Configuration Management – Aviation

Configuration management should ensure complete traceability of the construction status at all times. It must be inextricably linked to project management and engineering, as these set the pace. At the same time, product data management (PDM) must always be in place to ensure effective data management throughout the product lifecycle.

In addition to a well-organized product structure, the configuration includes all data necessary for manufacturing, quality control, and maintenance. These are primarily documents issued by the engineering department, such as specifications, schematics, drawings, bills of materials, material requirements, test instructions, process and method specifications, program descriptions, and digital mock-ups. Based on this information, configuration management must make it possible to answer the following questions at any time and for any manufactured product:

• How was the product developed, and what were the results of that development? (What development documentation forms the basis for the product?)
• How do the product and configuration affect other components? (What impact do changes to the product or configuration have on other components and systems?)
• On what basis and with what results were the product tests conducted? (What test environment, test parameters, and test results were used to approve the product?)
• How was the product manufactured and shipped? (What was the product’s state of completion at the time of shipment? What processes and manufacturing methods were used?)
• What changes have been made to the product since it was manufactured? (What is the product’s current physical condition?)

Incidentally, the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI-DEV) can provide support for configuration management; it is a maturity model for improving processes within the context of product development and related project management. It defines standard practices for development activities, change management, and PDM throughout the product lifecycle—from conception through delivery and maintenance to decommissioning.

In an aircraft program, the core tasks of configuration management include ensuring transparency in product development and project management, ensuring traceability, managing changes, and monitoring and documenting the status of development and construction at all times.

Configuration management is used to coordinate the aircraft program or project and ensures that all requirements are met. Configuration management can therefore be viewed as a tool for implementing project management.

The foundation of any configuration management system is the establishment of a hierarchical product structure and the definition of the objects subject to configuration management.

The product structure and configuration are organized in a pyramidal structure (see figure). At the start of the development program for a new aircraft, a basic product structure is first defined at the constituent assembly (CA) level. This structure reflects the natural core components of the commercial aircraft, such as the fuselage, wings, engines, vertical stabilizer, elevator, and landing gear. By definition, the entire aircraft itself is the top-level constituent assembly.

Configuration elements (configuration level) are defined at a level one step below the CAs. At this level, the aircraft is configured in detail (Configurable Items—CIs). CIs are linked to requirements for technical, functional, or logistical characteristics, without the corresponding technical solution necessarily having to be available yet.

Configuration takes place at this level by linking the CIs for each individual aircraft to be produced with the corresponding technical solutions. This is done using so-called link objects, which control the validity of the technical solutions for each individual aircraft. In other words, a CI can, in principle, have any number of technical solutions. The link object, as a connecting element, assigns the configuration item (CI) with its individual technical solution to the correct MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number)—that is, to the specific aircraft in production. The result is aircraft configured individually for each customer.

The lowest level of configuration management is that of (individual) parts. At this level, parts are traditionally managed in bills of materials. Any changes to the parts always result in changes to the corresponding CI as a management unit.

Would you like to learn more about configuration management or project management for commercial aircraft?

e.g., via

• Baseline and Change Management
• Configuration Management Challenges in Day-to-Day Operations, or
• Configuration Management in the Supplier Network
• Project Management Processes and Methods in Aircraft Manufacturing

Then buy the book *Impulsgeber Luftfahrt*.