The Centralized Management and Automation of the DoD Technical Data Program

Abstract

A significant portion of the technical data acquired by the DoD falls within the technical manual arena. These remarks will concentrate on: DoD’s new technical manual centralized management concept, which is now being promulgated through the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Services’ recent implementation of the revised DOD Instruction 4151.9, “DoD Technical Manual Program Management.” The Office of the Secretary of Defense’s participation with the Congress, through the Joint Committee on Printing/DoD Technical Manual Committee, which is providing a mutually beneficial vehicle for the rapid approval and subsequent implementation of total automated printing and publishing systems for technical manuals. This Committee’s charter has recently been expanded so that the benefits of the computer and communication industries’ achievements will be incorporated into the technological development for printing of not only technical manuals, but all technical information, including engineering drawings. The two major automated printing and publishing systems for technical manuals which are nearing the end of their first year of their 3-year pilot programs. Other ongoing DoD efforts to automated engineering data storage and retrieval as well as printing and publishing systems.