Spoiler Alert: Configuration Management is not only for Engineers!

Alright, let’s bust a persistent myth that really holds Configuration Management (CM) and more specifically CM2 back: the fact that it’s an engineering activity. Yes, engineers are essential. But confining CM to their world is like owning a Ferrari and never leaving the driveway.

For a long time, CM has been confined to engineering and/or IT departments. And of course, engineers are absolutely critical to CM! But if we limit CM to engineering only, we are down right denying ourselves its huge potential to impact the entire business. It’s like having a Ferrari that you just keep in the garage gathering dust and never take out for a spin. What a waste!

All functions in an organization benefit from good Enterprise CM practices:

• 📈 Sales & Marketing teams? Imagine knowing, with 100% certainty, the exact features and versions of every product you’re selling or promoting. No more embarrassing miscommunications or out-of-date information (e.g., having a 10m long mini-jack to jack plug adapter, yes, that has happened). CM gives you that single source of truth, which makes your pitches sharper and campaigns more accurate.
• 👮 Legal & Compliance? Regulations and protecting your intellectual property demand having precise, traceable configuration records. CM lays the foundation to build robust audit trails for everything from certifications to defending your IP.
• ⛓️ Procurement & Supply Chain? Knowing the exact configuration of parts, sub-assemblies, and finished goods means you’re ordering precisely what you need, managing old stock smartly, and dodging supply chain headaches. It ensures what’s designed gets built and bought.
• 🆘 Customer Service & Field Ops? When a customer calls with an issue, picture your service team instantly pulling up the exact build state of their product. CM means faster fixes, correct spare parts, and way happier customers.

I’ve seen companies transform when they break down these old walls. They realize that CM2 principles are foundational for any department that deals with defined, evolving information, whether it’s product data, service offerings, or even just how you do things internally.

So, for this edition of “How do YOU CM2?”, I’m genuinely curious:

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How have YOU seen CM2 stretch beyond the traditional engineering teams in your organization? What successes or unexpected challenges popped up when you tried to spread its value to different departments?

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In case you missed it, also check out all the other How do YOU CM2 posts.

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Ready to go deeper?

Use code Martijn10 for 10% off training—and don’t forget to tell them Martijn sent you 😉.

Copyrights by the Institute for Process Excellence

This article was originally published on ipxhq.com & mdux.net.

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