Plan-Execute-Control
PMBOK describes how to plan, execute and control projects. Tasks (work packages) required to accomplish a project are identified via a work breakdown structure (WBS). The tasks are scheduled. Owners are identified. The plan is executed. Changes are controlled. Performance is measured. Plans are adjusted as needed.

Overall and Scope Change Control
PMBOK makes a distinction between overall change control and scope change control. Scope change control deals with managing changes to higher level requirements which would impact the magnitude of the project. Overall change control deals with routine modifications and corrective actions needed to maintain the project plan. A common change control system is used to manage changes of both types.

Configuration Management?
Configuration management is addressed very briefly within the overall change control section of PMBOK and is stated to be a subset of the change control system. The definition of CM that is provided is taken from ISO 10007 which, in turn, was taken from MIL-STD-973. That is the extent of the coverage of CM.

Management & Application Overlaps
PMBOK is acknowledged to overlap with "general management knowledge and practices" and with "application area knowledge and practices." It would appear that the CM-related processes are understood to reside in these overlapping areas and are to be referenced accordingly. This may or may not be true.

CMII Approach to Project Planning
The methodology provided by the PMBOK for establishing project plans is very comprehensive. Although similar to the CMII approach in many ways, there are also significant differences.

CMII uses the physical item hierarchy and associated linkages as the WBS and also as the framework for an as-planned and as-released baseline. The items, documents and information sets within the hierarchy are treated as work packages. They are scheduled and used to drive all development resources (their owners) with one set of priorities.

Plan Execution and Earned Values
Quality, schedule and cost are universal parameters for measuring project performance. An outstanding feature of the PMBOK is its use of earned values to monitor schedule and cost performance relative to the project plan.

PM Cycles and Phases
The PM cycle is often shown with four phases; plan, do, study and act. CMII expands the 4-phased cycle into a requirements cycle (act and plan) and a product cycle (do and study). The two cycles are synchronized and requirements always lead.

CMII; An Enabler for PM
The driving forces behind the upgrades to the PMBOK are consistent with the CMII objectives. Areas in which CMII is most comprehensive are the areas where PMBOK is relatively weak. PMBOK, like the ISO-9000 quality standards, is weak in the area of CM and change management. As CM becomes more robust in the overlapping areas, the PM process also becomes more robust.




Institute of Configuration Management Scottsdale, AZ 85261-5656 Tel: (480) 998-8600 Fax: (480) 998-8923 Email: info@icmhq.com