Chapter 5.5 Configuration Management

Question 1

What is the purpose of the CM Process?

Answer 1

Establish and maintain the integrity of all identified outputs of a project or process and make them available to concerned parties

Question 2

Configuration management ensures that:

Answer 2

Product functional, performance, and physical characteristics are properly identified, documented, validated, and verified to establish product integrity.
Changes to these product characteristics are properly identified, reviewed, approved, documented and implemented.
The products produced against a given set of documentation are known

Question 3

Inputs to the CM Process

Answer 3

Configuration Items (CIs) -- can originate from any life cycle process
Change Requests -- can originate from any life cycle process; in many cases result from Project Assessment process

Question 4

CM is governed by what enablers?

Answer 4

Applicable Laws & Regulations
Industry Standards
Agreements
Project Procedures and Standards
Project Directives
Organization/Enterprise policies, procedures and standards
Organizational/Enterprise infrastructure
Project infrastructure

Question 5

Outputs from the CM Process

Answer 5

Configuration management strategy
Configuration Baselines
Configuration Management Report

Question 6

CM process activities?

Answer 6

Plan Configuration management

Perform Configuration Management

Question 7

What actions are part of “Plan Configuration Management”?

Answer 7

Implement a configuration control cycle that incorporates evaluation, approval, validation and verification of Engineering Change Requests (ECRs)

Question 8

What actions are part of “Perform Configuration Management”?

Answer 8

Configuration identification – identifying the system elements to be maintained under CM
Configuration Control - Establish the configuration baselines and control baseline changes throughout the system life cycle.
Configuration Status Accounting - Develop and maintain configuration control documentation and communicate the status of controlled items to the project team
Configuration Audits – Perform audits associated with milestones and decision gates to validate the baselines.

Question 9

When is the Configuration Management Plan (CMP) tailored to individual projects?

Answer 9

In the Project Planning Process

Question 10

The PRIMARY output of the CM process is?

Answer 10

Maintenance of the configuration baseline for the system and system elements wherein items are placed under formal control as part of the decision making process

Question 11

A CCB should have representation from what groups?

Answer 11

All stakeholders and engineering disciplines participating on the project

Question 12

What is typically used to make a change request?

Answer 12

An Engineering Change Proposal (ECP)

Question 13

What situations cause the origination of an ECP?

Answer 13

Customer request
Change in requirement
Change in scope
Unexpected technology breakthrough
Supplier circumstances

Question 14

Is it appropriate to propose an ECP to correct cost or schedule variances?

Answer 14

NEVER!

Exception: unless there is a change in scope

Question 15

Minor change falling within scope is normally done using an?

Answer 15

EN – Engineering notice

Question 16

What is an important negative question to ask?

Answer 16

“What’s the impact of NOT making the change?”

As system matures, making changes has increasing risk

Question 17

What are the most desirable outcomes of the ECP cycle?

Answer 17

1. System functionality altered to meet changing requirements
2. New technology or product extend capability beyond than initially required in ways the customer desires
3. Cost of development, utilization or of support are reduced.
4. The reliability and availability of the system are improved.

Question 18

Each CI must have a unique what?

Answer 18

Identifier and version

Question 19

True or False: Configuration must concur at product release?

Answer 19

True

Question 20

What is a CIL

Answer 20

Critical Item List – configuration items serving as critical elements subject to rigorous formal control

Question 21

Problem/Change statements must include what information?

Answer 21

1. Description of proposed change
2. Reason for proposed change
3. Impacts on cost or schedule
4. Identify all affected documentation

Question 22

Change classification determines what about a proposed change?

Answer 22

Whether it is within or outside of scope of requirements

Question 23

Of the two main change classes, what is as Class 1 change?

Answer 23

Major or significant change that affects cost, schedule or technical performance
Normally requires customer approval prior to being implemented

Question 24

Of the two main change classes, what is as Class 2 change?

Answer 24

Minor change that often relates to documentation errors or internal design details
Normally does not require customer approval

Question 25

What is established at project initiation to provide a central point to coordinate, review and approve proposed changes to baseline configurations?

Answer 25

Configuration Control Board

Question 26

A CCB is composed of members form what disciplines?

Answer 26

Systems Engineering
Software Engineering
Hardware Engineering
Program Management
Product Assurance
Configuration Management

Question 27

What forms are used in configuration management

Answer 27

Problem/Change Reports
Specification Change Notices
Engineering Change Proposals (propose class I changes)
Engineering Change Requests (propose class II changes)
Request for Deviation / Waiver

Question 28

Configuration Status accounting is inherent and necessary. What metrics are suggested?

Answer 28

Number of changes processed, adopted, rejected, open
Status of open change requests
Classification of change requests summary
Number of deviations or waivers by configuration item
Number of problem reports open, closed, in-process
Complexity of problem reports and root causes
Labor associated with problem resolution and test phase where problem was identified
Processing time and efforts for deviation, waiver, ECPs, SCNs, ECRs and Problem Reports
Activities causing a significant number of change requests
Rate of baseline changes

Question 29

What is an FCA?

Answer 29

Functional Configuration Audit – validate completion of developed item that achieves the performance and functional characteristics specified in the system spec (functional baseline)

Question 30

What is a PCA?

Answer 30

Physical Configuration Audit - technical review of the configuration items to verify the as-built maps to the technical documentation