ABSTRACT
In the beginning of the development of a new system, there is a void of descriptive information and there exist no physical entities that comprise the system. As the user evolves a description of its need, documentation begins to pile up. Once the acquisition agent makes a decision to acquire a system to satisfy a need expressed by a user, a process begins that leads to the selection of a contractor that is believed to possess the capability to satisfy the user’s need by successfully implementing a contract imposed by the acquisition agent. One of the conditions for a successful contract implementation should be that the contractor delivers a product, every part of which is in a known conguration, as dened in a baseline set of documents including specications, engineering drawings, and lists.
