Contractor Support Asset Tracking

Introduction. To meet the NATO commander's need for in-transit visibility of key assets flowing into, within and out of a Joint Operations Area (JOA), NATO is working towards the creation of a system of interoperable asset tracking networks built upon national and NATO capabilities. Realization of the individual network components has been underway for some time. It is being achieved through the development and implementation of shared concepts, standards, procedures and designs. Together, these provide the ways to attain and maintain the compatibility, interchangeability and commonality of network components. Much of the development phase is now complete. The integration of the individual parts into a coherent whole must now be managed and coordinated. Background Many of the NATO standards associated with asset tracking (eg, the application and use of barcodes, shipping labels and radio frequency identification) have existed for several years. But work has only recently been finalized that establishes the full set of policy, procedural and technical standards for asset tracking. Those standards are compliant with NATO's data strategy in support of network enabled capability and conform to the NATO Architecture Framework. Inter-system and inter-network messaging can be undertaken using both ADat-P3 and XML-MTF (i.e., eXtensible Mark-up Language-Message Text Format) messages. Main Stakeholders involved in the development. NATO's Military Committee Asset Tracking Inter-service Working Group has led the development effort. This body is staffed by subject matter experts from contributing nations, from the NATO Command structure and from the NATO Communication & Information Agency (NCIA) and the NATO Support and Acquisition Agency (NSPA). The development of products has been undertaken either by specialist technical panels of the working group or by writing teams constituted for a particular task. Some work has also been contracted directly to the NATO Communication & Information Agency or undertaken by the Message Text Formatting Capability Team, under the authority of the NATO Command, Control and Communications Board. Support to Integration. NATO takes a holistic view of the development of capabilities. The name the organization gives to this conceptual approach is DOTMLPFI (ie, Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership, Development, Personnel, Facilities and Interoperability). Practically, this means that a programme or project is considered according to all the facets necessary to successful implementation; for example, not only the purchase of some equipment but the training of staff who will use it and the revision of procedures that indicate how the new equipment will be used within the organization. NATO intends to pursue such an approach to achievement of the required asset tracking capability. In particular, the organization plans for a multi-year programme that permits validation of the products of NATO asset tracking standardization and provides for the education and training of personnel engaged in realizing the capability. The programme will also support and encourage nations in their efforts to migrate towards the envisioned state of interoperability. Where opportunities arise during the period of the programme, and where operational justification exists, the programme may explore new methods, technologies and techniques in the field of asset tracking. Aspects of NATO Asset Tracking Standardization. NATO recognizes that the tracking of assets can take place through a mixture of approaches, from the entirely manual through to the fully automated. Those approaches may be supported by a wide variety of technologies. The envisaged NATO asset tracking capability assumes at least some degree of automation. It has its basis in the concept of Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC). This embodies the notion of Automatic Identification Technology (AIT), which includes the likes of barcodes, data matrices, and passive and active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices. An integrated NATO asset tracking capability will be built on: A founding conceptual basis. The conceptual keystone for asset tracking is NATO's future Operations Logistics Chain Management (OLCM) capability. This calls for the coordination of logistic support to NATO missions. In-transit visibility contributes to the requirement for Visibility concerning the logistic resources available to the commander. A Business Process Model (BPM) in which the requirement to exchange information is fully embedded. The future asset tracking BPM identifies the physical process activities and the information products that must be shared in order to realize network-wide in-transit visibility. The construction of message content according to the situation that pertains within the context of the BPM, as guided by the business rules that specify the required content of the message and its distribution. The transmission of messages in accordance with an agreed system architecture requirement. Recognized AIT on which data is encoded using an NATO agreed format. The physical labelling of transport packages, shipments and consignments in accordance with NATO agreed specifications. HQ SACT is seeking deliverables specific to the Asset Tracking Capability Campaign at various intervals throughout the contract period.