What is the focus of Configuration Management in product development?

The focus of Configuration Management in product development is primarily on maintaining product integrity. Configuration Management involves systematically managing the design, documentation, and overall lifecycle of a product to ensure that all aspects of its configuration are known, controlled, and recorded. This includes tracking changes to the product design, ensuring that any alterations are implemented correctly, and maintaining a comprehensive record of the product's configurations throughout its lifecycle. By ensuring that the product remains consistent with its specifications and requirements, Configuration Management plays a crucial role in preventing errors, ensuring quality, and supporting product reliability.

Other aspects, such as cost reduction strategies, increasing product variety, and enhancing supplier relationships, may be important in product development, but they do not directly pertain to the core objective of Configuration Management, which centers on the integrity and control of the product itself.