Need suggestions for new IMU features

[Robborsari]

Hi.  Anyone have ideas for what they would like to see in future releases of IMU? 

Some examples:

ICS213 messages online to staff and printed to outside agencies.

Closer integration with google earth and mapping tools

Financial tracking that estimates spending for planned sorties and demobilization sorties.

Any other ideas?

[Eclipse]

Is having it go away an option?

[jeders]

Is having it go away an option?

I like that option, can we also have CAPSTAR and WMU go away?

[N Harmon]

I would begin by making it web based. Extend WMIRS.

[Eclipse]

Is having it go away an option?

I like that option, can we also have CAPSTAR and WMU go away?

Yes, please.

These proprietary systems that require Access to use and fairly advanced tech skills to get functional are
a last-century kludge.

We need to take  fresh look at the info actually needed by onscene IC's and staff, and realize that 90% of folks in these positions have internet on their cel phones and 90% of our operations occur after most power and connectivity have been restored, so the old-school "we can only use Armageddon-grade, stone-tablet-level technology" needs to go away.  Keep some backup white boards in your kits and
use the big hammer anytime you can.

In a few hours last month, during a practice mission, myself and few other staffers through together a PC-based status board system that is light-years easier to use and more effective than the IMU - its based on Excel and Powerpoint, with all low-grade, easy tech.  We've already been told that anyone with a little VB experience could automate it better in a few hours and the whole thing would live on a
chip, completely portable.

I've literally already tested it and it runs on my old (5 years) Windows Mobile phone.

[N Harmon]

Clearly the answer is to start from a centralized solution at NHQ. Something database driven, and online, where the data isn't subject to computer or power outages. Once that is in place you can build various front-ends, like a web front-end (including mobile phone-friendly pages), an SMS front-end, or maybe even a voice front-end (press 2 for a list of available GTLs).

[bosshawk]

I heartily second the suggestions from Eclipse and Jeder.  I saw a mission for a missing airplane get so bogged down as to be ridiculous because the focus became one of feeding data into the IMU.  Went from launching aircraft at 0700 to finally getting the first one out the door t 0930, all because the IMU had to be fed(or so the experts said).

[Larry Mangum]

I heartily second the suggestions from Eclipse and Jeder.  I saw a mission for a missing airplane get so bogged down as to be ridiculous because the focus became one of feeding data into the IMU.  Went from launching aircraft at 0700 to finally getting the first one out the door t 0930, all because the IMU had to be fed(or so the experts said).

And that is why I am not a big supporter of the IMU. It always seems to crash at the most inoptune time.  I have used it from home when running a small mission with no trouble, but at a large scale missions I have found that you need a full time IT guy to keep it running and to support the users.

[RiverAux]

Hi.  Anyone have ideas for what they would like to see in future releases of IMU? 

Some examples:

ICS213 messages online to staff and printed to outside agencies.

Closer integration with google earth and mapping tools

Financial tracking that estimates spending for planned sorties and demobilization sorties.

Any other ideas?

Are you someone that can actually get these suggestions implemented, or are you just asking a general question?

[lordmonar]

One issue I have with IMU is how we sign in and out of the mission base.

In IMU you are either signed in and available, assigned to a flight or ground crew and not available or you are signed out.

For planning purposes and tracking purposes there should be a way in IMU to show people who are signed in to the mission but are not available due to being "off base" for crew rest, lunch, out running errands, etc.

I am looking at this in a fosset search situation.  Where a member deploys for a multi-day mission.   The Logistics Section Chief is in charge of those people who are not currently signed in to the mission base but there is no way for him to track them in the IMU.

This would allow planners to build crews from those where are not currently at the mission base so they can be ready to sortie as soon as they report for duty following crew rest.

[Robborsari]

Addressing everything generally:

Going away is not really an option.  Being web based at national is a big handicap because you would need internet access at every mission base.  WMIRS is a good way to submit the info for the sorties but it does not do anything else. 

IMU does need to be more stable, faster and more streamlined but it does a lot more than simply update a status board or print 104's.  The database uses the jet engine and .mdb file but you don't need access installed to use it.

The data is maintained on the server and on every client.  If a network or power failure occurs any client can become the server with no loss of data.  Any client can also be used in local mode with no server or network at all.  The latest versions use a http based server that do not have port issues with firewalls. 

I have heard a lot of complaints about crashing and the time it takes to enter data.  Stability is a very important feature for a mission critical application and so is speed.  The time it takes to use it goes down with training and practice.  The stability is being worked on as is the speed of the tool.  The goal is to automate the repetitive things and allow the staff to focus on the mission, not the paperwork. 

I ran a mission last month as a solo IC with 6 air sorties and had all the paperwork turned in 2 hours after the last sortie had landed.  Most of that 2 hours was waiting for the fuel receipt.  I really like being able to enter the data into IMU and printing out all the ICS forms that we are now required to turn in with every mission.

One recent new feature is a web based status board that allows anyone to view the status board without having IMU installed on the computer.  All you need is a browser and a network connection to the server.  It is also viewable on portable devices like a blackberry or iphone.   There are currently no plans to provide data input through the web page interface only status.


Currently you need to sign people in at the beginning and it knows when someone is assigned to a sortie.    If they leave the mission base to go to lunch you can sign them out and clear the signout when they return.  What else would you like to see for people who are unavailable?  A reason, a contact number or location information?  I don't want to make it more complicated than it needs to be but I do want it to be useful. 

It seems to me that if people need a piece of paper to keep track of it that IMU should be able to manage it as well.  I don't want it to impose any restrictions that are not already required by regs.   The goal is to avoid forcing people to "feed the tool" when they should be concentrating on how to accomplish the mission.

I am working on the first things I listed as well.  If you have looked at IMU before it might be worthwhile to look again.  There have been many improvements and there are more to come as well.

[Larry Mangum]

I am working on the first things I listed as well. 

I am confused here, are you saying that you are coding new features into the IMU?

[lordmonar]

Currently you need to sign people in at the beginning and it knows when someone is assigned to a sortie.    If they leave the mission base to go to lunch you can sign them out and clear the signout when they return.  What else would you like to see for people who are unavailable?  A reason, a contact number or location information?  I don't want to make it more complicated than it needs to be but I do want it to be useful. 

It seems to me that if people need a piece of paper to keep track of it that IMU should be able to manage it as well.  I don't want it to impose any restrictions that are not already required by regs.   The goal is to avoid forcing people to "feed the tool" when they should be concentrating on how to accomplish the mission.

I would have reason, location, estimated time of return and a contact number.

Say you put a member on crew rest....he goes into crew rest, at Hojo's room 114, ETR 0700, 123-555-1245.
Since he is still logged into IMU he would be covered by CAP insurance /USAF if injured and he would be availabe to the IMU for planning future air crews based on his ETR.

If someone depart the mission base for a food run, to pick up supplies or to run some other errand related to the mission then there is a record of when he left, where he was going and when he is expect to return.

This will also give the IC immediat data on how many people are actually available for planning 24 hour operations.

I agree that we need to keep it simple and a this could be implemented very easilly in the sign in tab.

[RiverAux]

I'm trying to remember if there is a clue-tracking function.  If there isn't, there should be.  Yes, they could be noted in various logs but having them immediately available would be helpful. 

List:  Name of person taking clue information.  Data on source of clue (name, phone number, email, etc.), time received.  Have some sort of assessment of the value of the clue.  Also, some sort of tracking of what has been done in response to that clue. 

[flyerthom]

It needs a much more intuitive feel and user friendly GUI.
It needs all the required ICS forms (add the 206).
It needs an IO log.
It needs to update at a set time on a set day weekly. Not having to up date the data base in the middle of an operations period would do much to stabilize the system. It always seems to dump in the middle of exercises on a weekend.

[JC004]

Is having it go away an option?

I'm going with this one.

It needs a much more intuitive feel and user friendly GUI.
It needs all the required ICS forms (add the 206).
It needs an IO log.
It needs to update at a set time on a set day weekly. Not having to up date the data base in the middle of an operations period would do much to stabilize the system. It always seems to dump in the middle of exercises on a weekend.

Added: It would be awesome if it didn't crash when you want to do things.

I am all for a web app.  I tried developing a prototype of a web app once, but Ops wanted IMU, so that was fail.

[wuzafuzz]

I would love to provide a shopping list of changes, but the realiity is I would rather see it go away. 

I'm tired of trying to maintain paper logs alongside attempts at using IMU.  Instead of concentrating on our jobs we are troubleshooting computers and figuring out how to fall back to paper when online systems fail.  The bigger the mission staff, the more pronounced the problems become, in my experience.

You could argue the install and networking issues should be completed prior to a SAREX or mission, and you would be right.  If we were all full time paid employees the situation would be different.  If we had permanent facilities to run our operations from, it might be different.  If we had an adequate fleet of CAP owned laptops, my view might change.  Since we rely heavily on member owned computers, keeping up with version changes and other networking issues creates an unreasonable maintenance challenge.  It causes failures.

Any application we use to run missions needs to be simple and bulletproof.  The technical hurdles should be transparent to the end users.  We cannot justify the need for an IT staff at each mission or exercise when we sometimes struggle to fill other positions.

If the IMU application must remain, web based would be great.  If staff can fire up their laptops, login to a website and the same mission database, and start working, then you'd have something.  Have a solid backup plan for those times when network availability is nonexistent. 

I am not a technological luddite.  Computer systems is my full time job.  Something like IMU would be a good fit for many organizations.  When IMU becomes a turnkey solution for the majority of our members, it may be a good fit for us.  Since most of us don't have permanent locations to hang our hat, we usually have to improvise mightily when a mission scales too large to run out of the IC's house.  When that happens we frequently must build ad hoc systems out of duct tape and baling wire.  That is a plan for failure.  It's a marvel we succeed as well as we do.

[N Harmon]

Being web based at national is a big handicap because you would need internet access at every mission base.

How often do mission bases not have internet access? I can't remember the last SAREX I attended where half of the staffers didn't have mobile internet. Years perhaps?

[jimmydeanno]

^I think having a web based application (requirement for use) might be tough. 

This year if our wing had participated in ice storm clean-up our mission base would not have had internet access.  90% of the state lost cable and telephone, cell phone towers were pretty maxed.

In the DR arena you operate where infrastructure has been destroyed and the luxury of electricity, internet and telephone decreases significantly.

SAREX environment operates under ideal circumstances.

[wuzafuzz]

Being web based at national is a big handicap because you would need internet access at every mission base.

How often do mission bases not have internet access? I can't remember the last SAREX I attended where half of the staffers didn't have mobile internet. Years perhaps?

Lack of Internet and mobile phone access should be expected for DR missions.  It'll be great if you do have it.

It's not unusual to have no Internet access.  A few people might, but it's not available to the rest of us who may be running part of ops in other buildings.  We are at the mercy of existing connections in the buildings we are borrowing for the weekend.  My last SAREX found limited connectivity using an access point pointed at another hangar a few hundred feet away, where a little signal was leaking out a window.  We cannot count on it.  Many of us don't have mobile Internet access.

People more creative than me might have some good solutions.  Having Internet access would permit a web based IMU.