Preprints, 5th IFAC Workshop on

Advanced Maintenance Engineering, Service and Technology

July 26-29, 2022. Bogotá, Colombia

Methodology for Configuration Management in the framework of Integrated

Logistic Support at COTECMAR
E. Paipa Sanabria *, J. Riola Rodríguez *, Y. Alcazar Oviedo *, J. Pinzon Ramirez *
* Escuela Naval de cadetes “Almirante Padilla”, Colombia
Colombia (e-mail: epaipa@cotecmar.com; chema.riola@rga-psi.es).

Abstract: The main objective of this research is to propose a methodology for configuration management
in COTECMAR in conjunction with the Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) describing the elements that
make up the ILS and its activities throughout the life cycle of the system in the framework of a naval
program, which is based on standards issued by different authors of both military and civilian nature, taking
into account the methodology of acquisition of military systems adopted by the Navy and COTECMAR.
Also, a proposal for the design of a computer tool for configuration management was developed. As a final
point, it was described how the ILS will evolve in COTECMAR considering the concept of shipyard 4.0
and how the development of the ILS will allow COTECMAR to be a world class shipyard.

Keywords: ILS, Configuration Management, Logistics Engineering, Shipyard 4.0, Industry 4.0, System
Engineering, Military Systems, NATO.

productive chain. To generate new capacities, it is necessary

1 INTRODUCTION
Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) is defined as the set of
management and technical processes through which
requirements are integrated to be considered from early stages
throughout the life cycle, facilitating the planning, acquisition,
implementation, evaluation, and care of logistics elements, in
search of cost and time effectiveness. (NATO, 2011)
Specifically the Configuration Management element, a
discipline that ensures the correct identification of the different
configurations of a product, the change control, the
implementation record of changes to the physical and
functional characteristics of a system, product, equipment, and
components. The effort of configuration management lies in
the traceability of design decisions and modifications.
Configuration management is performed from the lowest level
of the product breakdown. (AIA & ASD, 2016)
The shipyard industry through the Configuration Management
process has the need to provide updated, relevant and
consistent information between design, construction and
operation facilitating after-sales support, which must go
beyond warranties to include the projection of repairs and
technological upgrades, changing the current flow of
managing customer requirements to move to a repair schedule
and constant updating of the documentation generated during
the design and construction of the unit thus maintaining its
configuration, optimizing its availability and the fulfillment of
the missions for which it was acquired.
2 CONTEXTUALIZATION
The Science and Technology Corporation for the
Development of the Naval, Maritime and River Industry
(COTECMAR) aims directly at the consolidation of the
shipyard cluster as a significant item in the country's
to support the Naval Platforms at the lowest possible cost,
guaranteeing their availability. (Murcia , Paipa Sanabria , &
Ruiz, 2019).
In accordance with the above, COTECMAR in 2019 has
defined its strategic map for the short-term scenario 2019-
2022, "Navigating the course" through four perspectives that
group 13 strategic objectives defined for the four-year period.
(COTECMAR, 2019). In this project, priority is given to
sustaining and developing ARC capabilities in order to provide
comprehensive solutions for the Naval, Maritime and Riverine
Industry and strengthening innovation management, which is
directly connected to the development of methodologies and
process improvement to support the life cycle of the vessel and
the development of an Integrated Logistics Support plan that
meets the objectives of the National Navy, in terms of having
adequate availability of vessels at the lowest possible cost, in
the Figure 1 is shown COTECMAR's strategic map and
highlights the strategic objectives to which the development of
the configuration management process proposal within the
Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) framework contributes.
Figure 1. Future Integrated Logistics Support Process at
COTECMAR Source: Own elaboration based on (COTECMAR,
2019)

Copyright © 2022 the authors. Accepted by IFAC for 169

publication under a Creative Commons License CC-
BY-NC-ND.
On the other side, given that between 60% and 80% of a
vessel's total costs are associated with operation and
maintenance as shown in the Figure 2 (NATO, 2001), the non-
implementation of the ILS in COTECMAR would result in lost
business opportunities and only the acquisition costs (20%-
30%) would be charged, losing the maintenance costs (60%-
80%).

Figure 3 Costs associated with the life cycle of a vessel. Source:

(Blanchard, 1991).

Based on the need to define a starting point to develop the

processes that integrate ILS in a Military Acquisition Program,
the concept of configuration management appears, which is
Figure 2 Costs in the different phases of a vessel's life cycle. called the backbone of ILS, since it is a process that precedes
(NATO, 2001) all ILS elements and is defined as the discipline that applies
technical, management, and control methods to: identify and
The strengthening of the configuration management process document the physical and functional characteristics of a
would allow to organize the main asset of the corporation, configuration item (product, system, subsystem, equipment);
which is the knowledge of the technical and logistical control changes to those characteristics; and record and report
characteristics of the vessels designed and built in the implementation status of changes. (Department of Defense
COTECMAR taking advantage of this initiative positively EEUU, 1972)The most indispensable elements in ILS are
impacting the after-sales service, making it more timely, prioritized and efforts made by configuration management are
avoiding having units out of service developing and taking considered to audit and maintain traceability of design
advantage of the technological tools and capabilities that are decisions and modifications. Figure 4 shows a proposed
currently used in the design to provide new services oriented structure for ILS in the management of a Naval Program at
to the industry 4.0. COTECMAR.
3 RELATIONSHIP OF ILS AND SYSTEMS
ENGINEERING
To mention ILS, it is necessary to take a step through Systems
Engineering, which is the fundamental tool to use from the
conception and definition of the requirements to be satisfied
by the ship's systems until the discharge in service. Its purpose
is to obtain a system that effectively and efficiently satisfies
the customer's needs by reducing life cycle cost risks (Vera
Macias, 2019). (Blanchard, 1991) states "when we look at the
economics, we find that there is usually a lack of full or partial
visibility of costs, as shown by the iceberg effect in the Figure
3. For many systems, the costs of design and development are
relatively well known; however, those related to their
operability and support is largely unknown." (Blanchard,
1991). In essence, designers successfully address the short-
term cost drivers, but often fail to address the corresponding
long-term ones. At the same time, experience shows that a Figure 4 Prioritization of ILS elements. Source: Own elaboration.
large part of the total life-cycle cost of a given system
In Figure 4 there are 2 elements in the external part which are
corresponds to the operation and support activities of the later
transversal and of management to the development of the
phases of the life cycle.
whole ILS, the Integrated Logistic Support Plan, and the
Integrated Logistic Support Analysis, these are processes that
lead to guiding documents that allow the planning of the
Logistic Support and their elaboration is joint with the client
considering the support requirements in the first stages of a
project or a naval program.
COTECMAR proposes to prioritize the methodology of the
configuration management process, to allow the elaboration
and management of the data required for the other elements

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throughout the life cycle. Since configuration management is
the element that allows establishing the database and initiating
a flow of information for the development of the other
elements and acts throughout the life cycle of the program as
an articulating process for the other elements.
4 DESIGN OF THE CONFIGURATION
MANAGEMENT PROCESS IN THE CASE OF
COTECMAR.
The process design, information from the main authors of this
process in Naval Programs has been used. Figure 5 shows the
structure that corresponds to the phases of the process
requirement of the methodology established to be able to
approach the design of this process.
Figure 5 Design structure of the Configuration Management
process. Source: Own elaboration.
The process starts with configuration planning, which will be
adjusted with the customer's policies for configuration
management and ILS. The result of this planning stage will be
the Configuration Management Plan (CMP) document, which
will be updated throughout the life cycle and will have
agreements such as level of detail of the information, control
points, monitoring teams, among others.
The Configuration Management process has standardization as
a principle; this is identified in criteria such as:
 Same configuration in all vessels of the same class.
 Selection of equipment and components that have
already been installed on other vessels.
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 Exhaustive use of international standards
 Reduction of the number of manufacturers and
suppliers.
Configuration Management is then understood as the process
that ensures the correct identification of the different
configurations of a product, the change control, the
implementation record of changes for physical and functional
characteristics for a system, product, equipment, and
components. The effort of configuration management lies in
the traceability of design decisions and modifications.
Configuration management is performed from the lowest level
of the product breakdown. (AIA, ASD, 2016 )
The process and PGC is composed of four main activities as
shown in the following Figure 6.
Figure 6 Design structure of the Configuration Management
process. Source: Own elaboration
These activities do not have a strict precedence throughout the
life cycle of the system and will depend on the acquisition
strategy of the vessel (new or used vessel). The following is a
description of each of the activities to be performed in the
configuration management process that are the responsibility
of COTECMAR.
4.1 Configuration identification phase
Configuration identification is the activity performed to
establish levels or boundaries for independent management.
Configuration Identification establishes and maintains the set
of documents and technical information describing a product
(baseline) for the control and recording of the configuration
status of a system and its configured elements (product,
equipment, subsystem) throughout the life cycle.
The configuration identification activity ensures that all
management and acquisition disciplines use a common set of
documentation as the basis for developing a new system,
modifying an existing system, purchasing a product, and
providing support for a system and its components. The
configuration identification process includes:
 Select Configuration Items at appropriate levels of
the product structure to facilitate their
documentation, control, and support.
 Determine the types of configuration documentation
required for each Configuration Element to define its
performance, physical and functional attributes,
including internal and external interfaces.
 Determine the appropriate Configuration Control
authority for each Configuration document aligned to
the logistical support planning for the associated
Configuration Items.
 Assigning identifiers for Configuration Items.
 Maintain Identification of Configuration Items to
facilitate effective logistical support of in-service
items.
Figure 7 sets out the process for the configuration
identification activity and then describes the inputs and outputs
as well as an explanation of each sub-activity:
Figure 7 Process of the configuration identification activity. Source:
Own elaboration.
4.2 Configuration control phase
Change control is the systematic activity that ensures that
changes made to Configuration documentation and data are
identified, documented, properly evaluated, approved by an
appropriate level of authority, incorporated, and verified.
The configuration control activity begins when the set of
documents that define the characteristics of a configuration
item (baseline) or system is established. At this point, change
management between the contracting agency and the
contractor is employed to evaluate each proposed change, to
assess the total impact of the change (including costs) by
evaluating and determining which program activities are
affected. Configuration control is an essential discipline
throughout the life cycle. Changes may be necessary for a
variety of reasons, for example, to counter a new threat, to
employ a new technology, or to respond to technical and cost
assessments or correct problems. It is necessary to mention
that for COTECMAR it is also necessary to perform this
change control prior to the definition of each of the baselines
to have traceability and metrics to evaluate the performance of
the program at the design and construction stage.
After the initial delivery of product configuration information,
all changes must be controlled. The potential impact of a
change, customer requirements and the configuration baseline
will affect the degree of control necessary to process a
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proposed change or grant. This activity ensures that no change
is implemented without consideration of its effects on the
baseline, including logistical impact, cost, schedule, build, or
alignment with the product mission.
Figure 8. Sets out the process for the configuration control
activity and then describes the inputs and outputs along with
an explanation of each sub-activity:
Figure 8 Configuration control process. Source: Own elaboration.
4.3 Configuration status phase
Configuration Status is the activity by which the knowledge
base necessary to maintain traceability in Configuration
Management is created and organized. In addition, the
objective of the configuration status is to provide information
regarding the configuration with a high degree of reliability for
the support or projection of activities including logistical
support, modification, and maintenance. In case problems
arise, the verification of the set of documents that make up the
base line and the approval of modifications can be quickly
determined.
Figure 9 sets out the process for the configuration status
activity and then describes the inputs and outputs as well as an
explanation of each sub-activity:
Figure 9 Configuration status process. Source: Own elaboration.
4.4 Configuration audit phase
Configuration audits are a common process in Configuration
Management, Design Engineering, Manufacturing and Quality
Control. This means that it is a way by which the designed
solution is verified. This process includes verification and
evaluation of the selected Configuration Items, establishing
conformance between the as-built Configuration and the
design Configuration, as well as verifying changes that may
occur in the configuration at the operation and sustainment
stage.
The objective of configuration verification is to establish a
high level of assurance on the documentation used for
configuration control and product lifecycle support. This
activity includes:
  Validation of the initial baseline configuration and
incorporation of approved changes to ensure that the
configuration meets the established performance and
requirements.

 Auditing of configuration records and physical

products to validate that a program has achieved its
performance requirements and that the
documentation of the configuration or system being
audited is consistent with meeting product
requirements.
Configuration validation. This is how COTECMAR will
verify your design solution. Validation of changes could
include a detailed audit, a series of tests, a validation operation,
maintenance, installation, or modification instructions, or a
simple inspection. The choice of the appropriate method
depends on the nature of the configuration item, the
complexity of the change, and the supporting products that the
change impacts.
Figure 10 sets out the process for the configuration
identification activity and then describes the inputs and outputs
along with an explanation of each sub-activity:
Figure 10 Configuration audit process. Source: Own elaboration.
Figure 11 Costs over the life cycle of a military system. Source:
Own elaboration.
The objective of the portal is to have a software tool that
integrates in a single database all the ILS information and
makes it available to the personnel who must support the
vessel both on board and ashore, in addition to assisting the
customer in the management of procurement and maintenance
and synchronization of ship and base.
For proper management in the lifecycle portal it is necessary
to divide the tool into basic modules to support management.
All modules must be tightly integrated with each other and will
result in a logistic support information management system
useful for the organization itself and of course for the
customer. Next, we will explain the four basic modules that
this tool should have and some modules that can be generated
considering the customer's request. It is necessary to explain
that for each client this tool must be customizable.

5 PROPOSED LIFE CYCLE SUPPORT PORTAL.
Nowadays it is unthinkable to perform an effective
management without the support of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT), so the purpose of this
section is to propose a new application that should be
developed for ILS management and life cycle support.
The importance of the development of this tool is the
contribution it will make to the maintenance management for
a future line of ILS business and life cycle support, where
COTECMAR will provide services to military and civilian
customers more specifically to industrial plants taking
advantage of the capacity in design, construction and
maintenance, on the other side, It is necessary to mention that
between 70 and 80% of the total costs of a vessel (NATO,
2001), are associated with the operation and maintenance of
the same as can be seen in Figure 11, the implementation of
this portal would contribute to COTECMAR could assume a
greater portion of the market for maintenance of ships in
industrial facilities. This information is based on the sales
prices of vessels built at COTECMAR.
Figure 12 shows the proposed main and secondary modules:
Figure 12 Costs over the life cycle of a military system. Source:
Own elaboration.
In the future, COTECMAR and the ARC will have to develop
jointly, which will be a data supervision and analysis center in
which its competitive advantage and rapid decision-making
reside to optimize the maintenance tasks of an industry thanks
to the treatment of the generated data. But for this, first, it is
necessary to identify the fundamental unit, in a 4.0 system it is
the data in a hyperconnected and automated system, the
generation of data is the first link in the value chain.
The objective of this data analysis center will be to support
decisions regarding the maintenance of platform equipment
and systems of ships or civil facilities, which would allow
avoiding catastrophic failures and allowing greater efficiency

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in maintenance, modifying the maintenance schedule
According to the condition, provide our Fleet with the highest
operational availability, understanding the term availability as
the operability of equipment and systems. Figure 13 shows the
objectives graphically:
Figure 13 Synchronization virtual and real environment. Source:
self-made
The development of the ILS for the conceptualization of this
capacity is directly related to the elements called measurement
equipment and devices, maintenance plan and the availability
of installation and infrastructure to do so. And it will be able
to face with guarantees the development of an Integrated
Platform Control System (SICP) for Navy ships.
This is how the implementation of technologies in the line of
work and development of the aforementioned capacity will
allow for an evolution of the ILS and being at the forefront
with world-class shipyards.
6 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
ILS is an internationally recognized and accepted
methodology for the application of technical, logistical and
support capabilities, with the objective of generating effective
maintenance at the lowest possible cost for military
applications and easily diversifiable to the civilian
environment, since it allows an easy articulation with the
system requirements generated in the early phases of the life
cycle.
The application of ILS and configuration management in the
framework of military acquisition projects requires a new
relationship model between COTECMAR and its customers,
where contracts are established not only for repair but also for
the management of the life cycle of the assets in the medium
and long term. The implementation of these contracts will
generate industrial ecosystems that will allow the development
of Colombian suppliers for the optimization of quality and life
cycle cost.
COTECMAR is currently facing a challenge of great
proportions and an invaluable opportunity to improve its
processes and technical and logistical capabilities to the
increasingly stringent demand of the Navy to maintain its ships
with high indicators of operational and logistical availability,
likewise COTECMAR cannot afford to miss the train of 4.0
technologies and be at the forefront of shipyards worldwide.
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COTECMAR and ARC must change the current maintenance
model and implement an Integrated Logistic Support model in
line with international regulations such as those of NATO, this
will allow ARC to make its ships interoperable with other
navies, reduce the maintenance costs of its ships, optimize the
purchase of COTS equipment, develop dual technologies,
participate in international R&D&I projects (Riola &
Gonzáles, 2009), and increase its relationship with the
industrial technology base to optimize the life cycle of the
vessels.
The creation of data analysis centers should be promoted both
in the shipyard and in ARC, through the use of information and
communication technologies that allow maintenance
personnel to have data on the operation of the systems
deployed in real time. These data analysis centers should
become repositories of knowledge about the ships and systems
and will allow ARC to improve its ship maintenance plans
with consequent cost savings.
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