Technical orders a mouse-click away

  • Published
  • By Jeanne Grimes
  • Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFPN) --  Well-thumbed-through volumes of technical orders are going the way of quill pens and ink pots here as a growing number of workers are using a browser-based TO library.

Two years in the making, the library puts the latest technical orders a mouse-click away from each of the 10,000 or so mechanics at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here. This allows them instant access where precious minutes were wasted with a paper system.

Anautics Inc., a firm in Norman, Okla., is the subcontractor developing the software to bring the digital TO library online. Experts in the center's information technology directorate are assisting with the project.

"It has finally brought us into the high-tech field," said Edward "Chris" Thomas, a mechanic-tester in the constant speed drive shop here. "It allows ready access to the tech order and brings us into compliance with the requirement to have technical orders available on-site"

Before the electronic TO library, Thomas said mechanics had to wait "or circumvent the system in some way" when they wanted to access printed TOs. But computer-based technology has changed that.

"There's no reason mechanics should not have a TO available to them now," he said.

According to Edwin Kincaid of the avionics and electronics technology section, digital TO library saves time. Rather than sepnding time searching for a TO, the technology gives a mechanic more time too work.

Cost is a factor, as well. He said when 50 mechanics in Tinker's constant-speed drive shop relied solely on a paper TO library, trips there averaged seven minutes each. Over a year's time, those cost the Air Force $112,000.

The online library has other advantages, according to Mike Johnson, Anautics president. The digital system eliminates the temptation for some mechanics to maintain personal, unofficial TOs, which often become outdated or inaccurate.

Johnson developed the software on a product data management and life-cycle management system.

"It was commercial off-the-shelf technology. We customized it for technical orders," Johnson said. "The library is not password protected. It can be accessed all over Tinker by anyone who needs to use it."

He said the initial set-up cost approximately $250,000, with another $250,000 for two years of Anautics work.

Johnson said the biggest challenge he faced was having "so many types of files and one system to take care of all of them."

Gale Black, file clerk section chief, said the Air Force wants to have a paperless technical data system by 2007 and no longer distributes paper copies.

"They're still digitizing stuff every day," he said.

With that in mind, he said changes and new technical orders now come in on compact disc and can be on the server in a matter of minutes, compared to days or weeks previously needed to print and distribute paper copies.

"Something is changing every day," said Lynn Marsh, a technical order lead clerk in Black's office. "We get a CD in and within an hour, we've got it there for the mechanics."

Cheryl Fair, Anautics project manager, said the technical order library is getting about 400 hits per day as word spreads that it is online. Her main responsibility has been working with the mechanics.

She described her job as being supportive as mechanics transition from paper to digital libraries. She has shown some older mechanics, who do not normally use computers, how much easier it is to use the digital library than the old paper tech orders.

"Once they get over the hesitancy, they see how easy it is to get on instead of waiting for a paper copy," Johnson said. (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)