Barriers to effective configuration management application in a project context: An empirical investigation

•Nineteen barriers are identified and finalized for effective CM implementation.•The adverse consequences of barriers to CM implementation are not widespread.•Three groups of barriers are extracted by using factor analysis.•Barriers to CM are less evident in defence as compared to aerospace sectors.•Special emphasize is required for CM implementation in aerospace sectors.

Configuration management (CM) is not a new set of ideas, what it does represent is an effective way for project managers to use a formalized methodology in order that they can manage status and changes to it throughout the lifecycle. This research sets out to identify and prioritize the obstacles in the effective implementation of the CM practices, categorize these obstacles into more manageable groups of factors, and analyse the effects of multiple factors on the identification and rating of these barriers. Nineteen barriers are finalized and prioritized on the basis of their criticality and as a result three groups (managerial and organizational barriers, implementation barriers, and planning and process barriers) are extracted with the help of factor analysis. This study will help both configuration management and project management professionals to plan better and avoid the impacts of these key obstacles from much earlier in the definition phase.