Configuration Management Plan

The configuration management plan (CM Plan) is first defined during the project planning process and is part of the overall project plan. Like all planning documents, the level of detail included in the CM Plan should be consistent with the risk levels, compliance requirements, and composition of the project team.

The following table lists the minimum topics/ recommended Sections that should be covered in a CM
Plan:

Even with a CM Plan, there are still some remaining pitfalls that you need to be on the lookout for:

1. Not following the plan—One of the first things to go when the realities of the project hit is execution of the CM Plan. There are two things you can do to help make sure the CM Plan is executed:

• Use an independent auditor (such as a QA Lead) and include the CM activities as part of the quality review process.
• Make sure to include the CM activities in the WBS and project schedule.

2. Tool difficulties—As stated before, configuration management tools should be leveraged whenever possible, and in some cases, they are absolutely mandatory. That being said, the proper use of these tools is not automatic. If you are going to use a tool, you need to make sure the right team members are trained on how to properly use the tool, and you to verify that the tool works correctly (not that this is ever an issue or anything).