The Navy's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Program reached another successful milestone with the completion of the evaluation of the Follow-on Operational Test Agency Evaluation Report.
The purpose of this report was to assess the operational effectiveness and operational suitability of Navy ERP System Release 1.0 to provide a fielding recommendation.
"Navy ERP System Release 1.0 is operationally effective and operationally suitable, and I recommend full fielding in accordance with the current schedule," said Rear Adm. David Dunaway, Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force.
The Department of Defense Operational Test and Evaluation office concurred with the COMOPTEVFOR finding in a subsequent memorandum to the Under Secretary of Defense for Business Transformation.
The Navy ERP system standardizes and modernizes the Navy's business practices. It provides commanders significantly enhanced visibility into financial, program, workforce and material management information across their areas of responsibility. The Navy ERP system is currently being used by more than 35,000 individuals in three major Navy systems commands.
The Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Supply Systems Command are currently operating their business activities using Navy ERP as their financial system of record.
The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command is using the system for training and preparation for an Oct. 1 "Go-Live." The current Navy program of record calls for the SPAWAR implementation to begin October 2009, and the Naval Sea Systems Command implementation to begin October 2010.
Dr. Jennifer Carter, Navy ERP program manager, said, "This evaluation is a major step forward for the program and the Navy. What has been a promise in development for several years is now an operating, functioning management system that is saving money and providing better information right now to Navy commanders so they can efficiently provide the support Navy warfighters must have. These benefits will continue to increase as we implement the system in more Navy commands."
When the current deployment schedule is completed, the Navy ERP system will support more than 64,000 users and be used to manage more than 53 percent of the Navy's total obligation authority, the money it is authorized to spend.
The Navy directed the implementation of an ERP system as part of efforts to transform its business affairs to more efficiently support warfighter readiness, part of the Navy's maritime strategy.
ERP systems integrate management functions enabling all aspects of a business operation to use the same information, aligning activities and speeding information availability.
The Navy ERP program is part of the portfolio of the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems.
Bob Coble is the Navy ERP public affairs officer.