Submitted by the Technical Data Network Enterprise Team

In recent months, a team has formed within NAVAIR tasked to look at the future state of technical data.

The Technical Data Network Enterprise Team is beginning to map out the route that will integrate many technical data systems currently in use throughout the Navy. “We are developing a plan for the future,” Stephanie Wood, TDNET lead, said. “We are not creating a new system, but in essence, we are looking to link all existing systems as part of the bigger solution for technical and product data.”

Technical data includes drawings, schematics, maintenance and parts data, training materials and technical publications. The team is also focusing on product data, or a broader scope of product-related data, such as supply, financial, cost and acquisition, in addition to the technical data associated with product definition.

The team’s goal is to reveal the technical data network that enables the warfighter to achieve absolute combat power. To do so, the team plans to determine data requirements through the eyes of the warfighter, develop a clear and understandable view of technical data and its uses today, perform gap analysis to define where the Navy is and where the Navy wants to be, define and articulate the future state, and explore by taking a leap in technology required to achieve the vision of an authoritative database for multiple users.

“We found that different systems within NAVAIR do not speak to each other, which can lead to much redundancy, numerous data sets and data owners, through the need to access separate systems to accomplish one task,” Wood said. “We want to build a seamless network of this existing data that is available to everyone at one access point.”

There are three sub-teams that comprise TDNET: NAVAIR, Fleet and Industry/Academia. The three sub-teams were created to ensure that all aspects of technical data are accounted for and integrated into a common solution.

The Technical Data Network Enterprise Team is now reaching the end of its first milestone – the assessment phase. Each sub-team ventured out to collect information and identify the requirements that are now being compiled to set the stage for the next phase – strategy.

The NAVAIR team has interviewed various program offices to research techniques used and systems/programs created to manage technical data. Also, the team compiled a survey for Assistant Program Managers for Logistics, Assistant Program Managers for Systems Engineering, and Class Desks. The APML/APMSE survey will soon be available online on WingSpan.

“The support and interest we have received from the various people we have talked with has been very helpful in identifying technical deficiencies and has provided us with an outstanding focus for the team,” Ken Rice, NAVAIR team co-lead, said.

The fleet team has already begun collecting information from the fleet users on the east and west coasts using face-to-face interviews with maintainers who need the information to keep the aircraft flying. This has helped to determine what maintainers want in the future to better perform their duties.

“The maintainers overcome many obstacles, such as changing an engine in a short time in the freezing cold or working 12 - 14 hour days 7 days a week, to get the aircraft up and keep it up so they can meet flight schedule,” Pamala Emplit, Fleet team co-lead, said. “As NAVAIR logisticians, we have an obligation to learn what we can do to make things go smoother, so we have been visiting those that are available and asking them what's working, what's not working, and what wishes they have related to tech data. The people we have visited have been more than happy to accommodate us and pleased that we are taking the effort to ask about their concerns.”

The Industry/Academia team has established a relationship with numerous national and world-wide companies, as well as colleges, universities and research institutions. The team is studying the methods used outside of the federal government, how well the methods work, and whether the Navy could benefit from similar methods.

“The expertise and technology needed to build an integrated data environment exist now, but the embedded culture within NAVAIR, and to a bigger extent DOD, impedes change because of inter-agency and intra-agency barriers,” Marcus Ellis, Industry/Academia team co-lead, said. “Therefore, it is our goal to vigorously seek out all possible solutions.”

Once the strategy phase is complete, the team looks to define the future through a plan phase, and finally, the implementation phase. The last two phases will focus on integration with the Enterprise Resource Planning system.

For more information about TDNET, Stephanie Wood can be reached at 301-757-2666.