There are many inventory tracking systems available. None offer the customization that SMARTRACK Air Force provides. The SMARTRACK “Digital Arms Room’ has been designed with United States army STAMIS systems as a guide. The SMARTRACK system accentuates and improves on the current system that is in place. SMARTRACK builds upon current army physical security and property accountability systems. SMARTRACK targets existing arms room procedures such as check in and checkout, inventory, accountability, maintenance, repair and personnel databases that do not currently interact. Other programs do not offer the intrinsic value that this program has been written with. This product has been designed to keep the unit compliant with military regulations by including the business rules in each operation. This results allows even the most inexperienced armorer to operate within regulations without even realizing it.
SMARTRACK provides 100 percent Identification of customers in the system through the use of the CAC Card and PIN which does not exist at this time. SMARTRACK also provides live up to the minute real time information on all aspects of checked out equipment. SMARTRACK notifies users when items are inoperable, not assigned or in maintenance at check out. SMARTRACK provides a do not issue function that assists the armorer from issuing items to unauthorized personnel. SMARTRACK gives the commander the flexibility of taking all arms room information with the unit wherever the unit deploys. Currently the unit deploys with archaic paper based systems that if lost provide no tracking ability of lost items. With the SMARTRACK system you take all of the real time information with you, the soldier can operate it at a moment’s notice and provide compact updated reports to any leader at any time.
SMARTRACK provides the mechanism for local maintenance which gives the ground truth of what is actually inoperable in the arms room. Maintenance is conducted on army maintenance forms that are never thrown away. The maintenance forms are filled out one time and then adjusted as necessary. As items are noted as inoperable they are marked throughout the system as such and appropriate automated minimum readiness level report are alerted to the commander.
SMARTRACK eliminates the hand written mistakes because all paperwork is automatically populated. Leaders can now get accurate reports at moment’s notice of what their element has just removed from the arms room. SMARTRACK allows sensitive items to be inventoried in a fraction on the time it currently takes. SMARTRACK gives immediate feedback on what has been inventoried, what is currently checked out (when, to whom, where), and what has not been scanned. SMARTRACK forces property book reconciliation.
SMARTRACK provides all manuals, regulations and forms required to conduct daily business. SMARTRACK provides the continuity that is lacking between new and old unit armorers. Often armorers are relieved of duties or moved immediately for other reasons leaving a huge void of valuable knowledge which cause many chain reaction events for months. With SMARTRACK a new armorer can get a grasp of what the situation is with the arms room within an hour or two. The windows based SMARTRACK program makes it easy for even a novice to operate.
The SMARTRACK System meets all the requirements in Part 1 above and far exceeds most. This product has included form and function not requested but highly needed in the daily operations of the arms room. The following includes the functions this systems provides to include functions that make it unique noted with an asterisk.
a)Master Authorization List:
•Serves as the steering wheel or game controller*
•Shortcuts to any and all actions in the system*
•Allows assignment of individual and crew served weapons and equipment*
• Prevents double assignments*
• Provides ability to assign by team, squad, platoon, section
and company*
• Prevents the assignment of non-mission capable
equipment*
• Allows drag and drop changes*
• Full query ability*
• Provides a MAL, Property Book, Equipment Assignment Page and Checked Out Items Page all in real depending on what has been checked, deemed non mission capable or sent to maintenance. You see it real time as it happens*
•Unique personnel database populated with through the use of the govt CAC card*
•Digital Signature capture tied to CAC, SSN verification and PIN*
b)Issue and Turn In Module:
• CAC Card issue with PIN Verification*
• Prevents issue of non-mission capable equipment*
• Prevents issue of equipment to the wrong individual*
• Prevents issue of Lautenberg Act personnel *
• Provides instant updated real time issue reports*
• Option to print each transaction on AF Forms*
• Prevents human error from writing mistakes*
• Pre-populates all required information*
• Speeds the issue and turn-in of weapons and equipment*
• Provides forensic tracking and history of all equipment*
• Allows full or partial issue of equipment
• Rounds fired/Rounds remaining maintenance tracker*
c)Inventory:
•Automated daily, monthly, property book and command
directed inventory*
•Provides for 100 percent accuracy of all arms
room equipment*
•Conduct inventories from several locations automatically*
•Verifies inspectors minimum rank and ensures
Non-consecutive monthly inspector*
•Consolidated inventory print outs*
•Inventory by type, status, location and more*
•Instant comparison to master data base*
•Real time identification of items not scanned*
•Real time inventory before, during or after issue and turn-in*
•Informs inventory clerk of items already checked out, to whom, where, what reason and allows view of sign out paperwork*
•Provides inventory and property book reports for all leaders to use in remote environments. Leaders always know what equipment they have with them in real time*
d)Maintenance:
•Automates scheduled maintenance tasks*
•Automates unscheduled maintenance tasks*
•Maintains a real-time AF Form based maintenance for the user*
•Prints out required forms for maintenance*
•Maintains complete history of all performed maintenance record for all equipment, 3-5 year to help identify trends*
•Helps to identify trends and reoccurring problems*
•Notifies armorer when gauging and calibration is due*
•Notifies armorer when organizational and user maintenance is due*
•Reminds armorer when to inquire about equipment in direct support*
•Pre – populates all maintenance forms and provides maintenance ease through the use of drop down menu’s and free flow fill in.*
•Tracks the status off all evacuated equipment, parts on order automatically notifies when parts are do and items are ready for pick up from direct support*
a)Reports and Queries:
•Issued items reports for all leaders at all levels*
•Assigned items reports for individual and crew*
served weapons by team through company*
•Non-mission capable reports for all equipment*
Report provides dead lined items, where they are, how long
they have been in maintenance, when they are due, and
reason*
•Programmed list of numerous reports by drop down menu*
•Full query ability. Allows the user to custom query needed information*
•Query weapons systems readiness reports for all equipment*
•17 additional reports not requested*
•Reports can be queried at the team, squad, section, platoon and company level*
f.) Training Statistics:
•Allows leaders to track weapons training information*
•Track qualification, hits, qualification levels, next qualification date,
by individual and crew served equipment*
•Provides qualification reports by team through company*
•Assists leaders with proper personnel assignment*
•Query expired and upcoming qualification requirements*
g.)Crew Served Weapon Assignment:
- Allows the assignment of all crew served weapons crews to include the gunner, assistant gunner, ammo bearer and forward observer*
- Automatically notifies of unqualified crews*
- Automatically notifies of undermanned crews*
h.)Ammunition Storage:
•Provides inventory ability for temporary storage of ammo*
•Provides for issue, turn in and inventory of ammunition*
•Automatic notification of past due storage dates*
•Provides all necessary forms and memorandums*
i.)Key and Lock Control:
•Provides inventory forms*
•Reminder of inspection dates*
•Reminder of key and lock rotation dates*
•Provides applicable memorandums*
j.)Forms and Publications:
•Supplies local drive and web based static and fill-in forms that apply to the arms room*
•Contains all Regulations, Technical Manual and Field Manuals that
apply to the arms room*
•Save, view, print and update forms*
•Organize and file forms by platoon, equipment type or status*
k.)Self-Inspection:
•Self-inspection checklists*
•Prepares unit arms rooms for internal and external inspections*
•Inspection forms can be changed and adjusted to specific unit*
l.)Packing list:
- Automated Scanning and production of packing list DD form 1750
- Capable of tracking and producing multiple packing lists for shipping containers and boxes
m.)Kitting:
- Automated ability to design and track kit items in bulk or a separate items
n.)Physical Security Inspection:
- Includes army standard physical security inspection
- Ability to customize, edit and add additional local physical security inspection lists
- Automated Security Checklist SF form 701
o.)Lateral Transfer: The system must use the CAC card and PIN to process an automated lateral transfer of equipment using the AF Forms. This must accomplished by scanning IUIID tags with a 2D scanner and must track the history of this transaction in the system. This function must include a separate entry screen to enter all personal data on the person receiving the equipment to include Name, phone numbers, e-mail, and address. This data must be able to accessed in the system history.
p.)PBUSE Interoperability:
- System Accepts a external file download to auto populate the database
- System conducts an automated scan inventory which instantly compares the results against the two systems, identifies items not matching, items checked out and items in maintenance along with items not found.
- System is updated monthly using the latest automated download
q.)Hardware:
- Tough Book Lap top. MIL-STD-810F
- Government Approved Common Access Card Reader
- External Tough Screen from Dell, hardened version
- Barcode Imager MIL STD 810F
- Topaz signature capture pad
r.)Software: FIPS 140-3 Compliant
- Proprietary SMARTACK Patent Software
- MSSQL Express Database
- Active Reports report and form maker
- .NET Platform
- DOD approved CAC Card reader software
S.) Security:
- Dual password protection
- SSN scramble
- Automatic db. back up
- SSN obscuration, only last 4 digits shown
- Tiered access and permissions based on need from administrator. 5 levels.
- AES Encryption
3. The requested material or service represents the minimum requirements of the
Government.
The material/service must be compatible in all aspects (form, fit and function) with existing systems presently installed. Describe the equipment you have now and how the new item/service must coordinate, connect, or interface with the existing system.
The current system is based of World War II technology of pen and paper. Some arms room operate with a used PC or Laptop which they attempt to track the Master Authorization List on. Although this is better than a white board it does not provide feedback or real time information. It simply cannot do the task.
The SMARTRACK system is a Laptop, customer touch screen, CAC card reader, signature pad, barcode scanner, printer and barcodes. The armorer operates the laptop very similar manner as a grocery store checkout except all receipts and forms are automatically filled in and charged to an individual soldiers existing arms room account through the CAC card and PIN. All items are tracked by serial number; the barcode is used to speed up the process. Many pieces of army equipment come with existing barcodes. Those that do are used.
A patent, copyright, or proprietary data limits competition. The proprietary data is:
A pending patent is currently submitted for this product that specifically addresses protections for Arms Room use. The combination of existing equipment with the specialization of army regulations, forms and processes written in code make this product proprietary to Williams Software Associates Corp. 7231 Cayman Drive Fayetteville NC, 28306
Re: U.S. Patent Application
Serial Number: 11/392.049
Filed March 29, 2006-09-04
Title: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INVENTORY TRACKING AND
CONTROL OF MISSION CRITICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
4. Other information to support a sole-source buy:
The army has never had an automated product to perform this task. An arms room can contain anywhere from 1,000 to 7,000 items in them. Most arms rooms are manned by one human. The equipment must be maintained, inventoried and accounted for by this one person who is easily overwhelmed. The result is expensive equipment not being maintained properly causing equipment failure or it results in lost equipment with no paper trail to track the loss.
I CERTIFY THAT STATEMENTS CHECKED, AND INFORMATION PROVIDED ABOVE, ARE COMPLETE AND CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROCESSING OF THIS SOLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION PRECLUDES THE USE OF FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.
Signature______Activity______
Title______Date______
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Contracting Officer Signature______Date______
GUIDELINES FOR SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATIONS
1. Technical and requirements personnel are responsible for providing and certifying as accurate and complete necessary data to support their recommendation for other than full and open competition. The justification must demonstrate that only one company can perform. The following are examples of bases for sole source acquisitions:
- The supplies or services to be acquired are unique to a contractor.
- Time is of the essence and only one known source can meet the Government’s needs within the required timeframe.
- Data is unavailable for competitive procurement.
- It is necessary that the item being acquired from the one source be compatible and interchangeable with existing equipment.
2. The following elements must be addressed in the sole source justification:
- State clearly the Government’s requirements. Make sure that the entire requirement is covered by the justification.
- Explain why the contractor is the only company that can meet the Government’s requirement. The documentation necessary to adequately substantiate the two most common bases of sole source is discussed below:
(1)If the contractor has a unique capability, whether it be an item or service, it is insufficient to simply say that the contractor is unique. If the item is unique to the contractor, the unique characteristics must be set forth. If the contractor has unique expertise, that expertise must be described. If the contractor has unique equipment or facilities or he has proprietary data, it must be explained.
(2)If only one contractor can perform within the required timeframe, the timeframe must be explained:
(a)Provide the date by which the supplies or services must be delivered.
(b)Indicate how that date was determined and its significance.
(c)Indicate the impact of delay beyond that date in terms of program schedules, milestones, etc.
(d)State how long it would take another contractor to acquire the capability to perform (learning period), how much it would cost another contractor to get up to speed, and if appropriate, what it would cost the Government in terms of dollars and man hours to get another contractor up to speed. State the bases for the above estimates.
- State how the decision to go sole source was reached. Generally, technical personnel’s knowledge and experience can be used to support sole source. The following are examples of documentation supporting this element:
(1)Explain requisition originator’s experience that would indicate that he knows that only one source can perform.
(2)Explain that technical publications, symposiums, or conferences clearly indicate that only one company can perform. List publications read and symposiums and conferences attended.
(3)State what is being done to foster future competition.
(4)Justification must be signed and dated.
- There are several other points to be made:
- The two most often cited bases for sole source are uniqueness and timeframe. There are often confused and inappropriately interchanged. If a contractor is unique and if his uniqueness is adequately substantiated, a discussion of timeframe is inappropriate. If the basis for sole source is timeframe, a discussion of uniqueness should not be made or alluded to. Timeframe does not make a contractor unique.
- In cases where an unsolicited proposal for R&D has been received, the justification limiting acquisition to a single source must verify that the proposal represents the product of original thinking by the submitting contractor and could not be obtained competitively without revealing the original thinking.
- Statements that a contractor has the best capability, offers the lowest price, or is the only qualified source are not bases for sole source. Such determinations can only be made through competitive acquisitions. A strong presentation which merely establishes that the recommended source is most highly qualified to perform but does not establish why other sources cannot perform is unacceptable.
- Incumbency does not justify sole source.
- Administrative delay or lack of adequate advanced planning does not create an urgency that justifies sole source acquisition.