The CM process is like a camera. You may have a good camera but you cannot take good pictures without having the right lens. For one visionary, it was a case of taking pictures (doing his job) with a faulty lens (the CM process) in a well-designed camera body (a U.S. military environment).
The CMII Solution
It was in the same time frame that Skip discovered a little known set of courses in configuration management called CMII. The ability to accommodate change while assuring that associated information remains clear, concise and valid was very appealing. It was what his CM Division needed.
Would his superiors accept a recommendation to break away from years of tradition and adopt the CMII approach? It was a challenge that he believed to be worth pursuing. To be successful, he knew that he would have to; (1) educate, (2) emulate, (3) formulate and (4) communicate.
Education became a reality with the establishment of a training program for his CM personnel. The first CMII certifications were awarded to NADEP, North Island personnel in 1990.
According to the graduates who were interviewed for this article, it was a meaningful course because it forced them to look at CM in a totally different light. They saw its potential benefits right away. It was something that could be easily incorporated with little or no capital expenditure.
The CMII concept was simple, yet revolutionary. It caught on like wildfire. Even the head of the TPS ISE Branch was captivated. Vince Guess was invited to provide two overview sessions to Project Leaders and Managers in the summer of 1991.
His briefing emphasized the ability to accommodate change, and the need to get in front of the curve instead of always trying to catch up. For a group whose primary role is to manage change, it was a reassuring speech indeed.
The Military Environment
The military environment is the Test Program Set In-Service Engineering Department, Research and Engineering Office at the Naval Aviation Depot, North Island, which is responsible for managing the software packages used in conjunction with automatic test equipment to test the continually improving avionics of the F/A-18 Hornet (first line strike aircraft) and the E-2C (long range electronic surveillance aircraft).
It was in 1989 when Eduardo R. "Skip" Calimlin, Project Leader of the CM Division, embarked on a program that would transform the way in which software packages are upgraded and maintained. Major changes were occurring at every level of the government. The iron curtain was coming down. The rate of new initiatives was accelerating.
Skip could envision a continuing increase in workload (the rate of change) in conjunction with continuing resource reductions. He knew that the existing CM process, with its many constraints, could not adequately do the job that would have to be done. He embarked on a mission to improve the capabilities of his CM Division.
Although the workload has increased steadily since 1990, the time and resources required to do each job have continued to decrease.
Other, or related, improvements include:
o consolidation of records and data bases;
o improved record and data accuracy;
o improved asset tracking mechanisms;
o all encompassing operating procedures;
o increased confidence at all echelons;
o elimination of "glorified clerk" syndrome;
o pride of work among CM'ers;
o documents approved at first attempt; and
o improved awareness of value-added role
Skip hopes to encourage the other six Groups at North Island to pursue similar improvements. He plans to automate the entire CM process by the end of 1996. He plans to achieve certification to ISO 9001 by 1997.
As in any journey, no one can be absolutely sure of what lies ahead. The most successful managers are those who can anticipate the future and establish the appropriate contingency plans accordingly.
To take the analogy of the photographer, Skip's group has not only acquired a precision lens (the CMII process), but the camera body (the U.S. military) has been reengineered to be more responsive. Expect nothing but a masterpiece. Second: To Emulate
To emulate in this case is to adopt a proven concept. The first change instituted after the briefing was the formation of a "fast track" change process. This was an area in which the existing CM process was bogged down. Large unwieldy meetings were taking excessive time and effort.
The benefits came quick. The number of required signatures were reduced. Time lags were gradually eliminated. One step led to another.
Third: To Formulate (Plan For Change)
Improved accommodation of change evolved in conjunction with improved planning for change. Skip prepared contingency plans which look forward into the next century. The plans are consolidated into an evolving document entitled TPS 2000.
He was laying plans for conforming to the ISO 9000 quality standards long before Secretary of Defense William Perry's directive came along in June, 1994, which includes such an initiative.
The Group containing Skip's CM Division is only one of seven Engineering Groups at North Island. Early this year, he produced the first issue of TPS UPDATE, a newsletter to support in-service engineering across the various Fleet and Foreign Military Sales customers.
Provisions have been established for communicating and sharing information at all levels of the CM Division and throughout the Engineering Group. Reports to upper echelons on key measurable areas have also been formalized and assimilated into the daily routines.
Institute of Configuration Management Scottsdale, AZ 85261-5656 Tel: (480) 998-8600 Fax: (480) 998-8923 Email: info@icmhq.com