SAMS-E

Standard Army Maintenance System-Enhanced

Standard Army Maintenance System – Enhanced (SAMS E) is United States Army's maintenance systems initiatives under the Modular Force concept. The Modular Force concept transitions maintenance within the U.S. Army from a four-level system to a two-level maintenance (TLM) system and SAMS-E is the process change and associated software updates.

This maintenance systems modernization initiative, allowing SAMS-E to act as a bridge - linking current systems functionality and the next generation Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions.

The United States Army entrusted MAT with modernizing three logistics systems to equip military personnel with up-to-date capabilities that support enterprise resource planning. The program, known as Standard Army Maintenance System-Enhanced (SAMS-E), included:

• Developing a single system that manages over 1 million pieces of equipment
• Testing that resulted in a 99+% accuracy rate
• Fielding to over 6,100 units at more than 200 sites worldwide
• Training in excess of 17,000 Army personnel

SAMS-E enhances ULLS-G, SAMS-1, and SAMS-2 by incorporating the Windows graphical user interface (GUI) operating system (Windows XP), and merging ULLS-G functionality into SAMS-1. This effort is a maintenance systems modernization initiative, allowing SAMS-E to act as a bridge between current functionality and the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.

SAMS-E modernizes the following functions:

• Automated unit level maintenance, supply, and readiness reporting functions
• Day-to-day weapon system and sub-component readiness status
• Maintenance and related repair parts information
• Management functions from the tactical direct support (DS)/general support (GS) level maintenance activities and supports the transition to the Field and Sustainment Maintenance concept (Two - Levels of Maintenance)

SAMS-E is considered a mission critical system that supports the following elements:

• Combat Services Support (CSS) Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) unit level maintenance elements
• Field and Sustainment maintenance shop production activities
• Maintenance managers from the battalion to wholesale levels

Security

SAMS-E operates in a System High mode to process sensitive, but unclassified, data, which must be protected to ensure data availability and integrity. Various security features and Windows XP templates and settings were documented for the System Security Authorization Agreement (SSAA) to achieve a system Net worthiness certification. Based on DITSCAP, the Designated Approving Authority has approved the Authority to Operate (IATO) for SAMS-E through December 2007.
SAMS-E supports system security, providing each user with specific roles and permissions.

Software/Hardware Platform

The SAMS-E software runs on a notebook computer using Windows XP. Its basic functionality and interfaces have remained unchanged except to merge ULLS-G functionality into SAMS-1, and to add security and product enhancements.
SAMS-E was written in the source code language of C Sharp (C #) and developed using Visual Studio.Net. SAMS-E was built on the Oracle 10g, relational database, which allows for full scalability of one to several users (client) at each site.
Client users are fielded with the identical laptop computer and software application (with Oracle and Windows XP software loaded). A connection to the host SAMS-E laptop is required for client users to access the Oracle database.
The SAMS-E tactical hardware platform uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) microcomputers and printers purchased from standard indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts. The system hardware configurations are upgraded to the approved notebook(s), and are issued following the configurations of the legacy ULLS-G and SAMS-1/2 systems.

Telecommunications

SAMS-E uses built-in capabilities to support communication over a variety of mediums, such as Local Area Networks (LANs) and File Transfer Protocols (FTPs).

Fielding Status

SAMS-E has successfully been tested and is currently being fielded. SAMS-E will replace over 15,000 ULLS-G and SAMS-REHOST systems operating at locations throughout the Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserves.

Benefits

Users operate a notebook computer that maintains current interface functionalities. At both the organizational and support levels, SAMS-E consists of former ULLS-G and SAMS-1 processes unique to each application, eliminating any duplicate processes.

At the organization level, SAMS-E supports critical unit-level functions, such as:

• Equipment operator qualifications
• Equipment dispatching
• Tracking equipment PMCS
• Equipment fault records
• AOAP and AMSS reporting

SAMS-E includes enhancements, such as:

• Support of multiple UICs to allow an easy transition between each UIC
• Considers repair parts as shop supply with multiple storage locations
• Utilizes both FEDLOG and the SARSS catalog update
• Establishes the document register as the only supply register
• Identifies units as either direct or indirect (supported customer)
• Automatically generates a work order when all faults are deadlined and when an operator level fault is initiated and part(s) are received
• Changes management of unit data from DODAAC based to UIC based selection & entry
• Retains the man-hour accounting on/off switch as an option in the event of deployment

Quality Validation

Government integration, security, and software acceptance testing of SAMS-E builds are accomplished at the PM LIS Forward Support Facility at Fort Hood (FSS-FH). Software changes are tested using a current testing storyboard and complete suite of test scenarios. The FSS-FH provides configuration control of successfully tested baseline software for distribution to the CSSAMO supporting 10.5 users.