Configuration Management for Senior Managers: Essential Product Configuration and Lifecycle Management for Manufacturing

by Frank B. Watts

Configuration Management for Senior Managers is written to help managers in product manufacturing and engineering environments identify the ways in which they can streamline their products and processes through proactive documentation control and product lifecycle management. Experienced consultant Frank Watts gives a practitioner’s view tailored to the needs of management, without the textbook theory that can be hard to translate into real-world change. Unlike competing books that focus on CM within software and IT environments, this engineering-focused resource is packed with examples and lessons learned from leading product development and manufacturing companies, making it easy to apply the approach to your business.

180 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2015

Reviews

[Andrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Context: I am not involved in equipment production, but neither am I involved in software development. My field is closer to infrastructure projects and EPC contracts.
While the book primarily describes the process of producing tangible equipment and occasionally highlights the differences in processes for software development, I found it to be a compelling read from start to finish and made detailed notes. It was written by a practitioner with vast experience who has compiled various tips and best practices for managing configuration processes in various organizations throughout their career. Note: I believe the book is unsuitable for a comprehensive guide for setting up configuration management practices from scratch. For this purpose, it would be advisable to seek other literature. However, as a guide for identifying potential pitfalls, gradually improving processes, and advancing up the CM system evaluation ladder to the Best-in-Class level, this book, in conjunction with the author's Handbooks, is highly informative.