Transitioning client-based NALCOMIS to a multi-function web-based application

Abstract

Navy and Marine Corps aviation utilizes a software suite to manage logistics known as NTCSS, and one of its primary applications is NALCOMIS. NALCOMIS has two configurations that are used by organizational and intermediate level maintenance activi-ties, Optimized Organizational Maintenance Activity (OOMA) and Optimized Intermediate Maintenance Activity (OIMA). These configurations communicate with each other when co-located with a local client server. If a squadron departs its home station for a deployment or exercise, the OOMA server is disconnected from OIMA and lines of communication are lost. All data that needs to be shared between systems must be manually entered and updated. Manual data entry can lead to errors, resulting in inventory discrep-ancies that can amount to millions of dollars. This research examines technologies that lead to the design of a system that seamlessly integrates the two configurations of NALCOMIS and moves from a local client server model to a web server accessed through a secure web application. A proof of concept was developed to demonstrate the viability and utility of the proposed web-based application. Our analysis of the system load on the existing NALCOMIS servers shows that, with a minimum investment in hardware, a Marine Corps wide NALCOMIS-WEB could be implemented to create a fully interconnected Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) network.