Approaching the Implementation of CM

The same can be said when approaching a CM implementation. While it can be argued that if you miss the approach of a CM implementation by 1%, that no one will be hurt. This is generally true 99.9% of the time. However, there are cases that if SCM is not approached correctly, then poor configuration identification or an unidentified change may cause:

• A pacemaker for the heart to work incorrectly that could lead to serious implications.
• An air traffic control system to miss a plane or two that could lead to tragic consequences.

Also, like unnecessary circling, when there are limited CM resources, expending effort needlessly can lead to an exhausted and frustrated CM staff. Therefore determining a good CM approach can reduce wasted effort and ensure focus on the appropriate tasks. Now that I hope to have your attention, let us ‘land' to earth and discuss what we can do as CM professional to improve our chances of effective CM.

Considerations for Approaching a CM Implementation

In the CM professional's everyday life, we are continuously wrestling with where to best place our resources and where to apply the most CM rigor. Typically this is due to the fact that we are resource-strapped, but still believe it is important to provide as appropriate a level of CM rigor that is possible. Or we are in the process of maturing CM within the organization and ergo establishing the need of more comprehensive CM to our management. With this in mind, it is important to consider the way CM is approached so that resources are best applied. In considering an approach, it is important to analyze the task or implementation ahead of us. The outcome of the analysis may help you establish a CM approach. The analysis focuses on the following areas:

• Target Level - this involves identifying the target audience of a CM Implementation or task and then preparing an implementation plan to that level. Target levels include the organization, application, or project.

• Application Criticality and Risk - this involves determining the criticality of the application being developed relative to what it is used for and the ramifications of the application not operating as expected. The higher the criticality, the more the CM rigor is needed.

• Development Methodology - this involves reviewing the high-level categories of development methodologies and determining if they have an impact on how and when CM should be applied.

Let us expand on these items more fully below.

Target Level

Target level refers to the level within a workplace in which CM may be implemented and performed. Generally, the 3 levels include the: organization level, the application level, and the project level. It is important to determine the target level before beginning a CM implementation effort since it will improve your chances of successful implementation and deployment. To identify the target levels, consider the following:

• Identify the life of the output of the task/implementation, a.k.a., deliverable(s). Or consider what the task is focused on. Ways to identify this are:
• Is the deliverable expected to live the duration of an organization or an application?
• Is the task focused on a project release, an application, or organization?
• With the results of the bullet item above, who in the organization level, application level, or project level is the primary beneficiary of the task or deliverable and who may help the SCM professional best ensure adoption of the deliverable or completion of the task?

For example, let us say the CM implementation involves establishing a CM Policy. First, identify if the CM Policy is to live throughout the life