Test Information Management System (TIMS)


Background

The Test Information Management System (TIMS), designed and implemented by Holmes-Tucker International, Inc., was originally directed by VX-9 and funded by Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force (COMOPTEVFOR) for F/A-18E/F operational flight test support. The TIMS is currently being implemented by VX-9 to support all operational test at NAWS China Lake, CA, and NAS Patuxent River, MD, and by VX-1 to support MH-60S and SH-60R operational test at NAS Patuxent River, MD. It was also used by Naval Rotary Wing Aircraft Test Squadron at Patuxent River to capture MH-60S and SH-60R developmental test data.

Goals and Objectives

The TIMS is designed to provide visual, traceable, and detailed management of developmental (DT) and operational test (OT) information. The specific objectives of TIMS are to:

  • Automate and improve functional processes
  • Reduce manpower needs
  • Improve communications
  • Enhance documentation and quality
  • Improve efficiencies in test operations
  • Provide a traceable audit from requirements documents
    (e.g., ORD, TEMP) to test results .

In simple terms, TIMS serves as a “cookbook” for test directors and as a repository for information related to all phases of test and evaluation. These functions are essential where there is a high turnover of personnel insufficient time for in-depth training. The TIMS is a powerful tool that provides continuity, allowing an incoming test director or test pilot to access all project information and, hopefully, infer what the previous test team had been thinking and working on. Thus, it is imperative to the success of TIMS that it be properly managed and maintained .

The TIMS typically runs on a classified network, has a user-friendly interface, and allows easy entry, access, and export of information. Thus anyone in the fleet can use it with little or no guidance.

Features

The TIMS is password-protected and consists of nine modules of information, each of which can be accessed with just the click of a button. These modules can be custom-tailored to suit specific needs.

  • Briefings: contains all the briefings the test director has given throughout the test. Having these presentation documents in one place allows the test director and others to view previous briefs and to use selected presentations as templates for creating new briefings.
  • Budget: contains all test-related budget documents. Again, this allows users to view any budget created for a particular project.
  • Flight Debrief/Flight Reports: consists of a database of customized flight debrief forms and reports for each phase of test. These “paperless” debriefs allow test aircrew to quickly and easily input their flight data, edit/view debriefs, edit/add flight loadings and weapon loads to the database, or view/print out tailored flight reports. At the conclusion of each test phase, the test director can automatically generate a summary of these flight reports to create interim and final test reports.
  • Flow/Resource Schedule: contains project schedules for each phase of test. The test director can also use this tool to track resources for a given project or for the entire squadron.
  • Miscellaneous: is a placeholder for files that do not fit into any of the other modules.
  • Noncombat Expenditure Request (NCER) /Noncombat Expenditure Allowance (NCEA): contains all NCER/NCEA documents.
  • OT Issues: consists of four sub-modules—Blue Blazers, White Papers, Watch Items, and DT/OT Issues/Deficiencies/ Requirements database ¾ that allow test directors to track and report on issues that arise during each test phase.
  • Production Documents: allows users to create documents that are typically produced during test (e.g., Concepts of Operations, Memoranda of Agreement, Test Plans, Test Reports, Tactics Guides). The TIMS provides templates for these documents, which contain hyperlinks to reference documents and to previous reports. These templates also provide guidelines from the OTD Guide and helpful hints.
  • Reference Library: can be accessed from anywhere in the TIMS. It contains clip art, contracts, correspondence, draft documents, flight data, flight data cards, meeting minutes, organizational charts, OTD Guide, points of contacts, and reference documents.

Summary

This powerful, user-friendly tool allows the commanding officer, his chief test director(s), and others responsible for test operations to have immediate access to all flight test information with the click of a button. The TIMS also provides continuity of information within the command, thus allowing an incoming flight test director to understand the decision-making process and information history of his predecessor. Finally, the TIMS increases efficiencies in test operations, enhances communication within the squadron, improves functional processes and more clearly and completely maintains a traceable audit of requirements information that is critical to flight test and evaluation programs now and in the future.

The TIMS currently supports all operational test at VX-9, including Follow-on Test and Evaluation of the F/A-18E/F, operational test of the AH-1Z, and various software testing for the F/A-18C and EA-6B. It also supports operational test of the MH-60S, MH-60R and KC-130J at VX-1.


Holmes-Tucker International, Inc. Point of Contact