Hi everyone, I'm currently reviewing for my CAPM exam and would like some clarity on the key differences between configuration management and change management?
How I understand it is configuration management are changes within the specs of a project and change management is the management of changes within the project.
where I'm a little confused is let's say you were designing an app and the client requests a "print" button be added to the app would that be considered a change request or a configuration change as you are making a change to the deliverable itself?
Thank you for your time and input, much appreciated. Saving Changes...
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Samuel BarnesVice President Strategic Initiatives| BNYCamp Hill, Pa, United States
Yassin - depends on your contract type: if you are T&M then it's a configuration change; if it's lump sum, then it's a change request.
In all seriousness though, a Change Request is typically a work item that impacts the delivery of the project in some way - time, cost, etc. The PMBOK 6e, p115, suggests, "Whenever a CR may impact any of the project baselines..."
The PMBOK also suggests earlier on the same page that, "the configuration management plan should define which artifacts [go] under configuration control." I take this to mean that the original scope should provide the guidance as to which items are "Changes" (i.e., are outside the scope) and require a Change Request, and which are "Configuration items" (i.e., are inside the scope, but maybe not listed in the original work order or contract). Saving Changes...
Configuration management is a subset of configuration control. Configuration control is knowing what some "thing" is at some point in time, and the record of how it got there. If you are talking about Product Version 2.3.2, and you have a record of what is in 2.3.2 and what changed from 2.3.1, that is configuration control. It is all about knowing the configuration of something at any point in time. You can look up the 4 pillars of configuration management for more detail there.
Change control is a broader subject. For example, change control considers not just the details of what is changing, but the why, who has the authority to approve it, the implementation plan, etc. Saving Changes...
Configuration management is the documentation of the change. Example a change to a tub specs will be indicated on the lastest set of drawings with bubbles and tags. Whereas the change control is a process from initiating the change to getting approval or not before making changes to the drawings and specification. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Configuration management is taking stock of deliverables (scope) of your project and making sure their characteristics and status are described in a progressive elaboration. Take a SW module having a status of planned, coded, tested, integrated, shipped. BIM in construction is another example. This is needed for many purposes.
If you have a change, you need configuration management to understand its impact on the deliverables and your full project.
Some say change management is a part of configuration management, as there is no effective change without the configuration system. Saving Changes...
Thank you very much to all of you for taking the time to help me and answer my question, I'm grateful and appreciate this community tremendously. Saving Changes...
