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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY99 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support (DMLSS) automated information system (AIS) program defines and implements a more efficient medical logistics capability for military treatment facilities (MTFs) and field units to support health care operations. DMLSS AIS is intended to enhance operations by automating manual processes, improving processes already automated, and eliminating existing processes that add no value. Eventually, it will replace eight legacy systems operated by the individual Services. The system will support four major functional areas: (1) materiel management; (2) facility management; (3) equipment and technology; and (4) wholesale. The first three of these are retail medical logistic functions that will be supported by DMLSS AIS at MTFs and field units worldwide; the wholesale functions are supported by DMLSS AIS at only one site¾ the Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC) in Philadelphia, PA.

DMLSS AIS is being fielded incrementally, with each release containing both new functions and enhancements to existing functions. The required applications are installed on the user's personal computer and the server software is accessed via existing MTF local area networks. DMLSS AIS supports the Joint Vision 2010 concept of focused logistics by integrating the medical logistics systems of the Services, reducing MTF inventories of medical and pharmaceutical items, and decreasing the medical logistics footprint. This integration decreases the vulnerability of logistics lines of communications to deployed forces.

Medical Electronic Customer Assistance (MECA), a wholesale system developed for the DPSC, was the first DMLSS AIS system installed. Its retail counterpart, Forward Customer Support (FCS), was deployed to test sites at about the same time, beginning in 1995. OT&E was conducted on both MECA and FCS in January and February 1996. Although the test results were generally favorable and most users enthusiastically supported the new system, concerns were noted in the areas of data base accuracy and currency, user training, system availability, and response times. The PM took immediate action to correct these deficiencies.

DMLSS AIS Release 1.0 began the automation of both the materiel management and facility management processes. OT was conducted on Release 1.0 in August 1996. OPTEVFOR subsequently reported that the system was "potentially operationally effective and suitable." (The word "potentially" was used because not all required capabilities were available for testing). In its evaluation, OPTEVFOR commented that the users were extremely satisfied with the new capability and were eagerly and aggressively using the system during their normal work routine. The OTA noted that deficiencies from previous OT&E of MECA and FCS had been corrected. Based on the test results, DOT&E recommended the deployment of Release 1.0.

DMLSS AIS Release 2.0 contains upgrades to both the materiel management and facility management modules, and replaces two materiel management legacy systems. DOT&E approved an updated TEMP in March 1998, and FOT&E is currently scheduled for December 1999. To mitigate risk, OPTEVFOR conducted an OA of a pre-production version at two DT&E sites in August 1999 to determine the operational effectiveness and suitability potential of Release 2.0. This OA, a pilot for the OT&E soon to be performed on production-representative software, primarily consisted of monitoring users performing actions in the course of their normal duties.

The OA results showed that DMLSS AIS Release 2.0 is potentially operationally effective and suitable and that all of the major deficiencies noted in previous tests had been corrected. However, OPTEVFOR was unable to assess several performance areas because some of the new functionality, although provided, was not being used at the test sites. One major performance deficiency was noted in the area of material management: customers are supposed to receive 95 percent of the items they order through a Prime Vendor Interface within 24 hours. However, only 23 percent of the transactions met that criterion. The problem appeared to be related to the size of the order (i.e., the size of the file to be transmitted through the Prime Vendor Interface), with large orders requiring extraordinary manual intervention to meet the 24-hour requirement. The PM has been informed about the deficiency and is working to find solutions. This major deficiency, along with others identified during the OA, will be closely monitored during OT&E of Release 2.0.

Release 1.0 was tested only a few weeks after the system had been installed at the OT sites. There had been insufficient time for the users to become acquainted with the new system and learn how to perform all of the functions. In addition, there had not been enough time to populate the local

data bases. Determining the optimum amount of time to wait between the installation at test sites and the beginning of OT is a challenge that differs with each AIS, but past experience has shown that at least two months are preferred. The Release 2.0 FOT&E schedule must allow new software to be used at test sites for a sufficient amount of time. Further, the PM must address all OA deficiencies before the new release is ready for FOT&E. Based on the OA experience, it will be necessary to ensure that all functions to be tested are being sufficiently used prior to OT.