Aligning software configuration management with governance structures

Implementation of an effective Software Configuration Management (SCM) strategy is critical for increasing the probability of success not only in the level of individual projects but also in the level of the organization carrying out many interrelated projects. Due to its impact on the economics of shared component development and usage, an SCM strategy should be in alignment with the underlying governance structure, and should demonstrably be effective in minimizing costs of managing organizational software assets. It should specify, at a high-level, the SCM patterns to be followed for given project characteristics, and should preferably be implementable with the available toolsets. The objective of this article is to propose a simple SCM strategy that addresses these concerns. The proposed strategy leverages the common SCM patterns based on their suitability for the three main governance structures for software development. The implementability is demonstrated using IBM Rational ClearCase and IBM Rational Rhapsody, two broadly available tools in the software industry.