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MIL-HDBK-61A: Configuration Identification

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Configuration identification incrementally establishes and maintains the definitive current basis for control and status accounting of a system and its configuration items (CIs) throughout their life cycle (development, production, deployment and operational support, until demilitarization and disposal). The configuration identification process ensures that all acquisition and sustainment management disciplines have common sets of documentation as the basis for developing a new system, modifying an existing component; buying a product for operational use, and providing support for the system and its components. The configuration identification process also includes identifiers that are shorthand references to items and their documentation. Good configuration control procedures [Section 4] assure the continuous integrity of the configuration identification. The configuration identification process includes:

• Selecting configuration items at appropriate levels of the product structure to facilitate the documentation, control and support of the items and their documentation
• Determining the types of configuration documentation required for each CI to define its performance, functional and physical attributes, including internal and external interfaces. Configuration documentation provides the basis to develop and procure software/parts/material, fabricate and assemble parts, inspect and test items, and maintain systems
• Determining the appropriate configuration control authority for each configuration document consistent with logistic support planning for the associated CI
• Issuing identifiers for the CIs and the configuration documentation
• Maintaining the configuration identification of CIs to facilitate effective logistics support of items in service
• Releasing configuration documentation; and
• Establishing configuration baselines for the configuration control of CIs.

Figure 5-1 is an activity model of the configuration identification process. It is a more detailed view of a portion of the configuration management activity model described in Section 2. [Reference: Figure 2-1] It highlights the relationships between the elements of configuration identification, discussed in the following paragraphs. As in the previous activity model, the boxes represent activities. The arrows entering at the left of each box are inputs. Those entering from the top are constraints. Those entering at the bottom are facilitators or mechanisms. The arrows leaving each box from the right are outputs.

• Determines the structure (hierarchy) of a product and the organization and relationships of its configuration documentation and other product information
• Documents the performance, interface, and other attributes of a product
• Determines the appropriate level of identification marking of product and documentation
• Provides unique identity to a product or to a component part of a product
• Provides unique identity to the technical documents describing a product
• Modifies identification of product and documents to reflect incorporation of major changes
• Maintains release control of documents for baseline management
• Enables a user or a service person to distinguish between product versions
• Enables a user or a service person to correlate a product to related user or maintenance instructions
• Facilitates management of information including that in digital format (See 5.6.)
• Correlates individual product units to warranties and service life obligations
• Enables correlation of document revision level to product version/configuration
• Provides a reference point for defining changes and corrective actions.

The single process initiative enables a contractor to employ a common set of practices to all products and services they provide to the Government from a given facility. The Government’s contractual requirements must respect the contractors common process in order to realize significant acquisition cost savings. A “block change methodology” may be employed to transition from individual contract-based processes to a common set of practices. The Government’s configuration identification practices should be applied only at the level at which items are designated as configuration items [Detail 5.2.1 and 5.5] and at which Government approved performance or detail specifications are written. Contractor practices, meeting the principles of EIA-649, should be applied to commercial items used in Government systems, to CIs whose performance requirements are allocated, approved, and controlled only by the contractor, and to items below the CI level that are within the contractor’s design cognizance.

Acquisition reform and the single process initiative will not result in overall life cycle savings to the Government if contractor configuration identification practices result in products that cannot be adequately operated and maintained during the operational support period. Identification practices that do not conform to the basic CM principles cannot be relied on to assure that end items will have the interchangeability of functionality and performance indicated by their CI identifiers.

It is therefore essential that contractor process adherence to the basic principles be evaluated as part of the source selection process. A configuration identification process evaluation checklist, Table 5-1, is provided to assist in this process. Since individual contract surveillance is counter to common process implementation, such means as capability assessments, past performance and DCMC interaction are the preferred methods for this evaluation. Appropriate metrics and periodic assessments of contractor performance in conforming to documented and approved processes are also necessary. However, where a common process is employed, the Government should avoid redundant reviews on a contract-by-contract basis.

Rev 2006-11-18 12:04:05 -0700

For correct application of this information, see NOTE on Contents page