EPOCH CM for As-Maintained Configuration Management
Based upon CMstat’s decades of experience serving its Aerospace and Defense industry customers, we know firsthand that most users of Configuration Management (CM) software and recipients of CM data are not design engineers in the early stages of a new product or program.
Instead, for many A&D contractors and suppliers there are more users, reviewers, and revisers of CM processes and CM data working throughout their organization in contracts, requirements, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, test, quality, compliance, tech pubs, warranty, and service.
Many of these users in the supply chain perform their work far removed and disconnected from the OEM’s original PDM CAD vaults or PLM workflows. As a result, they typically do not have access to or need yet another engineering-centric PDM software tool to support each and every contract.
Nor do they desire the costly burden, drama, and disruption of selecting then implementing an over-weight enterprise PLM solution that promises to do everything for everyone, all while digitally transforming the entire company and its processes.
They don’t want to be transformed, reengineered, or revolutionized; they just need help with performing CM!
This is why CMstat created the EPOCH CM configuration management software product to enable program managers, project leads, project engineers, CM managers, supply chain contractors, and MRO/sustainment operators to deploy a web-based CM tool that, unlike PDM or PLM, was rapidly usable and quickly cost effective with a minimum of IT resources and user training required.
EPOCH CM was developed specifically for these customers and their demanding requirements as a CM tool that is pre-configured for industry-specific best practices and based on governing standards, like EIA-649 and GEIA-859, thus avoiding time-consuming implementations, integrations, customizations, and certifications.
What these users all have in common is that they design, build, deploy, commission, maintain, repair, refurbish, and retire high-value long-life assets with complex configurations that vary by lot or serial number then change throughout their life cycle over years of in-service deployment. It is not uncommon for A&D assets to have numerous design variants that are supported by dozens or even hundreds of international suppliers and service partners, each with their own CM needs, regional standards, and PDM/PLM data management strategies and tools.
Example of F-35 aircraft variants driving configuration complexity for global component suppliers and sustainment partners
The mission-critical assets which EPOCH CM can manage includes: component parts, products, product portfolios, equipment, instruments, networks, systems, system-of-systems, and more recently model-based digital twins. Comprehensive configuration management of the As-Configured state of these assets over their entire As-Deployed and As-Maintained lifecycle is critical to ensuring performance, reliability, and safety requirements are fully met.
These long-life assets go thru many "As-X" configuration changes over their lifecycle including: As-Built, As-Delivered, As-Installed, As-Tested, As-Certified, As-Provisioned, As-Maintained, As-Refurbished, As-Retired, or As-Disposed.
The Long Digital Tail Beyond Engineering of the As-Maintained Configuration
Thus, the As-Maintained Configuration is typically very different from that which was designed as documented in PDM, or shipped out as recorded in PLM. Discovery of where-used items and performance of change impact analysis has historically been a laborious error-prone process, especially for systems operating long after the OEM’s initial delivery. The sheer volume, complexity, and variations in the configurations of component parts and complete systems often overwhelms legacy methodologies and engineering PDM software as it becomes nearly impossible to keep all the different downstream BOMs accurate and synchronized with changes across all product variants by lot or serial numbers. As a result, the time and effort required to find and verify configuration information can greatly impact the project deliverables, sustainment, and readiness schedules.
These real-world requirements of performing As-Maintained Configuration Management is where EPOCH CM excels. EPOCH CM offers the widest and deepest support available in any commercial CM software product for each of the five core functions of Configuration Management: Planning, Identification, Status Accounting, Change Management, and Verification & Audit.
To learn how EPOCH CM does this, begin your exploration by examining its:
Next, ask for a live demonstration of EPOCH CM with a request HERE, calling CMstat at 1-503-537-1959, or emailing information@cmstat.com.
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