09/02/2010 - BMT completes major SiCA system upgrade for the MoD
The Challenge
The System information Co-ordinating Agency (SiCA), managed by BMT Defence Services Ltd, provides a crucial service for the UK Ministry of Defence. They are responsible for Naval Combat Systems Interface Co-ordination (NCSIC) for new or modified equipment to be installed in Royal Navy warships and submarines. The SiCA database (SiCAD) acts as the hub of essential core data relating to: past, present and planned equipment changes and the interfaces between equipment; ownership; and approved documents and drawings.
BMT was tasked by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to upgrade the SiCAD system to ensure that its end users receive the information they need quickly through an intuitive user interface over the web. To achieve the upgrade BMT utilised the latest web technologies, to provide a rich user experience over the MOD Restricted LAN Interconnect (RLI).
Analysis
BMT and SiCA teams worked closely together on the project to meet the MOD’s current and future requirements. The latest Web 2.0 AJAX technologies were evaluated to investigate how to provide the quickest and most responsive user interface to the MOD and SiCA users. A key emphasis was put into driving down times to access and download data as well as ensuring the SiCAD interface was intuitive and familiar to first-time users.
“Completed on time and within budget by BMT’s software team, the new database has enabled the SiCA Project to readily adapt to the changing needs of the surface and submarine communities” says Richard Hare, the MOD’s SiCA Project Manager.
“I was impressed by the relationship which has built up between BMT’s Bath and Weymouth teams, this close liaison has produced a system that not only works well for the end user in MOD but also for the data handling team at Weymouth.”
“We can look forward with confidence now SiCA has the speed and capacity to cope with future developments.”
“The new SiCA system replaces the previous, restrictive legacy database,” says Sam Dorling, an Information Services Manager at BMT. “The new system provides a straightforward but secure login for the SiCA website, a better user interface, simpler searches, faster data access, easier data export to Excel, and greatly improved navigation, fluidity and all-round performance.”
“The MOD is more than happy with the new SiCA system,” says Sue Holder, the SiCA Project Manager at BMT Defence Services. “This project clearly demonstrates BMT’s ability to understand and translate customer requirements into workable solutions. It shows how BMT has the dedication, expertise and flexibility to transform a legacy database into a powerful and effective new tool for the customer.”
“The new system can be adapted over time,” says Sam Dorling. “We can expand the SiCA service whenever required, for example from encompassing warships and submarines as now, to covering additional naval and tri-service applications.”
Benefits
SiCAD offers its users a number of key benefits, including:
- a centralised facility to administer the MOD approved Configuration Change Control process;
- the ability to control, amend or re-issue Interface/Data Exchange Specifications and Interface Certificates under MOD control;
- a facility to automate the production of platform link documentation for combat systems;
- quick and advanced searching capabilities to enable users to access low-level information (including equipment fit and interfacing data) within seconds of accessing the system.
BMT are currently expanding their design and configuration management procedures to provide MOD and defence industry personnel with user-interactive, 3-dimensional, exploratory views of naval platform compartments. This facility further enhances SiCAD by providing visual, photographic support to the equipment Change Impact Assessment Process (CIAP).
