configuration management vs change management

Configuration management and change management are related terms, and many professionals do not understand the difference between these concepts.

Change management is a well-known term in project management, but configuration management is not. In the IT field, the term “configuration management” is used frequently, so if you are not in this industry, you may face issues understanding the concept.

Change management involves managing changes related to project management plans, processes, and baselines. Configuration management involves managing changes related to product scope.

While both are part of integration management, change management and configuration are different and used for different purposes.

Insights from a study by the Project Management Institute (PMI) underscore the impact of mature Change Management practices, with 94% of organizations meeting or exceeding project objectives and 78% reporting a decrease in failed changes.

Configuration management deals with changes in deliverables or products. 

According to a 2023 survey by the International Association of IT Asset Managers (IAITAM), robust Configuration Management practices have proven instrumental, yielding an 82% improvement in security, a 67% reduction in downtime, and a staggering 92% enhancement in regulatory compliance.

Let’s delve deeper into it.

What is Change Management?

According to the PMBOK Guide, “Change Control is focused on identifying, documenting and controlling changes to the project and the project baselines.”

In change management, you manage the changes related to the project scope, planning, and baselines.

For example, if you run out of money and need additional funding to complete the project, then you will raise a change request for additional funds, or if you cannot complete your project within the specified time frame, then you will raise a change request for a time extension.

Change management analyzes the change request for any possible impact on any other project objectives. Afterward, the request is either approved or rejected.

The change management system must identify and analyze all parameters for any possible impact to minimize disruption.

If the change request is approved, you will update the concerned baseline and project documents and inform the concerned stakeholders.

Change Management Activities

During change management, you will perform the following activities:

  • Identify the changes.
  • Prepare proper documentation for the changes.
  • Review, analyze, and decide on the change request.
  • Ensure that the request is implemented, registered, and communicated.

Change management plays a key role in the project’s success. Data from a survey by McKinsey & Company reveals that companies with effective Change Management are 1.5 times more likely to outperform their peers who do not follow the change management processes.

Change Management Conditions

Change management conditions can include:

  • Schedule Delays: You must develop a new schedule that reflects the current situation.
  • Overbudget: You must develop a new cost estimate to complete the project.

What is Configuration Management?

According to the PMBOK Guide, “Configuration Control focuses on the specifications of both the deliverables and the processes.”

In configuration management, you manage the changes related to the product specification and the process.

For example, suppose you are developing a product, and the client requests to add some extra features.

Since this change is related to product configuration, you will deal with it by using the configuration management system. The configuration management system documents how you will monitor and control changes. It allows you to define configurable items (e.g., products, services, results, and components) and control any changes to these items.

The configuration management plan keeps version control of the product. Here, you can keep a log of all the changes made to any product version for review.

Configuration Management Activities

During configuration management, you will perform the following activities:

  • Identify the configurable items.
  • Record and prepare a report for all configurable items.
  • Verify and conduct an audit of all configurations as per the requirements.

Configuration management has a key role in building the right product correctly. A study by Gartner highlights that effective Configuration Management can lead to a 30% reduction in operational costs.

Configuration Management Conditions

Configuration management conditions can include:

  • Market competition is forcing new features on the product.
  • The project took so long that the product is obsolete, so an update is required.
  • The client requested that you add some extra functions.
  • The project went over budget, so some features are being removed from the product.
  • The project needs to be completed early, so some features are being removed from the product.

The Difference Between Change Management and Configuration Management

Change management and configuration management do not compete for the same space. They are used for different purposes.

The main difference between change management systems and configuration management systems is that change management systems deal with project processes, plans, and baselines. In contrast, configuration management systems deal with product specifications.

Any change in product configuration will also affect the project scope, and you will update your project plans, cost, and schedule baselines.

Configuration management has a larger scope than change management.

Examples of a change management system include additional funding requirements or a schedule extension. In contrast, an example of configuration management can be an extra feature added to the product.

A Real-World Example of Change and Configuration Management

Suppose you are working on a project to construct a school building with 10 classrooms.

Case Study #1

During the middle of the project, your contractor for steelwork walks off the job, and you have to find a replacement. You find an alternative, but the new contractor will not start working on your project for a week.

This will delay the project. Therefore, you must raise a change request for a one-week schedule extension through the change management system.

Once this request is approved, you will update your schedule baseline.

This is an example of the change management system.

Next, we’ll look at an example of the configuration management system.

Case Study #2

You are constructing a school building, and the client requests that you increase the number of rooms from 10 to 15.

This request is to change the product scope as the client has altered the product configuration.

Earlier, the school building had 10 rooms, and now it will have 15. Your product’s specifications have changed; therefore, you will handle this change under the configuration management system. 

In the first case, you raised the change request to increase the project deadline by one week. There was no change to the product; the change was only needed in the schedule baseline. The school building was the same, but you will transfer this building to the client one week later.

Who Can Raise and Approve a Change and Configuration Request?

Any project team member can raise a change request, but the request must be approved by a higher authority, as mentioned in the configuration or change management plan. 

A higher authority can be a Change Control Board (CCB), Project Management Office (PMO), or any other stakeholder mentioned in the project management plan.

If the client is not involved in the process, their consent is required to implement the change request.

Regarding a configuration request, it comes from the client as it involves a change in the product.

The project manager reviews this request and then forwards it to the higher authority for their review and approval. An agreement from the client is required because they have to pay for any additional features.

Summary

Change management and configuration management are part of integration management. Both deal with all project and product changes. Change management includes changes related to the project plan, process, and baselines, while configuration management includes changes related to the product scope.

Change requests are required when baselines are established, and you must change them. If the baselines are not set, no formal change request is required. Change requests and configuration requests are part of the integration management system.

Change management and configuration management are the most important concepts on the PMP exam, and you will see many questions about them!

Fahad Usmani, PMP

I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.