Electronically Record Dredge Activities

ERDC TN-DOER-I4

August 2000

(Beeman 1990). Another issue that must be evaluated is the impact of system cost on the issue of

fair competition (unrestricted large business versus small business).

This work unit will facilitate the desired standardization by weighing the previously mentioned

factors and suggesting a) the suite of data that meets most needs for contract administration, project

budgeting, and cost estimating of future work, and b) the accuracy and precision required of the

HPDSI.

Electronically Record Dredge Activities. Pertinent data should be automatically recorded

by the HPDSI. Data to be recorded should be outputs from the sensors and should provide the

system the ability to calculate and record dredging activities versus time and space.

Graphically Record Activities with Respect to Time and Space. The system should

create graphic displays of both sensor outputs and dredge activities as functions of time and location.

Some of these graphic plots should be predefined, and some should be user adaptable. All

information should be available to export to other data presentation programs, such as Geographic

Information Systems.

Automatically Create Dredging Reports. The system should automatically calculate and

display daily, monthly, and job dredging activities in a manner acceptable for long-term archiving

of the information. To take full advantage of the system, a complete plan for data retention and

archiving will have to be implemented at a consistent nationwide level. This plan must differentiate

between records kept for contract purposes, and records kept for project planning, budgeting, and

cost estimating.

Allow System Flexibility and Expandability. The system adapted must be both flexible and

expandable. It should be able to avoid technological obsolescence by incorporating new and

improved technology as it is developed. The adopted system should be able to respond to each

District's unique requirements without changing or increasing all systems to respond to the needs

of one District. Therefore, the system must be designed so individual users can add on individual

features without destroying the integrity or operation of the basic system. The requirements for the

"minimum" standards for reporting will also be changed from time to time as conditions change in

the industry and in the Corps of Engineers. The system should be able to accommodate those

changes.

Provide for Data Neutrality. The information developed should be neutral. It represents neither

"contractor" data nor "Corps" data, but rather will represent the facts of what happened aboard the

dredge during the dredging cycle. Information manually entered into the system will be differen-

tiated from that generated electronically. Likewise, data generated in the field or added in the office

should be separated from the results of data analysis.

Provide for Personnel Neutrality. The goal of the system is to operate without increasing the

number of people being used in dredge inspection and information archiving. Individual Districts

should be free to choose whatever inspection system suits them best, based on local conditions and

their responsibility for contract administration. Manning levels should not be dictated or imposed