Using PDXpert PLM as your Configuration Management tool
Why are configuration management tools necessary?
The
introduction to ISO 10007:1995(E) states that configuration management
"...is a management discipline that is applied over the life cycle of a
product to provide visibility and control of its functional and physical
characteristics."
More specifically,
ANSI/EIA-649-1998 defined change management and configuration control as a
function:
- "...which ensures that changes to released configuration
documentation are properly identified, documented, evaluated...,
approved..., incorporated, and verified."
- "...concerning the systematic proposal, justification,
evaluation, coordination, and disposition of proposed changes; and
the implementation of all approved and released configuration
changes into (a) the applicable configurations of a product, (b)
associated product information, and (c) supporting and interfacing
products and their associated product information."
This is a complex set of goals and, in an era of limited staff and shrinking
budgets, demands significant automation to perform efficiently. All
configuration management tools
support real-time data collection and control as users build product
definitions; propose, review and approve design changes; and exchange that data
with your supply chain.
Standards and policies governing configuration management tools
Most configuration management tools help to implement CM standards published over
the past 30 years. These CM standards include
- military standards (MIL-STD-483, MIL-STD-973) and military handbooks (MIL-HDBK-61,
-61A)
- other U.S. Government guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (21 CFR 820)
and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA-STD-020A)
- commercial standards for general industry (ISO 1007, ANSI/EIA-649)
- commercial standards for medical devices (ISO 13485, UL 60601)
There are also independently-defined configuration management processes, such as CMII of the Institute
for Configuration Management.
These approaches can be extremely detailed, even to the point of specifying exactly
which data elements will be included in your configuration management database
schema (e.g., MIL-STD-2549 and EIA-836).
Benefits of configuration management tools
Some of the benefits of configuration management tools include:
- Buyers and sellers have a common basis for objective evaluation of the product,
based on clear requirements
- Good product documentation results in consistent product quality
- Information required for acquisition is readily available
- Changes to product are explicitly identified, minimizing unexpected costs and delay
- Minimized downtime and lower maintenance costs through accurate information
Although configuration management practices are not inexpensive, their financial value has been frequently
demonstrated. Essentially all large or high-risk acquisition processes now include
a configuration management component.
Paraphrased from ANSI/EIA-649 (1998), National Consensus Standard
for Configuration Management. See also books on CM, such as Guess: CMII
for Business Process Infrastructure (2002).
How PDXpert PLM fits your configuration management software needs
PDXpert PLM has been designed to bring configuration
management capabilities to growing engineered product companies. PDXpert PLM,
"out of the box", directly supports many of the data attributes and nomenclature
defined in ISO 10007, ANSI/EIA-649, FDA 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, MIL-STD-973, and MIL-HDBK-61A. The business objects and workflow can be
tailored to meet your company's specific requirements while conforming to industry
best practices. Principal configuration management capabilities cover areas
of document identification, configuration item identification, revision management,
product structure (bill of material) history, engineering change proposal (ECP) classification and management,
and integrated data file management.
Just as important, PDXpert PLM is scaled to meet the needs of
growing organizations. The modern user interface supports
drag-and-drop BOM and change form construction, built-in data validation,
extensive on-line help with step-by-step procedures, and even spellchecking.
Administrators enjoy a simple, consistent interface for configuring the
underlying database, a straight-forward installation process, and a
simplified database maintenance console. After downloading PDXpert PLM,
most companies are operational in less than 20 minutes.
Moreover, the benefits of an automated configuration management tool are available to even the smallest
companies at surprisingly little cost. PDXpert PLM's architecture is designed to
scale from single users to medium-sized enterprises, requiring minimal IT support
while providing flexible configuration options.
We invite you to:
Register now to get your free, fully-functional
download of PDXpert PLM trial software.
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