United States Transportation Command

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. (USTCNS) --- Recent efforts of Department of Defense (DOD) transportation management information systems have focused on providing a consolidated aerial and surface port management system via the convergence of the Global Air Transportation Execution System (GATES) and the Worldwide Port System (WPS).

GATES, managed at Air Mobility Command (AMC), supports air mobility operations during peacetime, throughout contingencies and in war by managing global air passenger and cargo data. GATES is operational at 19 aerial ports and 139 active remote and deployed GATES sites worldwide.

The GATES automated aerial port processing system promotes DOD resource management through processing, tracking and billing for passenger and cargo movement. It is an effective command and control tool, aiding scheduling of unit and cargo movement, shipment forecasting, report generation, and message routing and delivery.

WPS, operated by the Armys Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), manages import and export of military cargo at sea ports worldwide. Its functionality is resident in a variety of domains at 108 global sites. WPS provides in-transit visibility of cargo movement data and mission critical reports. The automated information system also supports cargo accountability via documentation and billing functions.

Following an extensive study conducted by U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), GATES was selected as the system to host combined aerial and surface port functionality. The study analyzed various options for joint port management including maintaining the status quo, undertaking a new system development effort, and joining GATES and WPS solution sets. A formal business case analysis report documenting the studys findings and recommendation to merge GATES and WPS was published March 30, 2006. GATES and WPS documented capabilities and requirements are fundamentally similar and the benefits of combining the two systems are measurable. USTRANSCOM formally accepted the recommendation to converge GATES and WPS on April 20, 2006.

Joining the surface and aerial port management systems is no small undertaking. Both GATES and WPS are mission-critical elements of DOD operations and have interfaces with multiple data engines both internal and external to the DOD. The GATES Program Management Office (PMO) will be responsible for capturing joint port automation requirements, overseeing software development, managing interfaces, system test and evaluation, and fielding.

Effective migration of current WPS requirements into GATES will require collaborative stakeholder participation throughout the development and fielding processes. The GATES PMO will be employing a collaborative environment, known as the Joint Application Development (JAD) approach, used by both the GATES and WPS communities to migrate independent system functionalities and requirements into a single system. The first of five planned JAD sessions was held at the GATES developers facility in OFallon, Ill., June 19-30, 2006, and was attended by personnel from USTRANSCOM, SDDC, GATES PMO, as well as the members of the shipper and developer communities. The next JAD session is scheduled for next month 2006.

The GATES/WPS convergence will be developed in a four-phase approach. Work began in June 2006 on Phase 0, the phase marked for discovery, planning, and analysis. Phase I will see the replacement of the WPS CONUS/OCONUS Regional Database. Phase II will focus on terminal activities and devices. The final phase of development will address functionalities unique to the WPS system. Full operational capability of the converged systems is scheduled to be delivered in Fiscal Year 2009.

Migration of GATES and WPS functionality into a single port management system servicing aerial and surface ports is a significant milestone toward furthering Joint Distribution operations. The integration of these two systems supports command initiatives such as the Joint Task Force Port Opening by providing joint response teams with a single system for aerial and surface port operations. The integration effort will also centralize training development and help-desk support, improving efficiency and effectiveness. Synthesis to a single system is in keeping with the Clinger Cohen Act of 1996, enacted to provide guidance to federal agencies for streamlining and shaping information technology acquisition, management and implementation. Successful execution of the GATES/WPS convergence effort will enable the USTRANSCOMAMCSDDC team to leverage future distribution enterprise solutions.

Transportation Management Program Links Air, Land and Sea

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