Case in Point: Establishing an Authoritative Source for Locations

The Standard Specified Geographic Location File (GEOFILE) is designated the repository for the registration of military installations and worldwide geographic locations during military planning and operations. GEOFILE predates the Real Property Information Requirements (RPIR) and thus does not entirely support full visibility of the Department's legal interest in real property assets, which the Department now recognizes as an essential capability. GEOFILE also does not have standard definitions for sites, installations, and assets. What is considered an "installation" by the GEOFILE may be as large as an ocean or as small as a building. Furthermore, the Department has committed to the use of unique identifiers, which are not incorporated into GEOFILE business rules. GEOFILE re-issues codes after they have been deleted for two years - a code that represents a warehouse in Philadelphia today may have represented a canal in Italy in 2000.

While GEOFILE serves a valuable operational purpose, its applicability to other needs leads the Components to routine use of alternative data sources (such as the Department of Defense Activity Address Codes, Monitored Command/Geographic Installation Codes, DMDC Location Codes, and Unit Identification Codes). None of these sources is comprehensive or provides a standard location value across the enterprise. The Department charged RPA with the responsibility to solve the problem.

RPA responded with the Real Property Unique Identifier Registry (RPUIR) and the Real Property Assets Database (RPAD). RPUIR and RPAD are establishing the authoritative source data for locations, including detailed information on locations and assets in which the Department has a legal, accountable interest. RPAD will serve as a net-centric data warehouse that stores information for all real property that the Department owns, leases or manages, and the RPUIR issues Unique Identifiers (UIDs) based on specific elements of this data.

Since December 31, 2007, RPUIR has maintained records of all DoD-owned sites and assets. RPUIR issues UIDs and interfaces with the RPAD to provide a real-time database of the Department's assets. Although RPAD is still under development, once it attains full operational capability, it will contain volumes of Enterprise-level data. Everyone with an appropriate management purpose will have access to consistent, reliable and accurate real property information for the Department.

Collectively, the RPAD, the UID concept and net-centricity are the foundation of the authoritative source for locations. This real-time, trustworthy information will facilitate the Department's business transformation efforts by enabling rapid access to information for strategic decisions, improving accountability, and reducing the cost of the Department's business operations.

As transformation progresses across the Enterprise, interfaces between RPAD and financial systems, logistics systems, and personnel systems will illuminate the connections between people, equipment, and locations leading to efficiencies across the Department.