Review
This is Lyon's third CM book and an extension of his Practical CM (ISBN 0966124820). The key difference between the two books is this one is more focused on engineering development and reflects more of the author's ideas. The first book was more influenced by MIL-STD-973 and the related EIA standard 649. This one does not conflict with those standards, but does take a more real world approach, with a distinct focus on product management. In fact, there is more similarity between this book and Lyon's "Transparent CM" (ISBN 0966124804), especially in the detailed documentation of best practices versus current industry practices, and the in-depth treatment given to each stage of CM.
It is in the detailed descriptions of the phases, and how they relate to product development, that makes this book an especially valuable resource to anyone working in the PDM/PLC environment. Each phase - identification, control, status accounting and auditing - are covered widely and deeply, with best practices associated with each clearly identified and explained. Different scenarios add depth to this aspect of the book.
Two areas covered, transition to production and support, are unique to most CM books that either gloss them over, or focus on, for example field changes and product configuration, but do not devote as much coverage to these areas as they merit in the real world. It is interesting to note that this book's processes do align to SEI's CMMI process areas for configuration management.
Some of this material is carried over from the other two books, and there is definite overlap between the Transparent CM coverage here and his book devoted to that subject. It does serve as a nice binding and segue between this book and the one on Transparent CM.
Like Lyon's other books, this one is a definitive text on CM and an important addition to the body of knowledge.
--This text refers to the
Kindle Edition
edition.
About the Author
Mr. Lyon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Hartford. He has worked in industry (General Electric, Lockheed Martin, United Technologies) for thirty-nine years, primarily in the fields of Project Engineering and Configuration Management (CM). He has served as the Configuration and Project Manager responsible for several large projects in the defense, space and commercial product areas. Since leaving industry, Mr. Lyon has spent the past nine years writing books and teaching seminars on Configuration Management in North America and Europe. Mr. Lyon's Configuration Management processes have provided the basis for the implementation of Product Data Management (PDM)/Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems in several major corporations. Mr. Lyon has been responsible for facility wide training in configuration and data management systems and procedures, and has provided hands-on training for PDM/PLM users, including CCB members, design engineers, drafting, manufacturing and quality assurance personnel, field engineers, customers, CM personnel, project engineers, and program managers. While at General Electric and Lockheed Martin, Mr. Lyon developed the four state level of control system model, a powerful methodology for integrating Configuration Management with engineering development, manufacturing and quality assurance activities. His duties during his 22 years at GE and LM included Lead Configuration Management Engineer and Lead Project/Program Engineer for the Polaris, Poseiden and Trident submarine guidance and fire control programs. Prior to joining General Electric, Mr. Lyon was a project engineer for the United Technologies Corporation, where he was responsible for proposal development, system design and test for several large engineering development programs, including the Lunar Lander, Mars Viking Spacecraft, CH53 Helicopter, and several commercial product programs. Mr. Lyon is the author of the outstanding new CM text, ‘Practical CM III: Best Configuration Management Practices for the 21st Century', 'Transparent CM: How to Get There', the CM community's all time favorite - 'Practical CM: Best Configuration Management Practices for the 21st Century', and 'Practical Project: Guidelines for Project Engineers and Program Management Personnel' Mr. Lyon currently provides seminars and consulting services to clients throughout North America and Europe engaged in the transition from manual CM systems to automated CM systems.
