IEEE 610.12-1990 – “CM is a discipline applying technical and administrative direction and surveillance to:
(a) Identify and document the functional and physical characteristics of configuration items (CIs)
(b) Audit the configuration items to verify conformance to specifications, interface control documents, and other contract requirements
(c) Control Changes to configuration items and their related documentation
(d) Record and report information needed to manage configuration items effectively, including the status of proposed changes and the implementation status of approved changes"
Thus we extrapolate that CM consisted of four functions:
> Configuration Identification
> Configuration Control
> Configuration Status Accounting
> Configuration Auditing
The old Mil-Std-973 from 1992 (cancelled circa 2000) and all other "official" sources had the same functions, no more and no less. Later, “Planning” was added to the mix for a total of six functions.
Question, under which of these functions does “Performing Builds” fall?
Some CM technicians may perform builds, but that task does not make Builds a function of CM any more than the task of assembling a car. And yet, we now read that “Builds” is a pillar of CM. Not so, I say; rather, CM is a pillar of Builds.
Again, the question is: Under which of the five functions would Build be placed?
