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April 2007
AMM Completes Final Two Centers in Phase One
The Aircraft Management Module (AMM) Project recently completed implementation of their Phase One Module at the final two centers; Langley Research Center and Ames Research Center. The launch at the final two facilities falls on the heels of rollouts at the following NASA Centers; bringing the total number of AMM implementations to seven different NASA sites:
- Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
- Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)/Wallops Flight Facility (WFF)
- Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
- Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
- Glenn Research Center
The AMM Phase One Module includes delivery of a flight scheduling application, a flight records system, a crew currency component and web reporting. Johnson Space Center (JSC) has been using these components for the past several years, and NASA decided to implement the standard functionality to manage mission or research aircraft across all Centers with aircraft management responsibilities.
To date, the seven member AMM Phase One implementation team describes their go-live efforts as “smooth,” and reports experiencing few hurdles, with the exception of the heavy travel to so many different facilities across the country to assist with rollout activities and training. With each introduction of the Phase One Module at each center, the team delivers connectivity to the server and a demonstration and training for users. But overall, the team reports, users do not experience major changes. DFRC, for example, has been using an older version of the AMM software. Therefore, the Phase One Module has simply been a conversion to the newer software for DFRC users. To date, the team attributes “solid planning and good luck” to the absence of any major issues slowing down their success, and marvels that there have been no firewall issues, or other hurdles to overcome at any step of the project.
Looking to the future, the AMM team will quickly be swept away with Phase Two efforts. AMM’s Phase Two is designed to bring a maintenance management system, logistics management system, and an asset management tracking system to NASA. To that end, the team is focused on requirement gathering; an effort which began in early March. AMM team members are concentrating on preparations to deploy another team from JSC to collect system and functional requirements, as well as to observe users and review any documentation available at the centers. Once gathered, the AMM Phase Two requirements will be returned to JSC for evaluation and applied to future planning.
Overall, The AMM Project will give NASA an integrated toolset for the management and oversight of NASA’s mission management aircraft, mission support aircraft, and research aircraft. The application is intended to eliminate the risk of flying aircraft with overdue inspections, grounding discrepancies, flying with unqualified or non-current aircrews, or in aircraft not properly configured for the mission. AMM also expects to deliver positive control and reporting of all aircraft-related assets and reduce the cost of flight operations at the space Agency.
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HCIE Workforce Services Portal Pilot is Underway
Like rolling thunder, the Human Capital Information Environment (HCIE) Project’s Workforce Services Portal is making its way across the country into NASA’s Human Capital Management (HCM) community. The portal’s pilot stage began in March with a series of visits by the HCIE portal team to all NASA Centers.
HCIE is using the portal initially in NASA’s HCM staff at each of the ten Centers to accomplish the following, before the roll-out to all NASA employees beginning in July 2007:
- Familiarize HCM staff with portal features and functionality
- Obtain feedback and suggestions for improvement
- Work with Center HCM Departments to develop content
- Promote portal and training to users before go-live
The portal has been created to provide a secure, single sign on to all human capital tools and information, as well as easy access in the future to reports from the Personnel Data Warehouse (PDW). The pilot is designed to give the HCM an opportunity to test, evaluate and add content prior to deployment to all employees. During the pilot, HCM functional experts will build comprehensive human resources information into the portal. In the near future, pilot users of the portal will have the opportunity to evaluate the tool using an on-line survey created and administered on the portal.
The HCI Environment promises to deliver comprehensive human resource information for NASA employees, managers and HCM specialists directly to their desktops. The Project is a partnership between the NASA Office of Human Capital Management (OHCM), Integrated Enterprise Management Program (IEMP), and the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC). HCIE will deliver integrated electronic delivery of NASA HCM information, tools and services using new and innovative tools.
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eTravel Implements Project Stand Down
The Integrated Enterprise Management Program’s eTravel Project suspended implementation activities due to vendor software issues. Through coordination with EDS, the vendor selected to provide NASA with eTravel services, and the General Services Administration (GSA), the teams are working together to develop an effective Corrective Action Plan (CAP). After the successful completion of this plan, the project will present a readiness assessment to NASA management and request authorization to re-engage full project plans and resources.
Until EDS can resolve these issues, NASA will continue to use its existing travel system. The IEMP Competency Center is additionally assessing all required upgrades required to sustain the Travel Manager solution until eTravel is deployed. eTravel project plans and schedules will be released once the IEM PMC has authorized the project to resume with full engagement.
eTravel is one of the original 24 eGovernment initiatives outlined by President Bush in July of 2001. The effort is designed to make better use of information technology to make government more efficient, reduce paperwork and improve government response time to citizens. Ultimately, FedTraveler.com will be implemented to give NASA online booking, travel authorization, and travel.
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IAM PP&E Waits for Green Light to Move Ahead
As April showers bring May flowers, the Integrated Enterprise Management Program’s Integrated Asset Management (IAM) Project Property Plant and Equipment (PP&E) Module Project team received approval this spring from the IEMP Project Management Council (PMC) to begin implementation activities. The green light allows the project to move from the formulation phase, where project planning is completed, into the development phase, working toward a May 2008 go-live target date.
Meanwhile, IAM/PP&E’s change management efforts are moving forward. A Tiger Team was formed in late March to discuss applying the Business Readiness framework, another fact finding and recommendation group working within IEMP, to IAM/PP&E’s implementation efforts. This month, the project’s change team met with the Center Implementation Project Managers (CIPMs) and the Center Change Management teams to provide a review of the Tiger Team results, including the Project-level and Center-level business readiness requirements and deliverables. With their concurrence and understanding of the Business Readiness framework, change management activities are well under way.
Earlier this month, the IAM/PP&E change management team also unveiled a brand new, state-of-the-art portal page on i-View for their Center teams to access and use toward project collaboration. Among the highlights for the page include features like the “Center Spotlight.” The Center Spotlight is intended for Center-specific documents where Center teams can upload their project documents to their own folder. In turn, each Center has “read access” to the other Center Spotlights.
Through IAM/PP&E, NASA will use SAP to manage all capital assets and controlled assets that qualify for management currently under the NASA Equipment Management System (NEMS), the NASA Property Disposal Management System (NPDMS), and the Contractor Held Asset Tracking System (CHATS). The project will implement an automated asset management system that provides Agency-wide accountability and visibility of PP&E assets utilized by NASA installations, programs and projects. It will also provide additional capability for the financial management of capitalized personal property to enhance the Agency’s ability to meet its requirements for financial reporting. The scope includes logistics and financial management of NASA-owned accountable personal property including equipment, software, theme assets, leased personal property, and work in progress assets. In addition, a web-based interface will be provided for the general user community.
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