15 August 2005

INNOVATIVE DATA MANAGEMENT TOOL COULD TRANSFORM PLATFORM SUPPORT

A new development from DML Group, the defence support specialist, in conjunction with the MoD's Major Warships Integrated Project Team, could transform the approach to platform support with significantly increased efficiencies and cost savings, while fully capitalising on the MoD's investment at design and build stage. It is now being deployed on two of the Royal Navy's latest vessels HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.

The innovation involves the use of the original design and build Product Data Model (PDM) for Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) HMS Albion and Bulwark for the on-going support of the platforms. To this end DML Group (drawing on expertise from within Devonport Royal Dockyard and sister company LSC) has developed the tools to transfer the shipbuilder's PDM to its Bristol offices, and has set up an infrastructure enabling the entire platform support community to access all relevant data, which is held in a single centralised location.

Key to this has been DML's development of the Product Information Explorer (PIE) - a flexible, easy to use, web-enabled tool, to release information contained within the PDM and associated support systems. PIE is designed to liberate embedded engineering design information and to provide access to product lifecycle information (with full traceability) in a format that suits the business needs.

The development enables the MoD to maximise on its considerable investment in the PDM, allowing the knowledge and data developed in the design and build of these ships to be retained and the information transferred to the support phase, negating the expensive requirement to re-create records. Moreover, it facilitates wide distribution of this vital information as an electronic datum pack from a single source to the entire support community as required, including both the platform support contractor (DML at Devonport) and the ship's staff, as well as the MoD Integrated Project Teams (IPTs), to provide maximum efficiency and value.

It is ideally suited to integration within existing shared data and collaborative working environments (SDE/CWE), such as that deployed through the DML-hosted Design Support Alliance portal, where it may not be practical to load client software onto users' PCs, enabling distribution of requisite information and data in an appropriate form to users and stakeholders. The system can also be updated as required by DML, or others, on an on-going basis during the lifetime support of the platforms.

PIE allows users to browse, find, view, mark-up and print product information without the need to invest in the costly originating CAD and PDM systems. Being web-based and with minimum training requirements, it provides a readily accessible, low entry-cost solution for accessing engineering design information. As a single window to disparate data sources it provides a consistent user interface. Moreover, in-service users can find the information they need using simple and familiar search fields, reducing time spent accessing business-critical information.

Functionality includes the ability to browse multiple product structures and view associated 3D models, 2D drawings and documents, and to search drawings by PDM-defined attributes from drawing number to applicability, system or physical location. It also provides the ability to search for items by functional description, system or physical location, and to navigate links between disparate information sources, for example to retrieve all items associated with a particular drawing, or all drawings related to a specific item. The system also links PDM data directly with configuration data held within the surface ship definition database (SSDD) to make browsing even simpler.

Commenting on the development, DML platform support manager Mike Whalley pointed out: "We've applied DML's extensive in-service support knowledge coupled with Devonport's and LSC's data management expertise to develop a system that makes more information than ever before immediately and easily available to all user communities, to support the platforms cost-effectively through life. The efficiencies and savings this solution brings are apparent, and we're still identifying added benefits as well as looking at further improvements and developments. We're also now looking to develop the concept to apply to other platforms."

A standalone ship-deployed version of the PIE solution for LPDs has also been developed and will be installed in the ships shortly. This will provide both HMS Albion and Bulwark with a user-friendly method of navigating and interrogating the drawings, data and information that comprise the ship's datum pack. A further advantage will be that the ship-deployed version will be synchronised with the master 'shore-side' datum pack on a regular basis, ensuring consistent configuration control and data alignment.

DML Group, renowned for its refitting and maintenance of surface ships and submarines at Devonport Royal Dockyard, has developed, following the acquisition of businesses including LSC and Frazer-Nash, to become a multi-faceted support specialist for a range of complex military assets which it supports through-life from conceptual design to disposal.