ETIMS Transforms Technical Order Process

  • Published
  • By Ron Scharven
  • AFMC Public Affairs
In an effort to better organize critical resources, the Air Force has taken one step closer toward the Air Force Business Transformation goal when the Enhanced Technical Information Management System became operationally available via the Air Force PortalĀ  Feb 29.

ETIMS, which is managed by the 754 Electronic Systems Group Technical Data Systems Section, was created to address the shortfalls with previous Technical Order management systems in support of the Air Force #1 Priority for Business Transformation: "Synchronize the Supply Chain and Installation Management with Operations--Globally."

"After some examination as to how we could improve our systems in support of the Air Force Business Transformation mission, we recognized the need to upgrade the way our TOs were managed," said Greg Garcia, director of the 754 ELSG.

Significant safety and maintenance concerns had indicated that the TO process was error-prone and involved a lengthy completion process. Communicating important changes from maintainers that impact safety matters was taking an average of 209 days to process. It took more than two months to distribute new or updated TOs.

There was no capability to create, distribute, control and synchronize electronic TOs which resulted in high printing costs, unused eTools and consumption of critical airlift resources.

Addressing these deficiencies in TO management has shortened distribution timeframes and has extended existing physical media TO process support to electronic TOs--improving readiness and reducing the safety of flight risks inherent in current legacy systems. While the designated long-term solution for meeting the requirements for the Air Force TO Transformation is the Expeditionary Combat Support System, immediate improvements to manage and electronically distribute both paper and eTOs were needed to address the insufficiencies.

According to the ETIMS Dashboard, found on the Business Transformation Agency's website, this "quick-fix" resulted in the creation of ETIMS, which is an integration of specially-developed capabilities with new and existing Global Combat Support System-Air Force services and On-Demand printing from the [Document Automation and Production Service for the AF enterprise.

ETIMS provides a near real-time, web-based, single point of access to eTOs, with managed configuration and controlled access to authorized users only.

"Upon full implementation, ETIMS will prove to be the Air Force's primary tool to support the warfighters by providing timely, accurate and complete technical information in digital format at the point of use--all at a much lower cost," said one TO Manager. "Users will be able to manage, acquire, sustain and view all of their required TOs digitally and will have the ability to distribute changes and updates to the TOs in a timelier manner than with paper versions."

The ETIMS Program Manager, Debbie Guinaugh, was confident in the program she helped to develop." Delivering this capability to the Warfighter is a major step in the right direction towards moving Air Force TO operations into the 21st century" she said. "The ETIMS Team, including our commercial partners, is very proud of delivering a capability that will allow the Warfighter to do their jobs better, faster and more efficiently."