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4.0  STAGE 3:  IMPLEMENTING A SHARED DATA ENVIRONMENT


The implementation of the Shared Data Environment, or the best available alternative to an SDE, is accomplished through the execution of the program IMP. Most of the DS related technical information required to support program operations is created and managed within the industrial infrastructure. The NATO/Multi-national infrastructure has the additional task of managing that information throughout NATO and nations. Put in the context of changing roles and scenarios over significant periods, CALS becomes a powerful performance and management tool. For these reasons it is critical that each contract contain requirements for CALS and the NATO adopted standards supporting NATO CALS. This important aspect is part of the implementation activities as depicted in Figure 4.0-1.

 


Figure 4.0-1  Implement a Shared Data Environment



4.1  Develop the Statement of Work
Language for CALS should be placed in the solicitation package as part of the acquisition process for the DS program Statement of Work. The Statement Of Work (SOW) should be directly based on the TLIM Plan and be as detailed as possible. In that way, offerors can respond effectively to achieve the DS program goals. The TLIM activity should be an integral part of the acquisition process from the beginning. Evaluation criteria should be developed based upon the cost, benefit and risk analyzes performed as part of the TLIM process to analyze the offers. The offerors should be requested to address these areas specifically and propose how they will use their approach to CALS to impact cost, schedule, and quality. The solicitation language should be developed such that the cost, benefit, and risk criteria can be evaluated in the offers received.

The SOW should specify all requirements that the offeror must propose and adhere to once the contract is awarded. In many cases, the offeror will be required to provide services in support of the SDE. This is called a Contractor Integrated Technical Information Service (CITIS). When industry is requested to provide an on-line information service, a Service Level Agreement should be required. A Service Level Agreement specifies the following:

CITIS reference and SOW information is located in Section 8 of this Handbook.

It is recommended that the offeror submit a CALS Implementation Plan (CALSIP) as a separate cohesive item in the offer. This serves the purposes of isolating the CALS requirements so they can be specified, evaluated, priced, measured, and modified.

Reference information on developing a SOW and sample SOW language for a CALSIP is located in Section 10 of this Handbook.


4.2  Place CALS on Contract
In selecting an offer, significant value should be placed upon the CALS response. The following is a prioritized list of general areas to be examined for cost, benefit, and risk:


4.3  Implement the Information Technology
Typically, there is a significant amount of time that elapses between the solicitation and award of a contract for a program. During this time, the IT environment will most likely have changed, and the IMP should have the flexibility to support this change.

The solicitation should not prescribe a specific system solution for this reason, and the industrial implementation may be phased at the start of the contract to accommodate the following:


4.4  Implement Data Models
The CITIS concept has been in existence and use for some time. Originally, it was thought that a system could be specified. It was learned that this approach was not flexible and too costly. The concept was again refined to reflect a standard set of generalized services. While the flexibility and cost issues were resolved, the implementations varied by individual program, causing inconsistencies that are difficult to manage when the product becomes operational, when multiple programs must be supported, or if a change of supplier is made.

Several NATO nations and partner nations are investing heavily in major infrastructure programs to provide logistic support for their armed forces. It is not feasible to seek a specific hardware or software solution that all the various parties would be required to adopt and integrate with their existing infrastructure systems.

A basic CALS premise is that data definitions and digital "languages" (e.g., SGML, Express, EDI) can be standardized. These two are used in combination to form an "information architecture" that conveys meaning such as a document, product model or financial transaction.

The NATO CALS Data Model (NCDM) and proposed Dat Dictionary (NCDD) use standardized data definitions and the Express data modeling language to achieve consistency of interfaces at the information level without requiring standardization of hardware or software. The NATO CALS Data Model is a powerful tool that supports an integrated approach to through life product identification, configuration and logistics support requirements (maintenance, technical documentation and provisioning). It is used to integrate logistics information with product information into an SDE. This enables the processes supported by that information to operate efficiently by providing relevant information when it is needed, where it is needed, and in the form it is needed.

A major value of the NATO CALS Data Model and Dictionary is that together they can serve as an interface specification. When this interface specification is implemented, it can support remote access by any application that can operate with the NCDM and Dictionary. The potential for this is significant in that it can support interoperability without standardizing systems, and eliminates the need for much of the physical data exchange and transfers that occurs today. This is the foundation of a NATO-wide CALS Shared Data Environment.

 

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