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Software configuration management (SCM) is a software engineering discipline consisting of standard processes and techniques often used by organizations to manage the changes introduced to its software products. SCM helps in identifying individual elements and configurations, tracking changes, and version selection, control, and baselining.
SCM is also known as software control management. SCM aims to control changes introduced to large complex software systems through reliable version selection and version control.
Techopedia Explains Software Configuration Management
SCM defines a mechanism to deal with different technical difficulties of a project plan. In a software organization, effective implementation of software configuration management can improve productivity by increased coordination among the programmers in a team. SCM helps to eliminate the confusion often caused by miscommunication among team members. The SCM system controls the basic components such as software objects, program code, test data, test output, design documents, and user manuals.
The SCM system has the following advantages:
- Reduced redundant work.
- Effective management of simultaneous updates.
- Avoids configuration-related problems.
- Facilitates team coordination.
- Helps in building management; managing tools used in builds.
- Defect tracking: It ensures that every defect has traceability back to its source.
