Planning for the Bureau of Naval Personnel's Proposed Advanced Information System

The Department of the Navy is committed to the development of a total force personnel management system which will enable it to more effectively control personnel resource from recruitment to retirement. The Bureau of Naval Personnel is developing an automated system called the Advanced Information System to assist in this objective. This system is intended to provide a remote, interactive processing capability which is expected to be a substantial improvement over the current batch-processing-oriented system.

As of September 30, 1977, the system was being developed and implemented without an adequate long-range plan. The proposed upgrading of computer equipment was found to be unwarranted at the present time; and, although consolidation of the Bureau's capabilities appeared sound, locating these capabilities in New Orleans would involve more managerial and technical risks and would be more costly. Bureau officials concurred in these observations and agreed to suspend development of new system modules until an adequate long-range plan is developed, to continue to operate on its current computers without interim upgrading until competitively procured equipment is available, and to consider consolidating computer facilities in Washington rather than New Orleans. Accordingly to Navy data, this revised development effort will cost about $5.3 million less than the proposed interim upgrading and the consolidation of computer capabilities in New Orleans.