Continuous Acquisition and Life-cycle Support (CALS) is a strategy intended to accelerate the transition from a present paper-intensive non-integrated product development, design, manufacturing and support processes to a highly automated, integrated mode of operation by developing standards for data storage and exchange, and automated systems to store, manage and distribute this information to many and varied users across an organization.
The general objectives of the CALS strategy are to reduce cost, improve the timeliness, and improve the quality of products. Achieving these objectives will lead to increased operational readiness, improved interoperability in the field and industrial competitiveness. CALS envisions an integrated data environment created by applying the best technologies, processes, and standards for the development, management, exchange, and use of business and technical information among governmental and industrial enterprises. It is founded on the need for affordable, readily accessible, timely technical and business information.
Since 1989, NATO has addressed CALS in the Conference of National Armament Directors (CNAD). In October 1993, the CNAD endorsed the creation of a NATO Organization for CALS that will take the lead on all CALS issues within NATO.
A2.1 Importance of CALS to NATO
NATO post the cold war era, faces an unprecedented challenge in preserving force effectiveness in light of the radically altered and ever changing threat, substantially declining defense budgets, and changes in global development of technology.
NATO will use a strategy entitled CALS as one way to decrease defense equipment life-cycle costs, ensure the readiness of its forces, and increase cooperation with industry and the international community. CALS provides these benefits by quickening the pace at which high-quality information flows within NATO and between NATO and its business partners and at the same time, providing an opportunity to reduce information management overhead costs. CALS does this by use of national and international standards and practices, business process improvements, and application of advanced technologies.
The emerging role of NATO is one involving a new flexibility for the deployment of NATO systems, where a faster response to diverse locations is required with smaller, better equipped forces. Of equal significance, is the greater multinational integration within the newly formed force structures, such as the Rapid Reaction Corps and the allied NATO Air Force. This multinational context is becoming even more prominent as new friends of the Alliance are to be considered in a Partnership for Peace. Consequently it is vital that NATO concentrates on achieving greater cooperation in acquisition and greater operational interoperability in order to ensure that smaller, better equipped multinational forces are able to operate efficiently together.
CALS can allow this to happen while, at the same time, benefiting NATO nations by reducing defense equipment life-cycle costs. Budgetary constraints and accelerating changes in information technology are principal for fundamental improvements in the way government and industry conduct business. Rapid development in information technology have propelled western economies into an era of global interdependence, where the major discriminating factor among these competing economies is the ability to develop and apply this technology. NATO therefore does not have a 'do nothing' option when considering the endorsement of CALS and the incorporation of CALS into functional process improvement. CALS is considered to be one prime contributor to increased sortie rates, reduced downtimes, enhanced logistic support, safer operations, and increased interoperability in the field. In order to reach those benefits, NATO will have to consider up-front investments in CALS.
A2.1.1 Roles and Responsibilities of NATO with Respect to CALS
A2.1.1.1 Internal Roles
There are two internal roles to accomplish. The first role becomes apparent when considering NATO bodies, responsible for NATO infrastructure, standards, policy, and regulatory considerations. In order to achieve NATO CALS standardization, as a first step towards international standardization, these bodies' advise and endorsement will be sought whenever deemed necessary.
To ensure internal NATO harmonization, the important role of CALS standards 'creator' is to be performed. Several NATO Organizations and Agencies have been established and tasked with the acquisition and in-service support for multinational equipment projects. Therefore, within NATO, CALS implementation is to be ensured by clear directives and thus NATO will act as a CALS standards 'enforcer' within the Alliance and a CALS standards 'promoter' to the individual nations.
A2.1.1.2 External Role
NATO is a multinational organization with one common (military) goal. NATO is one of the few organizations capable of aligning developments taking place in the two powerful industrial complexes of North America and Europe. NATO's role therefore is one of a multinational CALS catalyst and coordinator of international standardization and R&D efforts. NATO therefore should establish formal links with international standardization organizations that operate within NATO's areas of interest. NATO should also establish formal links with organizations that subsidize and stimulate international R&D within the NATO region. NATO should closely liaise with industry.
A2.2 NATO CALS Objectives
To ensure improved service to our coalition forces, NATO CALS will seek to identify further opportunities for improvement in acquisition and logistic processes, information standards and interchange specifications, based on the following operational and business objectives.
The objectives are consistent with, and respond to the Ministerial Guidance on logistics. Activities will be directed at improving the interoperability of NATO forces and enabling increased agility through optimization of the logistics footprint. Without interoperability, International Co-operative Logistics for in-theatre support of NATO forces will be difficult to attain. Without in-theatre support, higher logistics footprints will burden the mobility and agility of the operational force.
A2.2.1 Increase Interoperability
The NATO CALS program will strive for improved capability for co-operation in logistics, though standardization of information and of shared processes. This will be achieved by working closely with the Senior NATO Logistics Conference (SNLC) and the SNLC Ad Hoc Working Group on Co-operative Logistics.
A2.2.2 Decrease Defense Equipment Life-cycle costs
The NATO CALS program will reduce product support costs through migration to commercial information standards and systems, and increased reliance on industry to provide information as a service.
A2.2.3 Ensure the Readiness of NATO Forces
Higher operational availability of Defense Systems will be accomplished through reduced downtime and faster repairs. This can be achieved through improved access to accurate product data, including digital product definition data to enable rapid manufacturing and enhanced maintenance diagnostics.
A2.2.4 Decrease Acquisition Lead Times
Faster, more assured delivery of Defense System spares demanded by Armed Force users is possible by improving the consistency of information in the supply chain.
A2.2.5 Increase the Quality of Delivered Products
Quality increases will be achieved through the capture of information once and re-using if many times, thus avoiding data entry errors. Product documentation quality can also be improved using Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) concepts.
A2.3 Management Vision and Leadership
A2.3.1 NATO CALS Vision
The NATO CALS program was initiated by CNAD as a means to achieving greater NATO effectiveness in alliance operations through the use of information standards and technology in both armament and infrastructure programs. The basic tenant of NATO CALS is that information is a critical asset to be managed within the infrastructures of allied nations and of NATO throughout the complete life-cycle of programs. The NATO CALS vision achieves significant improvements in performance by using a Shared Data Environment that makes accurate information available, when and wherever it is needed, in an appropriate form.
The benefits of implementing a CALS Environment can be maximized by:
· Treating information as an asset
· Starting early
· Being clear and specific on the expected performance improvements
· Taking a whole life perspective
· Planning for change over time (IT, Product, Organizational)
· Tailoring the solution to the program.
A2.3.2 The Critical Importance of Leadership
Today, most Defense System program information is created, stored, and used in digital format. The transition to a full digital environment is inevitable and is happening rapidly. The challenge for program managers is to gain the maximum benefit from digital data, by managing information effectively.
The use of a Shared Data Environment (SDE) can offer enormous opportunities for improvement, but involves significant change and requires some very hard work. It is therefore of absolute importance that the program senior management has a clear vision of what the SDE is meant to achieve for their program, and has the necessary personal commitment to achieve the required changes.
In the book "Navigating the Digital Environment: A Program Manager's Perspective" 1 the authors write:
The PM (Program Manager) must have the vision, or ability, to understand the potential for a cross-functional integrated digital environment. Interviews have shown that extensive technical knowledge or detailed functional acquisition experience is clearly not a prerequisite for the success of an APDE (Acquisition Program's Digital Environment). The PM must understand that information itself is an asset that needs to be managed carefully over the entire life-cycle of the program.
Experience has shown that the quality of vision and leadership provided by the Senior Management is the single most critical factor in the successful implementation of CALS. Management commitment to the CALS implementation must be demonstrated by the allocation of appropriate resources, by support for local champions who are leading change implementation and by personal participation in the key NATO CALS Operations (NCOPS) activities. Intelligent use of NCOPS can reduce risks, but without adequate leadership, the changes to deliver benefits simply will not happen.
A2.4 The Need to Accommodate Change
Most Defense Systems change continuously over their lifetime. The processes and organizations used to manage each Defense System will also improve over time. Major change in the CALS Environment - the hardware, the software, and the culture - can be expected every two or three years (with the cultural changes usually lacking behind considerably). Change must be expected, planned for, and managed. The Program Strategy for CALS, developed through use of NCOPS, will need review and update throughout the entire life-cycle.
A2.5 The Extended Enterprise
Successful organizations in the future will have in common their ability to assemble in whatever virtual configurations are necessary to identify, scope, pursue, and capture business, and then perform to specifications within budget and schedule constraints. Business will be won and executed by extended enterprises. These will not be static over the life of a product, but will change with conditions and the ebb and flow of requirements and capabilities. Participants will include customer organizations, high technology partners and subcontractors, and suppliers of various levels of capability and sophistication.
The process mechanisms by which teams interface and operate must in large measure be common, as solutions specific to only one opportunity will be too costly for most players. Business processes will be executed in a collaborative manner-in real-time where appropriate-by teammates distributed physically and in time. Co-location will be electronic, and information needed for the task at hand will be immediately accessible and usable with little or no preparation. Information will be provided through a variety of electronic media-text, graphics, voice, and video. Huge volumes of data will be stored, accessed, viewed, shared, and moved. This will occur efficiently, accurately, securely, and affordably.
The purpose of an integrated information environment is to support the execution of streamlined business processes across enterprise boundaries. Teams will accomplish this with members geographically dispersed by distance and time, enabled by controlled access to data and related software, effective exchange and sharing of data, and the collaborative preparation of information deliverables.
A simple model of business processes, people, and the environment is presented in the figure below. The specific business processes are related to the information deliverables of the extended enterprise they support. The people who execute the processes are representative of the various organizations that comprise the extended enterprise. The enabling CALS environment must support their location, responsibilities, and team relationships. The extended enterprise concept of operations provides a framework for the overall identification of the work processes, team members, responsibilities, interactions, and supporting environment composition.
The environment is best understood through a description of the concepts, which compose it. These elements can be characterized as information processes and tools, infrastructure, policies and standards, and training and user support. They are briefly discussed in the sections that follow:
A2.6 The NATO Extended Environment
The "Extended Enterprise" is a grouping of individual businesses or organizations that co-operate to achieve a common goal. NATO can be viewed as an extended enterprise. Within NATO CALS, the term is used to refer to all of the parties involved in the acquisition or support of a particular Defense System.
A2.7 Information Process and Tool Elements
These elements have to do with the "what" and "how" of information provision to teams and individuals executing business processes. The "what" addresses the processes and procedures for creation of and operations on the information deliverables. It includes the access and electronic transfer of digital data as a basic capability that replaces transfer of paper, or the access and sharing of such data in the collaborative execution of business processes or procedures. The how addresses the tools and techniques for accomplishing the "what." It has to do with ensuring data (or an image of data) arrives at its destination, under proper access control, and is correct, complete, consistent, current, and associated with the desired configuration or version. It includes the actual creation, analysis, review, and modification of the information product. The
A2.8 Controlled Access
This element ensures that only authorized users gain access to data, that those users see only the data they are privileged to access, and that they can perform on it only those operations approved for them. This is a most critical element in the CALS environment, for it must strike a practical balance between the openness required for collaboration, and the security of proprietary, competition-sensitive, or national defense data.
Controlled access requires identification of specific incoming users or node locations. It:
· Includes user profiles that delineate specific accessible data stores and allowed operations.
· Provides firewall services that can range from very simple to very complex, applied uniformly to all users or individually crafted.
· Includes transaction logging or audit trails.
For optimum effect, controlled access to an organization's "information space" should be through a single logical node. The number of physical access nodes is dependent on the number of concurrent users and the desired performance.
Access to allowed data stores can be direct if the access mode and the data store structure support "encapsulated" operations against segmented data, with control always returning to the access node after normal or abortive exit. If these conditions cannot be met, the data in question can be "uploaded" to the access node by one party, and "downloaded" by the other using various file transfer protocols. The "put and get" process can be coordinate through E-Mail if need be.
If controlled access is to facilitate the efficient exchange and sharing of data-within appropriate security constraints-the data itself must be easy to find; the parties in the transaction should not have to know where it is or the details of how it is accessed. This implies a minimum requirement for a data index that includes location and access mode. For a relatively small operation, the index may be nothing more than a simple list updated regularly. For broad and pervasive collaborative work, a global data directory and robust packaging and warehousing capabilities will be required. Workflow and task-management tools are also appropriate for real-time collaboration in support of a major project. This latter situation requires a Contractor Integrated Technical Information System (CITIS)-like capability that essentially meets the requirements of MIL-STD-974.
A2.9 Data Sharing and Collaboration
This element supports the collaborative creation, review, modification, approval, disposition, and status of information products such as documents, drawings, CAD models, schedules, spreadsheets, product, and process specifications, or composites such as bid packages. It implies a sharing and simultaneous (or near simultaneous) use of data by the collaborating parties. Files can be shared and operated on during on-line sessions, or comment/markup software can be used in conjunction with rapid file exchange. Shared windows allows passing of control for creation and modification. GroupWare and video or telephone conferencing capabilities can support multiple participants. E-Mail and file transfer are also used, but in a more time-critical sense than is true of simple data exchange.
A2.10 Digital Data Exchange
This is a simple transfer of digital data between parties, either through a physical send/receive operation, or through access-in-place. The purposes include review, comment, status, approval, or as input to a task. The sense of such transfers is that they support serial tasks that are not necessarily time critical. The data is contained in files, and is sent point-to-point either following a transfer protocol (e.g., ftp-File Transfer Protocol), or as an attachment to an E-Mail message. In the case of specific business transactions, the conventions of Electronic Data Interchange apply, with several options (e.g., ANSI X12, UN/Electronic Data Interchange For Administration Commerce And Transport [EDIFACT]) available that often have significant incompatibilities.
A2.11 Information Architecture
Consideration must be made for an Information Architecture element that supports business policies and company procedures. This element-which requires additional development based on user feedback-contains appropriate Document Type Definitions (DTD) to manage textual data and Data Models to manage database applications in general.
A2.12 Product Data Management
The Product Data Management (PDM) element ensures that the data to be used, transferred, or shared is the right data, i.e., that it is correct, complete, consistent, current, and pertinent to the product configuration and information package version of interest. A work step enabled by perfect telecommunications, controlled access, and collaboration support will have an unfortunate result if the input data is "wrong." In a simple process with a few very knowledge users, PDM may be a minimal requirement. However, it becomes increasingly necessary as the size and complexity of the project and the numbers of users grow, and as the "information space" that must be accessed becomes larger.
Product data management in the broad sense addresses all data that directly or indirectly supports the concept exploration, design, fabrication, assembly, testing, and life-cycle support of a product, including primary and derived requirements and cost/schedule information that supports tracking of progress and timely corrective action when required. Successful organizations of the future will have such a capability. It will seldom be implemented as a whole, however, but will usually evolve from the legacy environment of today, in a judicious and cost effective manner. Critical first steps include robust file and document management. The scope of the data addressed by PDM will vary among organizations, based on varying definitions of what comprises product data. Wherever the boundaries are drawn, there must by effective links between PDM and those systems that manage data related to other critical aspects of an enterprise, such as schedules, costs, and shop floor, as well as systems of customers and partners in the virtual enterprise.
A2.13 User Applications
If information is to be well used in the target business process, the user(s) must be able to apply appropriate application software to it - to create, analyze, modify, simulate, or otherwise affect the information deliverable that is the output of the business process. This software may address data of a technical or a business aspect-e.g., a CAD/CAM modeler or an EDI transaction generator.
There are as many application packages as there are processes and users. Some are so generic that they may better identified as an "Infrastructure Desktop Element," such as Microsoft Excel. Some are very much discipline specific, such a finite-element modeler. In any case, the applications provide the mechanisms to the end user to form and finalize the ultimate deliverable of the business process-the information product or package.
A2.14 Infrastructure Elements
There is no definition of "infrastructure" that has a wide consensus. The term as used here comprises the many elements that address underlying capabilities-often mundane and taken for granted-that must function harmoniously to allow the more visible or specific processes and tools to operate effectively, or at all.
A2.15 Telecommunications
This element addresses the physical connection between the parties of a data exchange or shared session. Options include the Internet, direct lines or private networks, and dial-up. These provide a spectrum of bandwidth, reliability, privacy/security, and cost. A variety of communications protocols, hardware, and software are available, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Whatever options are chosen, the user should be aware that incompatibilities abound, even between sub-elements that are perfectly suited to meet specific requirements. The performance of the telecommunications element depends on the compatibility and harmonious operation of its various parts. Related topics for additional information include Open System Interconnection (OSI), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Systems Network Architecture (SNA), Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Ethernet.
A2.16 Desktop
These tools provide the basic capability to author information deliverables, including text, graphics, and tables. Standard office software such as Microsoft Office that includes word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations (graphics) is a good example of a desktop tool. Also included is basic electronic mail. Related subjects for additional information include Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM), and Consultative Committee for International Telegraph and Telephone Group 4 (CCITT Group 4).
A2.17 Hardware and Operating Systems
These elements include the end user devices (personal computers, X-terminals, etc), application and data servers, data storage devices, printers and plotters, video conferencing equipment, routers, etc., as well as the system software that controls the specific operations of the hardware in executing user and application software commands. See also UNIX, POSIX.
A2.18 Policy and Standards Elements
If collaborative teams are to successfully create, access, and use information effectively, they must be able to exchange and share this information very readily, with a minimum of translation of format or content. The only way in which this can occur is that there be generally accepted data content and structure for all aspects of data exchange, and that these standards be followed uniformly by all members of the virtual team.
The policy element is simply the set of policies, guidelines, processes, procedures, and standards that management has accepted and decreed as the way to do business. It is absolutely essential for success. It must also include a mechanism to clarify ambiguous situations that arise, and address new or changed circumstances that might affect the agreed operations.
Standards selected as the basis of information exchange and effective use must avoid, except as a last resort, those that are company- or vendor-specific. Here follows a list of baseline non-proprietary (neutral data format) standards supported by the U.S. CALS Industry Steering Group.
· Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML)-markup requirements, tagging and generic style specifications for page-oriented document text.
· Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES)-a neutral file format for the representation and transfer of production definition data among CAD/CAM systems and application programs.
· Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP)-a computer- interpretable data representation format under development to include all product model data necessary to define geometry, function, and behavior of a product throughout its life-cycle.
· Consultative Committee of the International Telegraph and Telephone/Group 4 (CCITT/GROUP 4)-the efficient compression of scanned raster images. Uses the code from the Group 4 facsimile recommendation of the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee. A 'tiled' form is described by using the architecture nomenclature of International Standard, ISO 8613.
· Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM)-a neutral data format for the description, storage, and communication of graphical information.
· Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETM)-prescribes the requirements governing the creation of interactive electronic technical manuals and the development of presentation software applicable to a computer-controlled Electronic Display System (EDS).
· Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI)-the electronic interchange of business information between trading partners. Uses standard formats currently defined by ANSI X12 in the U.S. (with migration to EDIFACT by 1997), EDIFACT in Europe, Association Europeene des Constructeurs de Materiel Aerospatial (AECMA) 2000 for NATO.
· Contractor Integrated Technical Information Service (CITIS)-contractor provided service for electronic access and/or delivery of contractually committed business and technical information on a need-to-know basis.
In addition to these, other areas requiring standards are emerging, addressing the interoperability of key capabilities such as workflow management, CITIS, and Product Data Management. It will be necessary that appropriate standards evolve in a timely manner so that disciplined process integration can proceed at a pace consistent with the growth of global collaboration.
A2.19 Training and User Support Elements
The success of collaborative teams in executing business processes depends on how well they understand these processes, and on how effectively they can apply the supporting processes and tools through which the information products are developed and provided to the customer. Adequate training must be provided that addresses these items, as well as the overall policies, guidelines, procedures, and standards that have been agreed upon. Equally important is a sufficiently large expert support staff that provides direct support to the teams and individuals as they apply the tools and execute the processes and procedures. This is especially true during the initial operations of the enterprise, and at times of major modifications to policies, processes, or tools.
A2.20 Multi-Disciplinary Work Groups
In the future NATO CALS Environment development work is assumed to be undertaken by Multi-Disciplinary Groups (MDG), (or Integrated Project Teams), using a systems engineering methodology, and self regulating, iterative processes, to reduce costs and time scales and improve product quality. This approach is sometimes known as "Concurrent Engineering."
1 Navigating the Digital Environment: A Program Manager's Perspective, Cromar, Wiley, Tremaine, Defense Systems Management College Press, 1996, p.5-2
