Description
Organization: NAVSEA, PMS-450
Team Name: Comment Tracking System (CTS) Team
Related Acquisition Topic(s): Acquisition Practices Streamlining, Cycle Time Reduction (CTR), Integrated Digital Environment (IDE), Paperless Program Office
Description:
The VIRGINIA program has a large number of interactive Technical Manuals and training products. The nature of many of these items posed a unique challenge because of the same qualities which made them desirable. In many cases, for instances, hard copy review would have been difficult, if not impractical. The answer was developed by Jeff Lawlor and Mike Suiter working as an ad hoc team. This effort, spanning several years, produced the Comment Tracking System (CTS) as a widely accessible, user-friendly webbased tool to support review and comment of the VIRGINIA program's Integrated Electronic Technical Manuals (IETM) and training products. CTS gives reviewers access to all of these products which are unclassified and under review by PMS450, and the comments made regarding them. In addition, CTS also provides access to all issued products. Now hosted on the PMS450TL web site, CTS also provides timely access to this Logistics Technical Documentation (LTD), correspondence, metrics, and other programmatic information and tools necessary for efficient communication and interaction within the LTD Process Integration Team (PIT) members.
CTS uses Active Server Pages in conjunction with the Microsoft Jet Engine (SQL Server soon) database. It runs on Windows NT 4.0 server with Internet Information Server. An Internet Explorer browser provides the interface. Reviewers with a user ID and password operate CTS via their Internet Explorer browser. This is accomplished without client-side software installations other than free-plug-in needed to view IETM Comouter Graphics Metafile (GCM) graphics.
CTS, in conjunction with the TL Web Site, currently hosts approximately 150 users and has reached the point of maturity that it can be considered fully operational and is now expanding its user population. This system has processed approxiamtely 130 LTD and training items (letters, correspondence, etc) and currently holds over 5,000 comments and resolutions. It is currently used by the program office (PMS450), NAVSEA'S Submarine Logistics Office (SEA92L1), the design yard (EB Corporation), the Supervisior of Shipbuilding Office (SUPSHIP GTN) and two supporting activities (NUWC Keyport and the Training System Implementation Team (TSIT). Additional sites are planned to be added, as required.
CTS has increased the efficiency of the LTD and training product approval process. CTS Functions as a "quasi-workflow" tool by providing an efficient, accessible vehicle for: Posting products for review, submitting, adjudicating, and releasing comments to the prime contractor in a manner which decreases the time required for prime contractor response. Increasing the efficiency and decreasing the time required for comment resolution and Navy verification of the incorporation of those comments. Providing metrics and comments attributes that document safety issues, critical technical issues, and areas where additional contractor and or Navy effort is required to improve the quality of these products. Aloowing detailed audits trails for products and revisions to these products serving as a repository for comments made after "initial issue" of the product to improve the quality and efficient generstion of Manual Change Requests (MCRs).
