Control Systems and Configuration Management in Scope Development: A Systematic Review

Projects of varying sizes often challenge scope creep, misaligned stakeholder expectations, and lack of traceability which can be effectively managed through the execution of control systems and configuration management practices. This systematic literature review ex-amines the effectiveness of control systems and configuration management within project scope development evaluating their impact on man-aging scope changes, enhancing project alignment and improving overall project performance. Therefore, drawing from a methodologically rigorous analysis of 49 scholarly articles published between 2014 and 2025, the review underlines the evolving role of control systems and configuration management in shaping scope development practices. It reveals a growing emphasis on integrated change control, traceability mechanisms, and automated configuration tools, although notable gaps continue, especially in terms of implementation consistency and resource constraints. The utilization of control systems and configuration management enhances decision-making in scope development and enables project teams to respond more effectively to evolving project requirements. Despite these benefits, many projects face barriers such as system complexity, high setup and maintenance costs, and limited expertise, which hinder their effective adoption and utilization. Our review is based on the analysis of literature on control systems and configuration management. We found 13.48% papers from Scopus, 54.31% from Web of Science and 32.21% from Google Scholar but not all papers were specifically relevant to this systematic review. We advocate targeted educational initiatives, the development of intuitive and cost-effective control and configuration management tools, and strategic collaborations to support knowledge transfer and practical adoption within project teams. Empirical research validating the effectiveness of these practices in enhancing scope control and project outcomes is essential, providing a clear trajectory for future academic exploration and policy development.