SOURCES SOUGHT
49 -- Electronic Maintenance Support Systems (EMSS)
- Notice Date
- 9/18/2003
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps Systems Command, 2200 Lester Street, Quantico, VA, 22134-5010
- ZIP Code
- 22134-5010
- Solicitation Number
- M67854-03-I-3137
- Response Due
- 10/20/2003
- Archive Date
- 11/3/2003
- Point of Contact
- Wendy Stevenson, Contract Specialist, Phone 703-432-3271, Fax 704-432-3262, - Dorinne Rivoal, Supervisory Contracting Officer, Phone 703-432-3274, Fax 703-432-3262,
- E-Mail Address
-
stevensonw@mcsc.usmc.mil, rivoaldm@mcsc.usmc.mil
- Description
- Electronic Maintenance Support System (EMSS) designed to act as a decision support tool aiding the Marine Corps maintenance technician and operator in the performance of needed maintenance activities. The Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC), Combat Equipment and Support Systems, Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Branch, is seeking information from industry that will assist in the development of a tool designed to enhance maintenance quality and automate diagnostic capabilities. Specifically, the system must integrate Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETM), Computer Based Training (CBT), Built in Test and Built in Test Equipment (BIT/BITE), and the Marine Corps Family of Automated Test Equipment (MCATES). This RFI seeks the following information: Ideas and suggestions that provide alternative approaches to designing, developing, acquiring, and operating an EMSS, with an emphasis on applying existing technology and software; Information about existing equipment that could support an EMSS, thus minimizing the need for special development, associated costs, and time delays; Technical feasibility assessments of the alternatives; Approximate cost information (i.e., order of magnitude, ballpark estimates, etc.) for alternatives; Schedule estimates; REQUIREMENTS: This section enumerates the functional requirements for an EMSS for purposes of responding to the RFI. As noted, the intent of an EMSS system is to provide an electronic maintenance support system/decision support tool that will link IETMs, CBT, BIT/BITE, and the MCATES. MCSC envisions EMSS as a portable maintenance aid used to display technical data, display and analyze system health status, run intrusive diagnostics, assist in fault isolation and repair mentoring, and up/down load system data (health monitoring). EMSS, to be effective, must have compatibility with Autonomic Logistics as the on system diagnostics tester. As other logistics architectures become defined and implemented, EMSS will also document maintenance actions, query and order parts, maintain real-time digital equipment record jackets, and provide the ability to analyze prognostic data based on sensor input. The goal of the EMSS is to accomplish most or all of the following requirements: Host the Global Combat Support System ? Marine Corps (GCSS-MC) software and interface with the logistics pipeline; Be a reconfigurable, portable maintenance aid, commercially ruggedized, impact and weather resistant, wearable or hand held controller with a high-resolution, sunlight readable display; Consider the environment -- arctic, jungle, and desert climatic conditions; Store and retrieve data files from Floppy Disk, CD, CDRW, DVD, flash memory cards, USB Device and network connections ? collected data must be in a GCSS-MC compliant format; Include network communication capabilities through a standard RJ45 or BNC type connector (This allows the EMSS to be connected to a network with standard protocols like Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)); Support wireless interface(s) with industry standard encryption; Display and support user interaction with technical data, such as Electronic Technical Manuals and Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (ETMs/IETMs), schematics, wiring diagrams, parts lists, and system drawings; Display moving and still graphic information, as used in CBT and animated help files; Support the execution of test and diagnostics routines developed in multiple programming languages and environments; Provide a standardized style sheet for diagnostic programming of test assets within EMSS; Be one-person portable by 90 percent of the target audience (maintainers) and limited to 44 pounds, including the transit case; additional transit cases required for housing ancillary equipment (i.e. cables connectors) should be minimized and also limited to 44 pounds each; Have Primary Power capable of operating on battery power for a minimum of three hours (threshold), four hours (objective); battery must have the capability to be recharged from an 18-32VDC source and conventional house current of 110-120VAC; Provide input devices (i.e. keyboard, mouse, infrared, voice and/or any other new technical device) to allow the operator to interact with the system; Have self-test capability; Be designed as an open architecture system; Be configured with a standard paper printer interface (i.e. parallel or USB); Be capable through application of functional run time software/IETM to augment the supported systems built-in test (EMSS will not replace ?on board? built-in test equipment); Emulate existing General Purpose Electronic Test Equipment (GPETE) in stand-alone and diagnostic test applications (Objective: Digital Multimeter, Frequency Counter, Oscilloscope, Signal Generator, Distortion Analyzer, Function Generator, and RF Power Measurements. Threshold: Digital Multimeter, Oscilloscope, Frequency Counter, and Signal Generator); Have Standard Buss Controls that will support a wide range of weapon systems and platforms; Reduce footprint and support cost ? be reconfigurable to support the full implementation of the following: MIL-STD-1553A/B; RS-232; RS-422; RS-429; RS-485; SP-TCM; Universal Serial Buss (USB); IEEE 1394 Fire Wire; Allison Transmission Electronic Control (ATEC) Serial Communications; J1708; J1939 (CAN); GM-UART Data-bus protocol interface; ISO-9141 Data-bus protocol; Modular Interface Communication (MIC); Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)/Copper Distributed Data Interface (CDDI); As noted, the goal of this RFI is to gather information to determine the feasibility of developing an EMSS that meets most or all of the requirements enumerated above. Respondents are encouraged to make and document assumptions if necessary to clarify their responses. POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Ideally, the EMSS will meet the functional requirements specified above. The Government realizes that the solution may require incremental development and fielding, and is open to alternative concepts for solutions that meet most or all of these requirements. The Government encourages creativity and outside the box thinking in responses to this RFI. One possible solution would be to provide a common ruggedized computer that will include common TMDE functionality and associated technical manuals. It will also have the capability to attach to specific commodity ?boxes? (e.g., specific TMDE functionality for either Motor Transport equipment or Communications-Electronics equipment). The common ruggedized computer will have the capability to load updates of specific technical manuals and TMDE functionality (e.g., there would be a dedicated CD-ROM with periodic updates sent specifically to Communications-Electronics maintenance personnel). All hardware would be dedicated, and though designed to work independently, each will have the capability to communicate to higher-level maintenance and logistical activities via the GCSS. This RFI seeks information about a fully dedicated self-contained EMSS to speed field maintenance support while reducing the associated logistics trail. Specifically, the Government will seek to understand the tradeoffs among risks, costs (initial and ongoing), and alternative technical solutions that incorporate increasing levels of integration. Accordingly, respondents are encouraged to provide information about any alternatives/solutions that can be demonstrated to support the functional requirements described in section above. SAMPLE RESPONSE OUTLINE: Following is a suggested outline and suggested page count limits for a response to this RFI. The intent of this outline is to minimize the effort of the respondent and structure the responses for ease of analysis by the government. Nevertheless, respondents are free to develop their response as they see fit. Section 1 ? Conceptual Solutions: Briefly, describe at least one potential conceptual solution for an EMSS, including estimated reliability and availability characteristics of all identified alternatives. Discuss the capability for the system to expand with modules that could add on to a common platform to meet the needs of all Marine Corps maintenance concerns (i.e., communications-electronics, Motor Transport, ordnance systems, etc.). (3-5 pages per alternative with one diagram per alternative identifying the brand/type of equipment) Section 2 ? Feasibility Assessment: Briefly, describe the feasibility of each alternative and the design tradeoffs involved as matched against the functional requirements. (1 page per alternative) Section 3 ? Cost and Schedule Estimates: Provide cost estimates for each alternative for 5 and 10-year contract terms for non-recurring and annual recurring costs. Also, discuss cost drivers, cost tradeoffs, and schedule considerations (2-3 pages) Section 4 ? Corporate Expertise: Briefly, describe your company, your products and services, history, ownership, financial information, and other information you deem relevant. (No suggested page count) In particular, please describe any projects you have been involved in that are similar in concept to what is described in this RFI, including TMDE development and any relevant lessons learned (1-2 pages per project). Include any comments on the structure of the requirements for a formal RFP response. Section 5 ? Additional Materials: Please provide any other materials, suggestions, and discussion you deem appropriate. INFORMATION EXCHANGE MEETINGS: There are no Information Exchange Meetings currently planned. MCSC will consider meeting with interested potential respondents. If you are interested in requesting such a meeting, please indicate in your response. DISCLAIMER: This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses shall be submitted by no later than 20 October 2003 to Contracts Directorate, Code CTQ3WS, ATTN: Ms Wendy Stevenson, 2200 Lester Street, Quantico, VA 22134-6050. This is not a request for quotation or proposal. No solicitation document
- Record
- SN00437679-W 20030920/030918213337 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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