In this CMDM Coaches Corner we respond to a question heard many times that impacts the performance of the Configuration Management and Data Management function within an aerospace & defense program: “Why can’t the combination of spreadsheets and shared drives constitute a good CM/DM tool set?”

There are numerous challenges to properly implementing Configuration Management and Data Management (CM/DM) within an organization, a program, or across an entire enterprise including its supply chain partners. Historically, many of these obstacles were due to technology and tools as frequently discussed in past CMsights articles, but that is no longer the case as we will discuss.

A new training course from CMstat will provide an introduction to the Principles of Applied GEIA-859 Enterprise Data Management (DM) with emphasis on what the practical application of DM truly entails for a product, project, program, or enterprise. Students will gain an understanding of DM functions and how they work in concert to enable best-in-class management, identification, storage, protection and access control of all types of data.

In this short video presentation from Lisa Fenwick, learn who is CMstat including:

• What is CMstat’s core business focus?

• What technology markets and industries does CMstat serve?

• What business problems and engineering challenges do CMstat’s solutions address?

• What are CMstat’s software products and consulting services?

• Who are CMstat’s customers and end users?

A frequent question we hear in conversations about Configuration Management and Data Management on LinkedIn, when teaching classes, or speaking with CMstat customers is:  “How do I gain the CM/DM team more respect and stature within my company so that we always have a seat at the table when important decisions are being made that affect us?”

In this month’s CMsights we speak with Lisa Fenwick, Vice President of CMstat, to ask her the most important questions about performing Configuration Management Assessments. Lisa is a CMPIC Certified CM Assessor with 15 years’ worth of successful CM Assessments from over 25 years of CM experience. Lisa serves as the lead instructor for CMPIC’s Course 7 – CM Assessor Certification.

Last month we introduced the CMDM Coaches Corner. But before I dive into specific Configuration Management and Data Management topics I wanted to define how I see the role of a coach based upon my experience in CMDM (35 years at Raytheon) and in sports (over 20 years coaching football, currently at the high school level).

From my 35 years of experience working for Aerospace & Defense contractors I have witnessed that some experienced engineers and program managers truly understand, and thus appreciate, the importance of Configuration Management and Data Management (CMDM) in their organizations. Yet, others still do not respect the CMDM function for a myriad of reasons I have encountered over the years. Some of these concerns are quite reasonable, while others not so much.

CMstat has announced the addition of Dave Allen to its team of Configuration Management and Data Management professionals. In his new role Dave will serve as the company’s executive representative and business ambassador to the Aerospace & Defense Industry.

CMstat has announced its support of and participation in CMPIC’s annual CM Trends Seminar, Workshop, and Training (S.W.A.T.) event on Aug. 21-25, 2023, in Long Beach, California. Now having participated in all of the CM Trends S.W.A.T. events held over the years, CMstat enthusiastically supports CMPIC’s goal for the event “of bringing people together, connecting and inspiring them, so we can create the potential for positive change.”

In this month’s CMsights we examine the important yet often misunderstood role of Configuration Management Champions within an organization. In a recent CMsights post we explored the obstacles to Getting Managers to Care About Configuration Management and asked readers for their own experience of making CM more important.  The top three responses cited by readers can all be traced to misconceptions that managers have about the CM function which CM Champions can remedy.

CMstat has been invited by Singapore-based K2B International Pte Ltd. to lead a training course on Configuration Management in Singapore on July 17-19, 2023. The 3-day course “Configuration Management: Best Practices to Streamline CM Processes in your Operating Environment” will present the essential elements of Configuration Management (CM) and how CM functions work in concert to enable best-in-class management of any type of product that can include hardware, software, facilities, systems, network environments, and even processes.

We at CMstat often hear comments that too many senior managers do not really care about Configuration Management until there is a product failure, or worse, a system-wide shut down. In this month’s CMsights we are pausing to ask our readers for insights as to what has been their experience in getting managers, directors, and executives to care about CM, even if only enough to understand what it is and is not.

There are numerous uses of Configuration Management (CM) within the Aerospace & Defense industry outside of an OEM’s product engineering organization where rudimentary change control and configuration management may have been implemented as part of an engineering-centric PDM system.

This CMsights article illustrates one example “As-Configured” case study including the customer business challenges, CM deficiencies discovered, why existing tools were inadequate, requirements for a new solution, and the results attained along with benefits to the customer.

Over the past few years in our CMsights blog we have answered FAQs that we hear about Configuration Management and Configuration Management Software, especially from new product, project, or program managers. In our latest post we are sharing a Configuration Management blog bibliography – or “CM Blogography” – that we hope will be a quick reference compendium for those managers seeking to learn more about CM.

The implementation of configuration management must start with a well-conceived Configuration Management Plan. The CM Plan should address a number of elements important in the development, implementation, interoperability, usage, maintenance and evolution of an organization’s configuration management goals, vision, strategy, processes, best practices, desired competencies and supporting technologies including software.

This month’s CMsights shares CMstat Vice President Lisa Fenwick’s presentation from CMPIC’s CM Trends 2022 conference on “How Much Configuration Management is Good Enough?”

Learn what are the eight critical functions for “good CM” within the five foundational pillars of CM, such as Planning and Management, by downloading the presentation for immediate viewing.

This month’s CMsights looks at the why, what, who, and how of performing a Configuration Management Assessment (CMA). But first, what exactly is a CMA?

A CMA typically provides a fact-finding review and independent analysis of current CM-related processes, plans, performance gaps, best practices support, personnel competencies, standards adherence, and deployed software. A comprehensive CMA will also identify and prioritize prospective improvements to any elements found deficient.