12.1 The Viking Submarine
The Viking submarine program represents a cooperative venture between not only government and industry, but also between multiple governments, non-governmental organizations, and industry and defense activities. The goal is to determine whether to jointly develop new generation military submarine platforms or not: "To establish a foundation for the national authorities, making them able to decide whether to continue the co-operation in a Definition phase for new Submarines."20
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland's Defense Ministers agreed to co-operation in the area of defense material (agreement dated 2 December 1994) and a working group was formed. From March of 1995 to June of 1997, the working group performed preliminary studies on a common Submarine project. Agreement to carry out a common Study and concept phase was signed by the heads of the three nation's Materiel Commands on 3 July 1997 and the Viking program resulted.
The main activities were focused on harmonizing requirements, producing a common preliminary "Staff Requirement Document, assessing and describing consequences of a common procurement and examining the possibilities for participation by the Scandinavian defense and shipbuilding industry. Milestones were established starting with the signed agreement in July of 1997 and continuing through a system specification due in December of 1999. Key players in the effort included the Naval Materiel Commands, Defense Research Institutions, Kockums AB as the main Study Contractor, various Sub-contractors, Universities, and the NATO CALS Office.21
And what of CALS in the Viking Program? CALS was integral from the start. A CALS Study was scheduled in the initial program plan, the Viking program called an initial meeting in December of 1997, inviting national CALS experts and the NATO CALS office. Introduction of CALS into the program was expected to produce reduction in acquisition and life-cycle costs, acceptable information flow between the participating parties and an acceptable Information Management concept for the Viking22 As a result, a Viking CALS Working Group was established.
A major activity within this working group was the development of the Through Life Information Management (TLIM) Strategy and its operational level document, the Through Life Information Management Plan. The TLIM Strategy's goals of improved through-life quality and accuracy of system information, accurate and consistent configuration management and reduction of 10% in design, development and production costs are to be achieved by establishing a shared data environment amongst all parties. This shared data environment would have a logical data structure able to hold and integrate all the information necessary to design, build, operate and support the Viking Submarines and be based on open, international, or de facto standards.
Operational level documents of the Through Life Information Management Strategy, which forms the framework for this program and the Through Life Information Management Plan, are located at Appendix J and Appendix K respectively.
12.2 The Crusader (US Howits)
The crusader program will produce the US Army's next generation cannon artillery system. Its objective is to "develop and field a revolutionary Cannon Artillery system of systems, consisting of 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer and an armored Resupply Vehicle for Force XXI. The prime contractor is United Defense Limited Partnership, UDLP.
Figures 12.2-1 and 12.2-2 show examples of the Internet access to the Project management site. This site provides a Web based CITIS access for both on post and Off-post users as well as program management information, milestones and schedules and general information. Following the figures is a document describing the Program's Integrated Data Environment.
Figure 12.2-1 Crusader Home Page
Figure 12.2-2 Crusader Integrated Data Environment Web Page
Selection of the "Integrated Data Environment Document" Link provides the following document outlining the IDE for the Crusader Program.
Crusader Integrated Data Environment
Point of Contact:
Mr. Angelo J. Castellano
US Army PM Crusader
ATTN: SFAE-GCSS-CR-B
Building 171
Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806
Phone: (201) 724-7143, DSN 880-7143
Fax: (201) 724-4836
E-Mail: angeloc@pica.army.mil
12.2.1 Statement of the Situation
The Crusader will be the Army's next generation self-propelled Howitzer. It was deemed critical to the success of the Crusader program that the design of the Crusader and the efforts of all the factions involved in the effort be integrated by the prime contractor into an automated computerized service that provides the needed environment for Integrated Product Development (IPD) and virtual co-location of data.
It is expected that the engineering data environment generated in the program will be highly complex and the shortened timeline will require a level of coordination of effort that is mission-critical. This coordination of effort is compounded by the fact that there will be many companies involved in the design and fabrication of the Crusader.
View and markup tools supporting the ability to gather and manage multiple reviewers was deemed necessary, as was workflow, sign-off, and routing mechanisms to improve end-user's productivity and efficiency, prevent the production of paper based data, eliminate duplication of effort, and provide a fully integrated data environment supporting multiple data types, throughout the product's life-cycle.
A goal of the Crusader IDE is to contain all contractor generated data and GFI, including engineering, support, and management data. The Contractor is required to deliver all data electronically. In addition to providing engineering data delivery, data management, and configuration management services to the Office of the PM, the Crusader IDE will serve as the mechanism by which the large, geographically dispersed industry team will share engineering data. This method of developing the product requires that the team have near-real time access to information as it is created.
The goal of the Crusader IDE system is to provide this access, ensuring that the most recent data is identifiable, revision histories are included and is accessible by any member of the team. The extended scope of the Crusader IDE includes access by the Government to all contractor work-in-progress information, rather than merely to contractually deliverable documents - this feature is an enabler for IPD and, coupled with the integration of cost and schedule data, makes the IDE a primary tool for overall program management and control.
12.2.2 CALS Technologies, Philosophies, and Standards Implemented
The Crusader IDE was developed under contract as a CITIS (Contractor Integrated Technical Information Service), initially defined IAW MIL-STD 974, but expanded greatly under PM Crusader. The Crusader IDE is a robust technical information service that goes beyond traditional "CITIS" mechanisms, towards a true integrated product environment that includes procedures, processes, specifications and software applications for the generation, protection, integration, storage, exchange, and on-line access of digital data.
The Crusader IDE implements the philosophy and intent behind the CALS initiative, by integrating all program data and allowing concurrent use of real-time, in-process (work-in-progress) data in a virtual co-location scenario. The Crusader IDE Intranet supports a growing user community involving multiple tiers of Contractors with an initial combination of T1, and Internet connections. It supports an environment that involves clients with widely diverse data demands.
The Crusader IDE is an integration of commercial off the shelf (COTS) software that is modular, scaleable, and capable of adapting to evolving program needs, and includes Product Data Manager (PDM) and document viewer software. The IDE systems integration work done by the prime contractor and its subcontractors is fully owned by the Government.
The PDM client/server software is integrated with other software to handle core functions such as Windows 95 desktop access, workflow management, configuration management, and view/markup. The technical files are represented in an object-oriented data architecture that graphically mirrors the program WBS and other views into the information such as product structure, with a relationship-based data model that allows data to be tied to one another via soft-links that support their interrelationships.
Technical files are managed by the metadata, controlled by the PDM engine, supported by Metaphase Technologies, a division of SDRC. Metaphase is an industry-accepted client/server PDM. The Crusader IDE is designed for single point access into one logical data system to ensure the integrity and uniqueness of stored data relationships.
The Crusader IDE architecture employs the PDM to facilitate the combined management of data, processes, and users and allow information systems architects to define groups, workflows, and metadata. Additionally, this software allows for tailoring of data workflows and automated life-cycles, allowing for future growth and expansion as the program matures from PDRR to EMD and beyond.
The Crusader IDE architecture (a) makes data easier to find so that users will be less likely to re-create data that already exists, (b) enforces CALS and application standards that help data flow from one application to another, and (c) provides multiple views into the data repository. An integrated common toolset includes standard commercial off the shelf (COTS) software for the generation and management of design models, documentation, and other product information. MS-Office was chosen as the standard for integration of textual, spreadsheet, and presentation data. Cost and schedule data are fully integrated and available to the IPD Teams via a desktop toolset that includes the use of WInsight and OpenPlan.
Pro-Engineer is integrated at a "level 3" which provides for management of the IDE drawing data from inside the Pro-E tool itself. Other tools integrated include: Rational/Rose/Apex, Adobe Exchange, RTM/RDD-100, and workflows from CMSTAT. Encryption of sensitive data is enabled over local and wide area networks, and over the Internet.
12.2.3 Team Members
The Crusader IDE Team consists of members from the Office of PM Crusader, United Defense Limited Partnership (UDLP), and EDS. Additional participation came from General Dynamics. Consulting support was obtained from Metaphase/SDRC, CIMdata, Adobe, Parametrics Technologies, CMSTAT, and other software vendors. NSA, DIS, and ARDEC contributed guidance on specific areas within the IDE, via the PM's encryption Process Action Team (PAT).
EDS performed the actual IDE systems integration effort under direction from UDLP (the Crusader prime contractor) and the Government IDE Team members in accordance with the philosophies and goals of true IPD and teaming. Special support was provided by the EDS on-site technical people, who provided direct support to the end-users, and essential IDE training.
12.2.4 Results Achieved
Within the IPD environment, the focus is not only on delivery of data, but also on the enabling of data sharing. The IDE provides the Crusader IPD Teams with a level of coordination unsurpassed in industry today. The features of the IDE allow controlling costs, reducing risks, minimizing re-design, increasing productivity, and increasing data quality. Version and parts control are facilitated, and Configuration Management of the design data is fully supported. All types of Crusader objects and images are managed.
Integration of tools facilitates use of the IDE, and integrates the IDE fully into the day-to-day working environment. Internet Web access provides remote users access using a familiar, user-friendly interface (Netscape). Simultaneous view/markup of multi-reviewer comments directly on a single document provides the program with coordinated reviews.
Full history of comments and changes to documents, as well as library and archive data are supported. A return on investment (ROI) is fully expected; this stems not only from cost avoidance, such as travel costs, lost hours, data handling improvements, paper reduction, but time and productivity improvements, such as instant data feeds from remote users at proving grounds.
The major contributors to an ROI are improvement of the business processes such that users can manage not just the data but also the program, and the nature of the IDE facilitates greater review/design participation and increases time available to do so, such that the final product quality increases several fold. It is expected that the IDE will reduce engineering design man-hours by approximately 25%, reduce the number of changes by over 25%, reduce the cost of changes by 25-50%, and reduce time to access data by over 25%.
The Crusader IDE enables effective generation, exchange, use and management of Crusader technical and programmatic information, it enhances integration of Product Development Teams, both government and contractor, enabling them to function more efficiently by sharing information in an electronically integrated, "virtual co-location" scenario. The IDE is an integrated information environment that enables continuous product and process improvement, with a reduction of administrative burden, delivering full data management support to the user's desktop.
12.3 U.S. ARMY PMCMS
The U.S. Army's Program Manager for Combat Mobility Systems (PMCMS) is responsible for the acquisition and fielding of Army's Ground mobility equipment. PMCMS implemented an Integrated Data Environment using Government Off the Shelf (GOTS) and Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) products for three of its systems: the M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle, the Wolverine Assault Bridge and the Grizzly Obstacle Breacher.
PMCMS wished to achieve an environment for collaboration through enterprise connectivity that would provide process improvements, commonality to improve responsiveness and increase efficiency. PMCMS described its state of defense system data as:
· "Data availability not timely with the decision/action process
· Corporate knowledge tied to individuals
· Data structure inhibited sharing
· Life span of the data inadequate"
PMCMS felt that the IDE would lead to electronic vs. actual team meetings, would make team and corporate knowledge more widely available and accessible, information mobility would enhance both team and individual responsiveness and that the IDE would facilitate rapid changes in team size and composition.
The IDE solution at PMCMS links the PMCMS at Warren, MI, the prime contractor, UDLP at York, PA, the US Army Engineer School at Ft Leonard Wood, MO, TEXCOM at Fort Hood, TX, Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL and other key activities (eleven sites, 165 users). Using a series of defined workflows PMCMS achieves reduced times to let production contracts, resolve corrective actions and provide cost avoidance.
Appendix L is an abstract of the PM CMS IDE solution. This paper provides a description of the effort and lessons learned from the government perspective.
20 NCMB Briefing, October 98, chart 4
21 NCMB Briefing, October 98, chart 10
22 NCMB Briefing, October 98, chart 14
