Configuration Management Metrics

Configuration Management Metrics: Product Lifecycle and Engineering Documentation Control Process Measurement and Improvement provides a comprehensive discussion of measurements for configuration management/product lifecycle processes. Each chapter outlines one of the most important measures of merit – the need for written policy and procedures. The best of the best practices as to the optimum standards are listed with an opportunity for the reader to check off those that their company has and those they do not. The book first defines the concept of configuration management (CM) and explains its importance. It then discusses the important metrics in the major CM and related processes. These include: new item release; order entry/fulfillment; request for change; bill of material change cost; and field change. Ancillary processes which may or may not be thought of as part of these major processes are also addressed, including deviations, service parts, publications and field failure reporting.

• Provides detailed guidance on developing and implementing measurement systems and reports
• Demonstrates methods of graphing and charting data, with benchmarks
• A practical resource for the development of Engineering Documentation Control processes
• Includes basic principles of Product Lifecycle processes and their measurement

Frank Watts has over forty-eight years of industrial and consultation experience as a design engineer, industrial engineer, manufacturing engineer, systems analyst, project manager, and in management. He founded his own specialist configuration management company to provide specific expertise in product release, change control, bills of material and other engineering documentation control issues.

Formally a director of engineering services, a director of operations and a director of manufacturing engineering, Watts has worked for Caterpillar, Collins Radio, Control Data, Storage Technology, UFE and Archive. He has guided the development of engineering change control processes at numerous companies and made significant contributions towards improving new product release processes, installing MRP/ERP systems and new numbering systems, as well as helping companies attain a single BOM database and guided reengineering of CM processes. He is an NDIA Certified Configuration and Data Manager, author of several magazine articles and author of the Engineering Documentation Control Handbook and CM Metrics.