CTMA Project #: 140820
Problem: The commercial industry as well as DoD are migrating away from stove-piped legacy information applications in order to adequately perform readiness functions supporting a program. Enterprise systems require layered software approaches that are not designed around an open architecture capability. Current efforts are moving toward integrated global information architectures in which multiple users can create and exploit authoritative information for their specified functions through a shared data environment or leverage the software itself.
The Army National Guard’s (ARNG) Mission Analysis Readiness Resource Synchronization (MARRS) system is a cross-functional software system which supports logistics requirements that are globally distributed and expeditionary in nature, probably the extreme case for industry. The realization of disparate and disconnected Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) strategies within the Department of the Army has until recently gone un-noticed. The pilot release of the MARRS created visibility on the hidden problems.
Benefit: The desired outcome of the collaborative CTMA initiative is to provide documented processes and procedures for fluid transition from legacy data processes to modern global logistics management. Additionally, it will reduce industry and public software development investment for upgrades and across the ERP lifecycle.
Solution/Approach: Utilizing the National Guard’s MARRS system as a demonstration test bed, industry and informed subject matter experts (SMEs) will be able to assess global ERP deployment strategies that could be readily transferable to industry with similar logistics requirements.
The ability to assess the effectiveness of program/mission analysis, selection, manning, equipping, training, resourcing and educating of operations responsible for actual program/mission readiness will provide a better understanding that will ultimately increase efficiency and effectiveness for the DoD and industry at large.
Additionally the initiative will focus on program/mission readiness support functionality in order to define future improvement procedures which will in turn be in multiple software enabled enhancements, thus benefiting both the industry and DoD logistics information applications.
Impact on Warfighter:
- Single source enterprise decision-making tool
- Automatic synchronization of data
- Improved capabilities and transparency
- Reduced time and costs
- Improved readiness
DOD Participation:
- U.S. Army National Guard Headquarters
Industry Participation:
- KALO
- MKGCS, LLC
- NCMS
Benefit Area(s):
- Cost savings
- Obsolescence management and continued maintenance capability
- Improved readiness
Focus Area:
- Business processes/partnerships
