Data Quality: a Key to Successfully Implementing Ecss

Publisher Marketing: In response to the Expeditionary Logistics for the 21st Century (eLog21) campaign initiatives published in 2003, the United States Air Force (USAF) pursued the acquisition of the technology needed to transform its logistics processes. Today, with process mapping complete and a firm base release schedule, forward progress towards full implementation of the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS) continues. As a key enabler to achieving eLog21 initiatives, implementing ECSS will completely transform current USAF logistics business processes. Integrating more than 450 legacy systems, and with a projected end-state in excess of 750,000 primary, secondary, and tertiary users, ECSS is the largest enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation in the world. While the driving force behind ERP implementation is exploitation of the numerous benefits associated with transformation, there are several key challenges to address which can mean the difference between success and failure. Data quality is a critical factor in the successful implementation of any ERP system. It is a key factor in optimizing system performance and maintaining an uninterrupted and acceptable level of support to the war fighter. The following research provides a representative snapshot and evaluates current item record data quality in selected USAF legacy systems; specifically a comparison of data in the source system (D043A) versus the same data in the client system (SBSS). The analysis lays the foundation for developing an action plan for efficient and effective resource allocation to cleanse the legacy system data prior to migrating into ECSS, thereby creating an operating environment more prone to a successful implementation.