Automated Configuration Management on a DOD Satellite Ground System

An automated Configuration Management System (CMS) was developed at General Electric and is in use on a DOD Satellite Ground System maintenance contract. CMS improves and enhances the manual techniques for project tracking and change control and allows for reliable management of large projects. Because CMS works with any file, it can perform Configuration Management on all items in a configuration. The CMS Bookkeeping and Status Accounting forms are displayed on a terminal, and the user is guided into filling them out correctly. New configuration items or changes can be entered into the system only after approval has been supplied by the proper authority. Since a common project data base is built by CMS, visibility of current system status is available to those who are permitted project access. Standard report forms as well as user defined report forms are used when viewing the current or historic system information. CMS not only controls the configuration, but also the paperwork, change approval cycle, and the quality of the product.