business. Without Identification the world will keep on spinning, but life as we know it, will unravel into chaos.
What do you think? Join the discussion on LinkedIn.
#ConfigurationManagement is…. Part Re-Identification.
In my previous post I shared that #CM is #Identification. An important part of identification is part or item re-identification. Without rules and guidance on part re-identification you run into a lot of issues. Form, Fit, Function is not enough. I prefer to look at #traceability and #interchangeability where interchangeability includes Form, Fit, Function, and Interface.
Famous examples where wrong part re-identification caused mayhem are Deepwater Horizon and the GM’s Ignition Switch.
What do you think? Join the discussion on LinkedIn.
Want to learn more: check out my book The essential guide to Part Re-Identification.
#ConfigurationManagement is…#ProductStructures.
In this next episode of Configuration Management is… I want to focus on Product Structures, which is part of the Identification topic and also a very contested subject. Do you need an engineering bill of material (#BoM) and manufacturing BoM or a MRP BoM? Many discussions have taken place and will continue to take place. I urge you to connect with people like Prof. Dr. Jörg W. Fischer and Oleg Shilovitsky that have been driving this discussion and have shared several thought provoking posts.
Do not forget about the functional and logical breakdowns as it does not start with BoMs it starts with #requirements.
The ability to breakdown the configuration information in a way that allows you to manage #baselines and #ownership, process #changes efficiently, and communicate information effectively in a way that ensures the #integrity of the information is a critical part of Configuration Management.
The way you breakdown your products depend on your organizational breakdown and governance, culture, and the type of products you make.
What do you think? Join the discussion on LinkedIn.
#ConfigurationManagement is… #ChangeControl!
#Change is the only constant. Changes are the vehicles for improvements. But without guardrails you will spin out of control. Where #Identification ensures you are able to identify and link all data artifacts, #ChangeManagement ensures you remain in control.
Change control not only means you follow a process, at doing things first time right, it also means you ensure people focus on the changes that bring the most value. In the end changes are about value creation.
When it comes to changes: More is more.
You need to be able to process as many changes as possible, but you have to make each of them count. Waste less, change more, is about preventing the need for corrective actions and spending all that energy into meaningful changes. This does require you to be fast and efficient in processing changes, but it will pay off.
What do you think? Join the discussion on LinkedIn.
ConfigurationManagement is… Communication!
After talking about CM is… ChangeControl, it is time to address a very important aspect of CM, which is Communication.
Changes are almost never isolated to a single function. This means that communication is key to ensure a change is successfully implemented.
Not only is Communication critical to the success of Configuration Management and the implementation of changes, Configuration Management also streamlines communication & collaboration across functions & company borders. Because CM ensures that all information is identified, linked, owned, validated, and released, it provides the framework for communication between all stakeholders.
What do you think? Join the discussion on LinkedIn.
#ConfigurationManagement is… #Trust
In my previous posts I talked about #Integrity of the configuration information is critical. Because in the end it is about the ability to trust your data. The moment the integrity of you data is compromised and bad data starts to flow in or gaps start to occur in your baselines. The value of this data starts to decrease very fast (exponentially), because you can no longer trust the data.
This is hurts you in 2 ways:
1. The #Compounding Effect: Every time you use data that is incorrect as input to create new data, your new data will also be incorrect. That means that over time the percentage of incorrect data will keep increasing if you do not have measures in place to correct it.
2. A relative small percentage of incorrect data can already have big consequences. Even a linear increase of incorrect data, will lead to an exponential decline in value of your data.
This leads to #CorrectiveActions, delays, increased cost, disappointed customers, or even worse casualties.
Without #CM there is no trust.
What do you think? Join the discussion on LinkedIn.
What is Configuration Management for you? Let us know in the comments.
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