2010-MOD10

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Using the Joint Integrated Analysis Tool (JIAT)

Models Track

Downloadable Files:

MOD10-Schwartz

Abstract:

The Joint Integrated Analysis Tool (JIAT) is administered by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army – Cost & Economics (ODASA-CE) and Tecolote Research, Inc. JIAT is a web-based application that provides seamless linkages between cost estimating tools, engineering design models, modeling and simulation tools, as well as capability, performance and operations and support databases. JIAT incorporates several cost estimating industry standard tools and databases which allow end-users to run and query these resources from their desktops. The models currently include SEER-SEM, Excel and ACE, with plans to expand to PRICE- H. The databases include the Army’s CKB, AMCOS, OSMIS, and FORCES and ACDB databases.

JIAT offers a variety of features to assist analysts with cost estimating and analysis efforts. The features focus on initial data gathering, running existing models, building integrated estimating models, performing portfolio analysis, and sequencing models together without needing any of them on their desktop. JIAT greatly simplifies the data gathering process by providing a common interface to locate and extract data from the databases and Cost Estimating Relationship (CER) libraries that the JIAT user is permitted to access. The analyst can also run any application hosted in JIAT from their browser , Excel or ACE. This includes performing “trade space” investigations that explore the impact of a range of potential inputs. In addition, JIAT provides a mechanism to sequence models together, that is, pass the results of one model as inputs into another model. By accessing a variety of project cost models via a common user interface, the JIAT user can run what if drills at the project level to estimate portfolio impacts.

The current features of JIAT are highlighted along with the key benefits they bring to the cost, acquisition, engineering, and modeling simulation communities. JIAT provides support for analysis through all phases of a program, development through disposal, emphasizing a common interface for tools and databases. The web technology used to establish secure and controlled access tools and databases is described along with the Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) framework. The presentation demonstrates how any government agency can leverage this Army sponsored program to encourage integration and use of their own cost estimating, engineering and/or modeling and simulation tools and databases.

ACDB: Automated Cost Database ACE: Automated Cost Estimating
ACEIT: Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools AMCOS: Army Manpower Cost System
CKB: Capabilities Knowledge Base
FORCES: Force and Organization Cost Estimating System OSMIS: Operating and Support Management Information System
SEER-SEM: Software Evaluation and Estimation of Resources – Software Estimation Model

Author(s):

Daniel Schwartz
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army – Cost & Economics (ODASA-CE)
Senior Operations Research Analyst, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army – Cost & Economics (ODASA-CE), Cost Policy & Research Division. Over seven years experience in cost estimation and cost policy analysis. Education: PHD-level certification in Advanced Public Policy Analysis and Master of Arts in Economics from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia

Melissa Cyrulik
Tecolote Research, Inc.
Senior analyst for the Tecolote Research Inc. Software Products/Services Group. Over 12 years of cost estimating experience supporting U.S. Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, NASA and the intelligence community. She has presented papers at both ACEIT User’s and SCEA/IPSA. Lead ACEIT instructor with over nine years experience teaching cost estimating, statistical analysis, and risk modeling. Education: Bachelors of Science in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.