Overview of Configuration Management. To manage the development and procurement of modern-day hardware and software systems, the project management concept and many engineering, logistic, and management disciplines have developed over the years.

Configuration Management (CM) is the special name that has been coined to describe those specialized engineering management practices used by industry and the Government to define and control items (sometimes referred to as configuration items (CIS)) in their inventories. CM supports the establishment of a product service network for all hardware, software, and supporting data in the form of drawings, design documents, operating manuals, repair instructions, etc., being developed, and ensures the continued serviceability of these items as changes are made throughout their service lives.

The overall objective of CM is to guarantee the procuring activity that a given product is what it was intended to be - functionally and physically, as defined by contractual drawings and specifications, and to identify the configuration to the lowest level required to assure repeatable performance, quality, and reliability in future products of the same type.