Institute of

Configuration Management

CMII/IPE Versus Other CM Training

and Certification Programs
Questions are frequently asked regarding how the CMII/IPE training and
certification program provided by ICM compares to other CM certification
programs. Ten organizations, including ICM, currently provide CM-related
training. Four of the ten also offer certification. This white paper identifies
the ten training providers and describes each of the four certification
programs. Included in this white paper are guidelines for determining
the training and certification program most likely to be best for you.

White Paper
CMII-805
 Revision Record
Revision F G
Released By WWG WWG
Release Date 02/03/12 09/17/16
Authority 0068-805 0072-805
Fast-track no no
History Copy Copy

Cover Page and Purpose F G

Revision Record G
Table of Contents F G
CM Training & Certification Sources G
Three Areas of Emphasis G
Profiles of Certification Programs F G
Traditional CM Vs CMII F G
CM Process Vs Organizational Perf. F G
Forces Behind the Evolution of CMII G
CM Paradigms to Be Shifted G
ANSI/EIA-649B CM Standard G Released: Sept 17, 2016
Certification Program Observations F G
Which Program is Best for You F G ©1986-2016 Institute of
Configuration Management

CMII-805G Page 2 of 10
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CMII/IPE Versus Other
CM Certification Programs

Cover Page and Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Revision Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Ten Sources for CM Training; Four for Certification . . . . 4

CM Training: Three Areas of Emphasis . . . . . . . . . 4

Profiles of the Four Certification Programs . . . . . . . . 5-6

How Traditional CM Differs from CMII . . . . . . . . . 6

CM Process Effectiveness Vs Organizational Performance . . 6

Driving Forces Behind the Evolution of CMII . . . . . . . 6

Traditional CM Paradigms Compared to CMII Principles . . 7

36 CM Principles per ANSI/EIA-649B CM Standard . . . . 8

CM Training and Certification Program Observations . . . . 9

How to Decide Which Program is Best for You . . . . . . 10

CMII-805G Page 3 of 10
Ten Sources for CM Training; Four for Certification

Ten organizations currently offer CM-related training and four of the ten offer certification.
The entire list represents three distinct areas of emphasis.

TRAINING COURSES TOTAL CERTIFI-

CM TRAINING PROVIDERS EMPHASIS OFFERED DAYS CATIONS

STI College Software 1 2 0

was Software Technology Institute Philippines

IEEE Computer Society Software 1 2 0

Online Only Washington DC

Learning Tree International Software 1 2 0

Herndon, VA

SQE Training Software 1 2 0

Online only Orange Park, FL

CMstat CDM per 2 4 0

Owned by TPT Technologies Las Vegas, NV EIA-649

TTC CDM per 3 7 0

Tech. Training Corp. Onsite only Torrance, CA EIA-649

NDIA CDM per 1 2 2

National Defense Industrial Asso. Arlington, VA EIA-649

CMTF CDM per

CM Training Foundation Magalia, CA
5 13 5
EIA-649

CMPIC CDM per

CM Process Improvement Center Forest, VA 12 21 5
EIA-649

ICM was Phoenix AZ CMII/IPE 10 22 5

Institute of Configuration Mgmt Denver, CO

CM Training: Three Areas of Emphasis

Software: The focus is on software CM in support of software development.

CDM per EIA-649: The focus is on general configuration and data management (CDM)
principles per EIA-649 and specific guidelines per MIL-HDBK-61A CM Handbook.

CMII/IPE: An updated and modernized version of CM focused on improving organizational

performance in any environment (defense, commercial, facility or service) and facilitates
the achievement of integrated process excellence (IPE).
CMII-805G Page 4 of 10
Profiles of the Four Certification Programs

NDIA
Certified Configuration and Data Manager: Requires 10 years of CDM experience.
Certified Configuration and Data Specialist: Requires 5 years of CDM experience.
Must pass an exam where the passing score is 70%

May take a 2-day preparatory course or study recommended reading on own.

Success rate for those who do not take the 2-day course is 63%.

Fee for preparatory course and exam: $580.

Fee for exam only: $305.
Fee for all retake exams: $110.
Fee for recertification exam: $250. (A certification is valid for 5 years)

CMTF
Certifi- On-site
Course No. and Title Days cations Public 1-10/11-20 On-line
601 Configuration Management (2) $1,195. $ ___/___ not avail

Call for Pricing

602 Advanced CM (2) Level I 1,195. ___/___ not avail
603 Software Configuration Mgmt (2) Level II 1,195. ___/___ not avail
605 Enterprise Configuration Mgmt (2) Level III 1,195. ___/___ not avail
606 EIA-649 CM Principles (3) Level IV 1,700. ___/___ not avail
607 Technical Data Management (2) Level V 1,195. ___/___ not avail
+ $120/exam

CMPIC
Certifi- On-site
Course No. and Title Days cations Public 1-10/11-20 On-line
01 CM Foundations (2) $975. $800/600 not avail
02 CM Identification (2) 975. 800/600 not avail
03 CM Dynamics (2) 975. 800/600 not avail
04 CM Implementation (2) CM 975. 800/600 not avail
06 EIA-649 (3) 649 1,275. 1,100/725 not avail
07 CM Assessor (3) CMA 1,275. 1,100/725 not avail
08 Software CM (4) SCM 1,475. 1,300/825 not avail
10 649-1 for Defense (3) 649D 1,275. 1,100/725 not avail

CMII-805G Page 5 of 10
 ICM
Certifi- On-site On-line
Course No. and Title Days cations Public 1-10/11-20 U.S./Int'l
CMII-01 The CMII/IPE Model (2) $995. $700/500 $850/925
CMII-02 Structuring Requirements (2) 995. 700/500 850/925
CMII-03 Change Challenges (2) 995. 700/500 850/925
CMII-04 Closed-loop Change Process (2) CMIIB 995. 700/500 850/925
CMII-05 O&M and Logistics (2) 995. 700/500 850/925
CMII-06 CMII Implementation (2) CMIIC 995. 700/500 850/925
CMII-07 Bus. Process Integration (2) 995. 700/500 avail. 2017
CMII-08 Bus. Process Automation (2) CMIIA 995. 700/500 avail. 2017
CMII-13 Software CM (3) CMIIS 1,495. 1,050/750 n/a
CMII-16 CMII Hands-on Laboratory (3) CMIIP 1,495. 1,050/750 n/a

How Traditional CM Differs from CMII

Traditional CM refers to a CM process comprised of five functions; CM planning, identifica-

tion, change control, status accounting and audits.

With CMII, the effectiveness of a CM process is measured by its ability to accommodate

change and keep ALL documented requirements clear, concise and valid. This essential
capability is where CMII excels. It is outside the scope of traditional CM.

CM Process Effectiveness Vs Organizational Performance

When requirements are clear, concise and valid, conforming results are the norm. Organi-
zations otherwise have no choice but to operate in the corrective action mode and spend
a significant portion of their resources on intervention to rescue quality and schedule.

Driving Forces Behind the Evolution of CMII

CMII evolved in a company struggling with quality, schedule and cost problems. It was
discovered that (1) quality problems are symptoms of deficient requirements, (2) which
are symptoms of a slow and cumbersome change process, (3) which is a symptom that
requirements are not properly identified, structured, linked and owned. It was also dis-
covered that the solutions reside in the domain of CM.

These discoveries and their solutions provide the foundation for the CMII Model; mainly
the ability to accommodate change and keep requirements clear concise and valid.

CMII-805G Page 6 of 10
Traditional CM Paradigms Compared to CMII Principles

Traditional CM is encumbered by many paradigms. CM process improvement is a matter

of shifting those paradigms and replacing them with CMII principles.

Shift
CM PARADIGMS CMII PRINCIPLES
Assuming continuous corrective action is Knowing corrective actions are reactions
continuous improvement. to nonconforming conditions.

Assuming continuous improvement can be Knowing consistent conformance must be

achieved without first achieving consistent achieved before continuous improvement
conformance. can be robust.

Assuming that the "law of diminishing Knowing defects are caused by the process
returns" makes the elimination of defects and defects can be eliminated by fixing the
economically impossible. process.

Assuming documents communicate man- Knowing the highest level of integrity is

agement's intent to workers and workers achieved when each document is validated
have no contribution. by its author and one or more users.

Assuming the integrity of a document Knowing the integrity of lower level docu-
increases with each additional signature. ments decreases as the number of signa-
More signatures are therefore better. tures go beyond its author and one user.

Assuming automation will solve deficien- Knowing the process must be right before
cies in the document and change manage- significant benefits from automation can
ment process. be realized.

Assuming the impact of a few errors in each Knowing as the integrity level of data
data set is insignificant and the effort to fix sets used in-series decline, intervention
such errors would not be cost effective. resources increase exponentially.

Assuming organizations outgrow their Knowing that the ability to communicate is

ability to communicate and size must be not size limited if using documents, forms,
limited accordingly. records and data properly.

Assuming each change will be the last and Knowing an organization that continually
any effort to improve the change process "changes faster and documents better" has
would be a waste of time. a distinct competitive advantage.

Assuming that, per cost of quality measure- Knowing that most organizations are spend-
ments, the ratio of resources being spent ing over 40% of their resources on quality
on intervention does not exceed 25%. and schedule issues.

CMII-805G Page 7 of 10
36 CM Principles per ANSI/EIA-649B CM Standard
CM Planning
1 To apply CM, it is necessary to understand the product context and environment.
2 The plan for applying CM must be documented to provide consistency.
3 To apply CM requires adequate resources and assigned responsibilities.
4 CM procedures describe how to achieve the intent of the CM plan.
5 CM training is required to perform the CM tasks properly.
6 The CM process must be assessed periodically to maintain its effectiveness.
7 CM is responsible for the CM performance of suppliers and contractors.
8 CM is responsible for how information is collected, processed and controlled.

Configuration Identification
9 Identification is the basis for how products are defined, labeled and changed.
10 Configuration information serves as the basis for all product lifecycle phases.
11 Enterprise identifiers are used to define the designer or manufacturer.
12 Product identifiers identify products, their sources and their documentation.
13 Products are serialized when it is necessary to distinguish one from the other.
14 When a product is modified, it retains its original serial number.
15 Group numbers are used to identify like-families of end-item products.
16 Product information is identified and linked to associated physical items.
17 A product structure is used to define the parent-child relationships of parts.
18 Products that require special CM attention are referred to as configuration items.
19 A baseline represents the attributes of a product at a point in time.
20 The current baseline of a product is its documentation plus approved changes.
21 Interfaces between products are documented and included in their baselines.

Configuration Change Management

22 Product changes are made using a systematic, measurable change process.
23 Changes must be justified to warrant the implementation resources if approved.
24 A unique identifier is assigned to each change request to enable tracking.
25 Change requests are classified to identify the proper level of review.
26 Change requests must be clear in terms of technical, cost and schedule content.
27 Change request evaluations must include consideration of all potential impacts.
28 Change requests must be approved by the proper authority.
29 The authority that approves a change also assigns its implementation priority.
30 A variance form is used to define and accept a nonconforming condition.

Configuration Status Accounting

31 CSA provides a way to maintain the status of a product and its information.
32 Information about the product is captured as CM tasks are performed.
33 Metrics derived from CSA are used to improve CM process effectiveness.

Configuration Verification and Audit

34 Products are audited to verify that they conform to their documented requirements.
35 Changes are verified to ensure consistency between products and supporting information.
36 Audits are a means to establish baselines at key points in the product lifecycle.

CMII-805G Page 8 of 10
CM Training and Certification Program Observations

CM Certification Programs: Year of Initiation

ICM: CM certifications were first awarded in 1987. (CM became CMII in 1988)
NDIA: CM certifications were first awarded in 1990. (was American Defense Prepardness Asso.)
CMTF: CM certifications were first awarded in 1993.
CMPIC: CM certifications were first awarded in 2008.

Competition among Trainers with the Same Area of Emphasis:

The four software CM trainers compete for software CM students. The five "CDM per EIA-
649" trainers compete for students in the defense environment. CMII/IPE trainers compete
for students in any environment seeking to achieve Integrated Process Excellence.

Three of the Four Certification Providers Offer a Certification in Software CM:

CMTF has a 2-day software CM course which earns Level II certification.

CMPIC has a 4-day software CM course which earns SCM certification.
ICM has a 3-day software CM course which earns CMIIS certification.

Critique of ANSI/EIA-649B Configuration Management Standard

Page 8 lists all 36 CM principles in ANSI/EIA-649B and each is reduced to one sentence.
Each sentence simply states a requirement. Trainers strive to ensure that their students
understand the requirements. Each student must develop their own how-to.

Tailored Versions of ANSI/EIA-649B

Agencies such as SAE, NASA and the FAA are creating their own versions of EIA-649B.
Such tailoring is not new. The same agencies created their own versions of ISO 9001.
Such tailoring does not fix the inherent deficiency in the lack of best practice "how-to's."

Accessibility to ICM's CMII Courses and Language Options

ICM is the only trainer whose courses may be taken at public sites, on-site, and on-line.
On-line courses are taught in English and may be taken by students in any country.

ICM is the only trainer whose partners offer the CM courses in other laguages. This includes
French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish and Turkish.
CMII-805G Page 9 of 10
How to Decide Which Program is Best for You

Student Evaluations and Testimonials

Student testimonials can be very informative, but also misleading. Students may say they
really liked the instructor and/or the course. But did they learn what they needed to learn?
An instructor can spend a lot of time telling stories, minimal time on course content and
still get a high rating for themselves and the course.

Which is Best Depends on What You Want and Your First Experience

If you are deeply involved in software development, any course in software CM is likely to
be worthwhile. The same is true for any other area of emphasis.

You do not have to sign up for a full series of courses. Take the first course first. If you
like it, go back for more. If not, try another trainer and repeat the process.

Cost of Certification Versus Value

Although a trainer may offer up to five certifications, the first certification is the most valu-
able. It is the cost of the first certification that is most important. The next question is its
value after you have received it. If its value proves to be significant, returning for more
training is justified. If not, going to another trainer is justified.

On-The-Job Success Stories

The most important value of all is the improvements that students actually make after they
complete their training. These success stories can be viewed at www.icmhq.com.

Business Process and Enabling Tool Standardization

Organizations that evolve from mergers eventually strive to standardize on a common

business process, one PLM tool, one ERP tool and so on. Many choose to use the CMII/
IPE model as their standard process. If that is the case, the decision with regard to the
source of CM training has already been made.

Enabling Tool Assessment and Certification

ICM also assesses and certifies enabling tools relative to their ability to support the best
practice "how-to's" for CM as defined in CMII-600 Enabling Tool Preassessment Guide.

CMII-805G Page 10 of 10
For Additional Information
www.icmhq.com

info@icmhq.com

(602) 595-8965