Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Bryant Maude | (Left to right) Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nadine Johnson, support operations...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude
1st Sustainment Brigade
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – A couple innovative Soldiers and a curious chief warrant officer of the 1st Sustainment Brigade believed that accurate information in the hands of decision makers, at a faster rate, could create increased productivity gains in the brigades' central receiving and shipping point yards - and it has.
"I got involved after a visit by Staff Sgt. Cresse," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nadine Johnson, the support operation transportation mobility officer for the 1st SB.
"We had problems with the existing software at the TAJI CRSP (Consolidated Receiving and Shipping Point) and he brought up the idea of building a whole new database. He wanted to tie it in with the database he was currently working on for the (transportation movement request) section," explained Johnson.
For Staff Sgt. Mark Cresse, the TMR manager for the 168th Brigade Support Battalion, the idea for a database came several months prior to meeting Johnson as he observed the archaic method currently utilized by his command.
"The system that was used to track TMR's was based on counting colors on a spreadsheet'" said Cresse. "There had to be a better way."
It took Cresse months of trial and error before his third adaptation of the TMR database was installed, tested, and observed to be working.
"After version two blew up I made version three and it ran great, so I contacted 1103rd and they agreed to let me install it there to see if it improved their operation," said Cresse.
He installed the software and improvements were indeed made. Cresse continued to make small changes to his TMR software, but wanted to do more. His chance came after he received a request from brigade to visit Camp Taji and assist them with an issue they were having.
"When I made a trip down there I got together with CP2 Johnson and I told her I could make one for the CRSP also," recalled Cresse.
With only a little knowledge of CRSP yard operations, Cresse paid a visit to a friend Sgt. Michael Muntifering the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Victory Base Complex CRSP yard database.
"I asked him to help because he knew how to run a CRSP and how to work in Microsoft Access," said Cresse.
"I got involved after a visit by Staff Sergeant Cresse. He had problems with the existing software at the Taji CRSP and he brought up the idea of building a whole new database. He wanted to tie it in with the database he was currently working on for the TMR section," stated Muntifering.
The two of them went to work on the new database. Cresse focused on data coming in, Muntifering focused on data going out and Johnson provided oversight.
"My role was giving guidance on what the database should be able to do for us," recalled Johnson.
The project came with a series of challenges for the Soldiers.
"I had to re-learn Access. I took a basic course my freshman year of college, but we didn't go nearly as in-depth as Staff Sergeant Cresse and I did. We would continually come up with new ideas for the database, and trying to implement those ideas in terms of code and functionality was the hardest part," said Muntifering.
"After about a month, we got a good product together that reduced errors and was compatible with the other databases. Now the brigade is working off multiple interacting systems that have improved movement through increased visibility of cargo," stated Cresse.
At its base the software cuts much of the work out of the research. Transportation battalions and other customers can now obtain daily updates to the past thirty days of data, thus eliminating time consuming phone calls to obtain the same information.
"Also, the TMR managers, within the battalions, are better able to see what we're dealing with, now that everyone is using standardized data. The process of CRSP and TMR scrubbing has been automated. The same goes for troublesome cargo at the CRSP. If a piece meets certain criteria, it is automatically flagged and allows for quicker research. It's pretty cool," stated Muntifering.
"The database is already having effects on how we do business," said Johnson. "It's more efficient. It gives me more up to date and vital information quicker and its easier to search...I can see right away if something is incorrect; I am able to give a more accurate picture to the commander."
Never ones to rest on the past, Cresse and Muntifering are already looking at ways to expand the software to others.
"It would be great if the Army finally standardizes transportation logistics theater-wide. It would be fantastic if everyone used the same type of data and the same systems. Even if it weren't our system, it would be neat to know that I may have had a hand in spurring that change," concluded Muntifering.
"I love what I do now so I am going to make every effort to make it to warrant officer so I can really make some good things happen for transportation. I am a lifer so I want to do as much as I can," stated Cresse.
| Date Taken: | 01.08.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 01.08.2008 18:52 |
| Story ID: | 15289 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 117 |
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