Often configuration management (CM), aimed to control the product configuration throughout its life cycle, is considered as a core process within product life cycle management (PLM). However, in the area of complex systems like aerospace systems, CM of a configuration controlled item (CCI) needs to exist beyond the conventional product life cycle. This mainly because a given CCI has independent existence and the same can be successfully reused, re-engineered, or redesigned in a cost-effective manner for a new product. The CCI information should be available for suitable modification, adaptation, and makeover (MAM). Therefore, it is required to address the existence and relevance of CM beyond the product life cycle.
Configuration management is a process for establishing and maintaining the consistency of a product’s performance, its functional and physical attributes, design, and operational information throughout its life. CM is mostly defined as a discipline to bring out transparency and control of a product’s functional and physical characteristics. The present-day CM practice is limiting to a given product, ie, the CM involvement ends with the retirement of a given product. In complex systems, the product is an agglomeration of CCI having independent existence. To develop these CCIs, a lot of investment has to be made, both in terms of time and cost. These can be adapted to a new product as such or with modification in the same business environment and considerable amount of cost and time can be saved. The case is more applicable for aerospace industries wherein investment is huge for product development. One can also find enough examples in other areas like automobile industries, software development, and so forth.
In order to meet the above requirement, CM needs to be strengthened and made independent of a product so that it exists beyond the product life cycle (PLC). Information about a CCI which may not be relevant as of now to the given product, especially the limitations, need to be captured and made available for future use. A lot of information and knowledge is generated in the initial phases (requirement phase and concept phase) of PLC, and concept phase) of PLC, which is ignored after product development. This information becomes once again relevant when a new product is being developed. Towards this, a new key function—differentiation—is defined as a function of CM, wherein knowledge generated in the initial phase will be archived in a systematic manner and linked to the given CCI for future reference.
PLC and CM in a broad perspective
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