Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What is Configuration Management?
• Configuration Items
  • Types of Configuration Items
  • CI Attributes
• Configuration Management Plan
  • CMP Contents
• The Four CM Activities
  • 1. Configuration Identification
  • 2. Configuration Control
  • 3. Configuration Status Accounting
  • 4. Configuration Verification and Audit
• Baselines
  • Common Baselines
  • Baseline Management
• Change Control Integration
• CM for Different Project Types
  • Traditional (Waterfall) Projects
  • Agile Projects
  • Infrastructure and Operations
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Getting Started Checklist
• Related Resources

Introduction

Configuration management (CM) is the discipline of identifying, controlling, tracking, and verifying the products and deliverables of a project. It ensures that the project team — and the wider organisation — always knows exactly what has been produced, what version it is, how it relates to other items, and whether it has been properly approved.

CM is not just for software or engineering projects. Any project that produces deliverables — documents, designs, code, hardware, or services — benefits from a structured approach to configuration management.

What is Configuration Management?

Configuration management answers four fundamental questions:

1. What do we have? — Identification of all configuration items
2. What is its status? — Current version, approval state, and location
3. What has changed? — Full history of changes and the reasons behind them
4. Is it correct? — Verification that items match their approved specifications

Configuration Items

A configuration item (CI) is any component that is subject to configuration management. CIs can be documents, software modules, hardware components, or any other deliverable that needs to be controlled.

Types of Configuration Items

CI Attributes

Each configuration item should be recorded with the following attributes:

Configuration Management Plan

The configuration management plan (CMP) defines how CM will be implemented on the project. It should be created during the initiation phase and approved before delivery begins.

CMP Contents

The Four CM Activities

1. Configuration Identification

Identification involves defining and documenting the characteristics of each CI, including its relationships to other CIs.

Key tasks:

• Define the CI identification and naming scheme
• Select which items will be placed under configuration control
• Document CI attributes in the configuration management database (CMDB) or register
• Establish the CI hierarchy and relationships

2. Configuration Control

Configuration control ensures that changes to CIs are managed through a formal process. No change should be made to a baselined CI without proper authorisation.

Change authority levels:

3. Configuration Status Accounting

Status accounting is the recording and reporting of information needed to manage CIs effectively. It provides visibility of the current state of all CIs and their change history.

Status accounting outputs:

• Current version and status of every CI
• History of all changes including who, when, and why
• Baseline composition and any deviations
• Outstanding change requests and their status

4. Configuration Verification and Audit

Verification and audit confirm that the actual CIs match their documented descriptions. Audits can be functional (does the CI meet its requirements?) or physical (does the CI match its documented configuration?).

Baselines

A baseline is a formally approved set of configuration items that serves as a reference point for future changes. Once a baseline is established, changes can only be made through the configuration control process.

Common Baselines

Baseline Management

• Each baseline is uniquely identified and recorded in the CMDB
• The composition of each baseline is documented (which CIs, which versions)
• Changes to baselined items trigger the change control process
• Baselines can be compared to identify drift or unauthorised changes

Change Control Integration

Configuration management and change control are closely linked. Change control governs the decision to make a change; configuration management governs the implementation and tracking of that change.

CM for Different Project Types

Traditional (Waterfall) Projects

• Baselines established at each stage gate
• Formal change control through a change control board
• CMDB maintained as a register or spreadsheet for smaller projects

Agile Projects

• Baselines established at each release or iteration
• Change is managed through backlog refinement and sprint planning
• Version control systems (e.g. Git) serve as the primary CM tool for software
• Lighter-weight documentation with more emphasis on automated tracking

Infrastructure and Operations

• CMDB is a core tool (often part of ITIL service management)
• CIs include hardware, software, licences, and network components
• Discovery tools automatically populate and verify the CMDB
• Change management processes are tightly integrated

Roles and Responsibilities

Getting Started Checklist

Related Resources

• Version Management — Document-level version control practices
• Document Management — Broader document management framework
• Business Analysis — Managing requirements as configuration items
• Requirements Elicitation — Gathering and controlling requirements baselines