Computer application software for computers used to design and construct industrial manufacturing facilities, namely, software for reducing scheduling risks in order to ensure on-time start-ups, validating configuration data from detailed design through start-up, identification of configuration discrepancies, assigning discrepancies for resolution; software for capturing and archiving configuration data from automation and decision support systems, namely configuration data graphics, programs, point databases, internal historians, trends, and function charts; software for inventory management of proprietary and non-proprietary control system hardware namely I/O channels; software for organizing configuration information by asset in a tree hierarchy; reference management software for identifying internal and external communications within automation systems; visualization management software for visually mapping object interconnections and internal/external references; spare capacity management software for managing, reserving, and allocating spare system capacity; change tracking software for detecting changes to inventory, asset configuration, logical and graphical files; integrated workflow software having pre-defined workflows for security operations, namely, patch assessment, change testing, change implementation, configuration policy definition, asset disposal, and review/approval processes, and for initiating workflows based on configuration parameters to reduce personnel requirements for managing the configuration process; and reporting software for generating configurable reports, namely, inventory, configuration detail, change history, and workflow documentation reports