A very elementary and essential part of configuration management is source code control, which encompasses version control. Data and changes are recorded regularly so that the product can be repeated exactly with minimal human intervention. This not only reduces errors, but also reduces development time while making it efficient. Complete documentation of all changes allows development shops to:

• Configure and reconfigure their products to order
• Control branching and merging of the code base
• Conduct operations on certain versions
• Report in an organized manner
• Modify a specific version
• Retain historical information on changes
• Reduces risk which comes with change while enhancing productivity
• Organize code in a central repository and define user workspace
• Administer, audit, control and report all changes to code base
• Enforce appropriate policies and processes across diverse development environments