Smarter solutions avoid harder work: saving time, cost: SDDC capitalizes on process improvement via the high seas.

The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command capitalizes on intelligent computer agents to aid in planning massive cargo deployments and is sending this technology out to sea to further streamline the Department of Defense's distribution process.

The Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES) computer program is a space planning and cargo management tool that stow planners use to safely and efficiently prepare load plans on a variety of vessels.

Until recently, stow planners could not finalize cargo load plans until vessels arrived into port to know what space was actually available.

Having the software shipboard provides captains and appropriate crew the capability of receiving, interpreting, and sending stow plans back to the destination port with the ship's condition and requirements via email prior to arriving. This refined process helps to shorten port time for vessels.

"It's very important for someone to know what the condition of the ship is prior to its arrival that way they can basically begin their load plan using accurate information about what's in the tanks and so on," said Steve Goodman, ICODES project manager for SDDC.

In 1999, SDDC initiated deploying, installing, and training appropriate vessel crewmembers to utilize ICODES shipboard. The USNS Capella was the first ship to receive the program. Currently, 66 vessels are outfitted with ICODES with a target of 300 by 2006. Ships earmarked to receive the program come from the Ready Reserve Fleet, Navy Amphibious Assault Fleet, and Large Medium Speed Roll-on/Roll-off ships.

"The Office of the Secretary of Defense designated ICODES as the DoD decision-support, multi-conveyance cargo load planning tool," said Goodman. "This tool assists military and civilian personnel with planning, executing and tracking the loading and stowage of military cargos onto surface conveyance."

"12 years ago, ICODES was not even a dream," he said. "However, the command was using a software application known as CODES. It was discovered during Desert Shield and Desert Storm that CODES was not capable of handling everything for efficient stow planning."

"ICODES is agent-based technology," said Boone Pendergrast, ICODES customer support representative for CDM Technologies, Inc. "CODES was not. With CODES, the stowplanner would have to check to see if the item would fit based on dimensional data of the cargo versus access points on the ship. But there are other considerations not in CODES as well such as trim, stress and stability of the ship, hazardous segregation and the placement of priority and sensitive items."

ICODES has access, trim, stow, cargo, and hazard agents built into the program. The program can link and pull data in from other programs. One example is linking to Transportation Coordinators Automated Information Movement System II (TC AIMSII). ICODES can read what's inside containers since TC AIMSII will track the in-transit visibility part of the distribution process for sustainment cargo.

"This also extends the reach for in-transit visibility," said Goodman. "Now, we can track where cargos are exactly by position on the ship and then the captain will now know where those cargos are and that becomes extremely important especially regarding hazardous materials."

Currently SDDC is managing the refinement of ICODES version 5.4.1. This new version will allow for better in-transit visibility and accuracy of a load by allowing the documentation of stowed items through the use of hand held personnel digital assistants and the ICODES Facility Management Tool.

"I think it is very beneficial for the end user to have these tools," said Pendergrast. "ICODES allows the user to track movement of cargo from ship through port. With the newer version users will also have a time component and be able to do analysis on how many pieces can be moved within a specified time period."

"I think ICODES is a very beneficial tool," said Carol Curtis, chief mate and relief officer for Keystone Shipping Services, Inc. "I like the individualized information per unit and it is an incredibly detailed program that calculates well."

More than 2,200 users across the four services use ICODES around the world.

"In addition, ICODES is being used by the Navy to validate ship design," said Goodman. "ICODES plays a major role in enhancing the efficiency and cost effectiveness of those moves."

SDDC moves more than 92 percent of Department of Defense's equipment by sea to deploy and sustain ongoing military operations.

Mitch Chandran, Public Affairs Specialist

SDDC Headquarters