What is Configuration Management?

Configuration Management is the control of parts which may consist of a complex set of subassemblies, which – when combined and completed – take a final form that is different from its parts. Controlling the revisions and status of each component is therefore critical to ensure the final form meets requirements.

AS9100 Rev C, Section 7.1.3 Configuration Management says the organization shall establish, implement and maintain a configuration management process that includes, as appropriate to the product:

  • Configuration management planning
  • Configuration identification
  • Change control
  • Configuration status accounting
  • Configuration audit

It also directs you to these standards for guidance:

  • ISO 10007 Quality Management Guidelines for Configuration Management
  • MIL-HDBK-61A Configuration Management Guidance
  • EIA-649-A National Consensus Standard for Configuration Management
  • ECSS-M-ST-40 Space Project Management-Configuration Management

Helpful Tools

The IAQG has put together some helpful material in their SCMH:

iso-10007
View Presentation

Configuration management generally concentrates on technical and organizational activities that establish and maintain control of a product and its product configuration information throughout the life cycle of the product.

View ISO 10007 Presentation (Created by O-CHART)

CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT OF DRAWINGS AND DOCUMENTS

  • For customer supplied parts, you are required to use customer provided prints or documentation to ensure ongoing maintenance of the configuration. You cannot make changes to the customer’s configuration or configuration drawings. If processing a customer provided part requires deconstruction of the final part into sub-assemblies, this shall be done after instruction by the customer, and/or in accordance with customer provided documentation, to ensure that re-assembly results in the same final configuration.
  • For all other parts, you must maintain the assembly revision status as provided for in the provided design documentation, drawings and/or data; do not make changes to these configurations or revision levels. Where assemblies are temporarily disassembled for processing (by you or a subcontractor), suitable labeling is performed to ensure proper re-assembly in accordance with the design documentation.
  • Internal documents or drawings related to the product shall reference the exact drawing and revision of the appropriate part(s), assemblies or subassemblies.

CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT OF PARTS

  • During production, assembly, packaging or shipping, all parts must be properly identified as to the current configuration. This means the parts must be identified in a way that is traceable back to the proper drawing that reflects the exact configuration of the product in its current state (i.e., a master drawing that shows all revisions of subassemblies used in that part.)
  • Identification may be made by way of labeling the part, marking the part, or physical association with paperwork (routers, drawings, etc.)

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