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Let’s create our own Butterfly Effect

On September 10, 2020, lectures on Configuration Management at Avans University highlighted the “Butterfly Effect,” where minor changes can lead to significant impacts in product development. The presenter emphasizes awareness and collaboration in managing changes effectively, urging professionals to enhance exposure to Configuration Management in educational settings for broader positive outcomes.

Configuration Management done right = Product Centric

The LinkedIn poll explored the compatibility of Configuration Management with a Product Thinking approach, presenting two statements. Most participants favored a product-centric mindset, indicating that change processes should support managing configurations, rather than the reverse. This emphasizes the importance of holistic product management for efficient change processing and reduced risk.

COVID-19 Impact on Configuration Management

The COVID-19 Impact on Configuration Management Survey garnered 35 responses, revealing that about a third of organizations experienced disruptions in their Configuration Management processes. Most organizations were not paper-based and relied on automation. Change Management and Verification & Audit were the most affected areas, while some reported positive outcomes, particularly with enhanced electronic processes.

Where does the deliverable begin and where does it end?

The transition to a Model Based Enterprise (MBE) offers benefits for impact analysis and decision-making. However, challenges arise in identifying ownership and efficiently planning for changes within modeled information. To enhance usability and maintainability, it is crucial to clearly define dataset boundaries and facilitate decoupling of various elements to ensure effective planning and execution of tasks.

More is more

More is More: Make every Change count!

Joe Barkai’s article “How Many ECOs are Preventable?” discusses the negative impact of Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) on product development, emphasizing that they are often corrective actions stemming from poor requirements, design, or manufacturing. Companies should focus on minimizing ECOs while promoting positive changes that generate value and improve efficiency.

Doing the right thing

Doing the Right Thing

The recent discussions focus on the challenges of demonstrating the ROI of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Emphasizing an infinite mindset, the articles argue that aligning PLM initiatives with a just cause enhances understanding and support. Successful implementation requires translating business needs into actionable capabilities while showing both qualitative and quantitative benefits.

It’s about Interchangeability and Traceability

Oleg Shilovitsky discusses the complexities of revising Bill of Material (BOM) documents related to assembly changes. He emphasizes using the FFF criteria for assessing interchangeability and traceability, advocating for issuing new part numbers when necessary. Collaborative decision-making involving various engineering and supply chain perspectives is crucial for accurate re-identification processes.

CM2: the cross-platform standard for impact analysis!

The article discusses CM2 as a comprehensive enterprise configuration management standard, contrasting it with other management frameworks like PLM. The author responds to Jos Voskuil’s views on impact analysis and highlights CM2’s broader scope and training requirements. It emphasizes the relevance of CM in various industries, advocating for its adoption and community engagement.