This document discusses the need for IMS configuration management and audit tools to manage the complex distributed architecture of IMS networks. It notes that IMS networks consist of thousands of configured parameters across many elements that must all be aligned. Deviations from standard configurations can cause outages. It states that the majority of outages are due to manual misconfigurations and lack of processes. Proper configuration management is needed to automate operations, improve decision making, and reduce manual touches to reduce risks of outages during network expansion.