PRINCE2 Configuration Management Defined
A lot of people struggle with the whole idea of configuration management, even the name sounds very technical.
The underlying concept however is straightforward enough in that if you’re changing something, then you usually need to keep track of the latest version. Take for example a stage plan, and imagine you have several different copies of it.
Which is the latest copy and the ones that everyone should refer to
The way to resolve this is that each plan needs to carry a date, or better yet, a reference number in case there are two significant changes on the same day. This is called configuration management.
PRINCE2 Configuration management and version control
Configuration management is a bit more than just version control although that fact probably will not concern you too much outside of the PRINCE2 examinations.
You see, configuration management also covers how things fit together, such as parent child configurations where for example, a product that is being version control is made up of subcomponents all of which are also being version controlled.
Similarly, one sub component may be used in a number of larger products, such as a particular brake assembly being used in different car models. So taking that as an example, it is important to know which car model uses that particular brake assembly.
All of this type of information is stored within the configuration item record.
The need for PRINCE2 configuration management
You may believe that I stable product will not subsequently be changed and therefore does not need to be controlled. There are two reasons however, why the configuration management information on a stable product might be very important:
The first reason is in an example of something being bought in from a third party such as ball bearings.
If, years after the project produced the ball bearings is finished, a product that uses the ball bearings needs to be replaced and a matching replacement for those ball bearings needs to be obtained, where did they originally come from and what made and specification were they created against?
The configuration management information is needed despite the fact that the ball bearings did not go through any “versions” during the project. This example also illustrates the important point that configuration management is one of the follow-on actions that will continue after a project completes and such information is needed into the working, or operational life of the products.
The second reason is because of status accounting. Knowing and keeping track of progress through the product states which could be defined as “outline”, “draft”, “final”, and “approved” can be very helpful – if not vital!
You can now start to see how the application of configuration management within your PRINCE2 project can be seen as business critical.
The PRINCE2 configuration item record
You should become familiar with the Headings in the configuration item record and be aware of how the information helps prevent confusion and problems within a project.
For example, it is really helpful to know where a completed product is as a lot of time can be wasted looking for missing products.
So the “location” heading in the record is helpful here.
Or perhaps several team members are arguing about who has the latest up to date version of a specification document, each giving different version numbers.
This problem is easily resolved as the configuration item records shows are under the “current version” heading exactly what the latest version is – and it may well be that the versions those team members are arguing about, are all out of date, and that the latest version needs to be found.
Again, the configuration management system will provide an answer!
The PRINCE2 configuration management strategy
Configuration management can get very complicated, and sometimes it needs to be. Equally, it can often be carried out very simply. How configuration management is applied to a particular project will be set down in that projects configuration management strategy document.
The strategy will include specific procedures, such as the booking in and booking out of products to team members so that the changes to products can be carefully controlled.
It is important to be aware that configuration management is needed both for management products as well as specialist products.
Differentiating between baselines and releases
A baseline is the product at a known state, usually quality-checked and signed off. If something goes wrong with the product, that baselined has been saved and can be restored for work to start afresh from that baselined.
The baseline can also be used for comparison, and that is true of the project plan. A project activity may be expected to take a particular amount of time.
As the project develops, this forecast of the duration of that activity may change, but that change duration can now be compared with the original expectation held within the baseline.
Project management computer tools often show the original, or baseline, the position of each activity as well as the latest position to give a visual impression of any time savings or delay.
A release is a set of products that work together, each where the recorded version number. So in IT, a release may be a Computer System of say five programmes: version 4.6 of programme one, version 4.8 of programme two and version 8.3 of programme three, version 2.6 of programme for an version 2.9 of programme seven.
A future release may only have some of the member programs updated with the remainder being the same as in the previous release.
Using verification in the PRINCE2 Configuration Management procedure
The official PRINCE2 Manual sets out five elements in the configuration management procedure:
- Planning
- Identification
- Control
- Status accounting
- Verification and audit
The configuration management is a precise business, and it is essential to check from time to time that the records are, and remain correct. So what do you do if Dave is working on a particular product and is using a version number of the technical specification to create that product?
Well, you would approach Dave and ask if you can check that you have the correct technical specification version that you are using to develop a product and ensure that it is still a draft.
If Dave confirms that that is the case, at you have now verified that the information in the configuration item record for that particular product is correct.
There is no set frequency for configuration management verification and audit checks and are project as this will vary from project to project. For a given project is required frequency will be set down within the configuration management strategy, and reviewing stage progress prior to preparing for an end stage assessment would be a very suitable time for which to carry out such verification and audits.
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