Government/Military Trends
February 2005
The ePortal: A Faceted Approach to Meet Many Needs
 |
| Issue Table of Contents |
|
|
The ePortal is an e-commerce tool, developed by IHS over a three-year period, under the aegis of the Defense Logistics Agency and in collaboration with members of the Defense Sustainment Consortium—Advanced Technology Institute, Altarum, Rockwell Collins, and Sarnoff. The purpose of the ePortal is to locate solutions for obsolete electronic parts.
The ePortal prototype has several facets. It is capable of searching multiple databases from a single interface with only one query. With its SmartSearch feature, designed by Sarnoff, it can remember different users and customize its search for their unique requirements. And once an engineer has found a solution to an obsolescence problem, that information can be shared across the entire obsolescence community.
What other aspects of the project are still on the way? "The ePortal project lends itself really well to modularization," says Dale Karraker, Senior Director of Foreign Military Sales for IHS. "So in certain frameworks, you can just take it and plug it into a new problem." He describes how flexibility can be built into the ePortal. One example is the F18 aircraft. When these aircraft are constructed, they are customized for the country that buys them. "Each country has its own avionics suite, its own tool suite," says Karraker, but about 70% of the airplane is core F18. IHS is considering the development of unique modules that will accommodate the needs of users around the globe, along airframe lines, ship lines, tank lines, with modules for each country that operates U.S. technology.
Tim Taylor, Director of Integration for IHS, sees even more options for the ePortal as its future unfolds. It may be possible, he says, to use the ePortal concept to address obsolescence issues in chemical, mechanical, and software supply chains.
These facets of the ePortal come together in one tool to meet the needs of many stakeholders. Engineers, program managers, and taxpayers all have a stake in the success of the project. And all stand to benefit in different ways.
Engineers will see the value of the ePortal reflected in time savings. For example, as Dale Karraker points out, the typical, seasoned aviation engineer earns a six-figure yearly salary. As that figure rises, each minute of engineering time becomes more valuable. The Navy estimates that engineers spend 40% of their working hours in data mining—searching for replacement parts. For those stakeholders, the ePortal will bring an immediate 50 to 70% reduction of time spent for data mining.
Program Managers, who are responsible for productivity, will count the advantages in terms of mission capability, more aircraft available, fewer aircraft grounded and awaiting parts. The ePortal process will improve their level of readiness, and as Karraker says, in Navy parlance, put more planes over the bow.
Congressional representatives, with their responsibility for taxpayer dollars, will see the gains in terms of putting the nation's assets to the best use. If using the ePortal saves time and money, more of both of those resources can be diverted to new projects. They can support the ePortal process as a tool to improve readiness today, and with the resources saved, prepare for tomorrow's needs.
The various facets of the ePortal system have been designed, developed, and put into the prototype in order to be as flexible, as fast, and as effective as possible to meet the many needs of IHS clients in their struggle to solve the problems of obsolescence.