Configuration management
Contents
Definition
Configuration management is The process of identifying and documenting the characteristics of an organization’s structures, systems and components (including computer systems and software), and of ensuring that changes to these characteristics are properly developed, assessed, approved, issued, implemented, verified, recorded and incorporated into the organization’s documentation.
Source: Planning and Execution of Knowledge Management Assist Missions for Nuclear Organizations
Source: Safety Glossary 2007 Edition
Summary
Description 1
The IAEA-TECDOC-1335, January 2003, ‘Configuration management in nuclear power plants’ presents a basic approach to configuration management; it considers experience gained from discussions at meetings organized on the subject, and from organizations and utilities, which have successfully implemented partial or full configuration management programmes.
Source: Planning and Execution of Knowledge Management Assist Missions for Nuclear Organizations
Description 2
NKM infrastructure and configuration management
Much of the infrastructure technology and systems established for a comprehensive NPP configuration management (CM) system will also support KM principles, requirements and data. The technology required to implement a KM programme is based upon the general technology infrastructure required for nuclear MRO, configuration management and general nuclear business operations. This includes raw data, functionality and plant lifecycle management facilities to capture and maintain the plant design basis, design changes, work management, parts and other functions. The technical means of capturing and managing nuclear knowledge closely resembles that required for nuclear business processes and configuration management. A well-formulated configuration management infrastructure will already have a large portion of the functionality and features required for knowledge management as well, and thus should be part of a greater technology infrastructure and system. The proper CM technology solution offers the ideal facility from which to manage nuclear knowledge and make the most of the data and information collected. Assuming the NPP has a well-developed technology and information infrastructure as described above, the principal difference between baseline nuclear information systems and those requiring modification for NKM is when no KM features and processes have existed previously. Technology solutions that best support knowledge management should offer the following capabilities:
- Capture knowledge as it is utilized and communicated in daily plant activities;
- Be accessible and in daily use by all NPP staff;
- All NPP users should understand and be comfortable with the system;
- Be based on an NPP — or owner-wide IT solution utilizing a control network such as plant lifecycle management (PLM).
Source: National approaches and strategies for Nuclear Knowledge Management
