Tapestry Solutions

Tapestry Solutions provides enterprise logistics software and services for global supply chains, mission planning, combat training and simulation systems.

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Boeing Awarded U.S. Military Load Planning and Tracking Sustainment Contract

November 12, 2019

Boeing (NYSE: BA) was awarded a re-compete contract from the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) to enhance and sustain the Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES). ICODES is a logistics software application that automates load planning and tracks cargo movements across land, air and sea for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

ICODES provides near real-time, end-to-end planning, tracking and forecasting of cargo stowage for aircraft, ships, rail and terminal yards, and supports unit move activities. The system’s ability to interface with multiple

ICODES ensures safe, efficient load planning for cargo and passengers aboard military transport aircraft including the C-17 Globemaster, pictured, as well as shipments across land and sea.  (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Hammock)

transportation and defense information systems enables users to seamlessly exchange critical data across the defense transportation network.

“With ICODES, our customers have a common operating picture for managing global cargo and passenger movements. It helps ensures safe, efficient cargo placement while significantly reducing load planning time and operational costs,” said Debbie Churchill, vice president, Mission Products & Services, Tapestry Solutions. “This award is a true testament of our customer-first commitment and deep domain experience across USTRANSCOM’s Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise.”

Work is being performed by Tapestry Solutions, part of Boeing Global Services, and teammates UNCOMN LLC and Jasper Solutions, Inc.

ICODES was originally developed in 1993 at a California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) research lab in San Luis Obispo and culminated into a small business effort. Boeing acquired the business and later transferred the ICODES program to Tapestry under a contract novation agreement.

Today, the Service Oriented Architecture-based ICODES system serves as the DOD’s program of record for multimodal load planning.

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As the top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing employs more than 150,000 people worldwide and leverages the talents of a global supplier base. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth.

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Contact:
Janet Dayton
janet.l.dayton@boeing.com

Published Nov. 7, 2019

Filed Under: Press Releases, Recent News Tagged With: Globemaster, ICODES, Load Planner, Ship Loading, USTRANSCOM

Tapestry Solutions Continues Support for the U.S. Transportation Command’s SMS/CMS Mobility Systems

November 13, 2018

Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing company [NYSE: BA], today announced it will provide ongoing sustainment support for the U.S. Transportation Command’s (USTRANSCOM) Single Mobility System (SMS)/Coalition Mobility System (CMS) under a subcontract agreement with Kforce Government Solutions, Inc. (KGS).  USTRANSCOM awarded the contract to KGS through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ VA T4NG contract vehicle.

SMS is the primary Command-and-Control (C2) system that provides aggregated tracking and visibility for all U.S. military cargo and passenger movements over land, air and sea.  With over 20,000 user accounts worldwide, the enterprise system enables personnel to view requirements, plan missions and track execution for real-world mobility operations and contingency/exercise planning. The CMS application supports coalition operations, providing situational awareness, collaboration and rapid coordination for coalition movements by aircraft, ship, rail and road.

U.S. Navy photo by Grady T. Fontana / Released

Tapestry Solutions, the developer, has supported the SMS/CMS program since its inception. Under the contract, Tapestry will continue to provide critical engineering and development services, including migration to cloud-based services, in collaboration with the KGS team.

“We are proud to play a major role in the development and modernization of SMS – a critical technology that has served as the entry point for the defense transportation system for nearly 20 years. We look forward to continuing our important work as a member of the KGS team,” said Robin Wright, President & CEO, Tapestry Solutions “Our team combines the best of Tapestry’s deep domain experience – and years of success supporting USTRANSCOM programs – with the KGS team’s diverse IT technologies and services.”

About Tapestry Solutions

Tapestry Solutions, Inc. is a global provider of information management software and services for defense, government and commercial markets. We provide mission planning, training and simulation support to maximize readiness for our warfighters. We also help solve logistics challenges for the world’s largest and most complex supply chains. Supporting customers from more than 50 locations worldwide, Tapestry Solutions is part of Boeing Global Services.

Operating as one of Boeing’s three business units, Global Services is headquartered in the Dallas area. For more information, visit www.boeing.com/services.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Boeing Global Services
janet.l.dayton@boeing.com

Published Nov. 13, 2018

Filed Under: Press Releases, Recent News Tagged With: ICODES, KGS, military deployment, Military Distribution, Single Mobility System, SMS, US Transportation Command, USTRANSCOM

How Load Planning Optimization Software Saves Time & Money – and Reduces Risks in Today’s Volatile Supply Chain

September 20, 2018

As today’s supply chains become increasing complex and volatile, having a sophisticated load planning solution is no longer an option – it’s a necessity. Embarkation specialists are constantly challenged with last-minute cargo changes, and they must respond quickly and efficiently to meet schedules and keep costs down.

However, without an automated system in place, logistics personnel must painstakingly re-calculate the balance, distribution and loading sequence for the cargo stowage. This laborious, manual process can result in costly delays and wreak havoc on the bottom line.

Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing Company, has addressed these challenges with the Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES) and its commercial derivative, GOLDesp Load Planner.  In the process, Tapestry’s customers are saving millions annually.

WHAT IS ICODES?
ICODES –  designated as the Single Load Planning Capability (SLPC) for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) – is an intelligent software platform that provides near real-time planning and tracking of cargo stowage for ships, aircraft, railcars, trucks and yards.

ICODES automates processes for multimodal load planning, ensures better space utilization, and improves supply chain performance in support of the military’s deployment and distribution operations.

ICODES interfaces with multiple cargo documentation systems, allowing users to easily exchange and interpret global cargo movement plans throughout the enterprise. ICODES also sends alerts that notify users of violations in a load plan or estimation.  In addition, ICODES optimizes logistics operations for the day-to-day management of transportation terminals, and provides predictive analysis for future operations.

In the detailed description below, learn why ICODES has served as the U.S. military’s #1 load planning platform for decades –and how the same technology is assisting Tapestry’s commercial customers today.

THE SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGE
Transporting military assets involves moving a vast amount of cargo around the globe – everything from vehicles, weapon systems, ammunition to communication assets, fuel and food supplies – by land, air and sea. It also involves the staging of military personnel.

Managing all the variables is extremely complex in the theater of war. Logistics personnel face uncertainty, threats and information saturation on a daily basis. The load planning process typically involves several modes of transportation, last-minute cargo changes and hazardous conditions.

With continuous information changes and problems that arise, commanders need access to timely and accurate information – actionable data they can easily understand – as well as complete situational awareness.

Decision-makers require a transportation management solution that provides in-transit visibility, speed, extensive documentation accuracy, security, and above all else, automatic reasoning and analysis capabilities.

In the commercial domain, shippers also require supply chain visibility and automation to meet the demands of their customers. Elsewhere in the private sector, other entities have increasingly rigorous lifecycle requirements beyond, but closely related to, shipping – tracking parts and completing other tasks.

A FRAMEWORK FOR MILITARY LOADING AND MORE
ICODES provides the military with a flexible, modular, load planning solution that features automatic reasoning and analysis capabilities. Built with intelligent software agents, ICODES has provided the framework for U.S. military load planning operations for over 20 years.

ICODES first became the system of record for the U.S. Army’s ship load planning operations in 1997, and by 2001, the U.S. Marine Corps came onboard. The U.S. Air Force adopted ICODES in 2015, and in parallel, the functionality of ICODES progressively widened to include rail and then aircraft.

Today, ICODES serves as the DoD’s joint program of record for multimodal (air, ship, rail and truck) global deployments. Approximately 25,000 U.S. military user accounts around the globe have access to ICODES.

ICODES remains responsive to the dynamic logistics environment for its end users today, and continues to evolve to meet user requirements well beyond this decade. Recent enhancements include the delivery of an Initial Operational Capability for a Sea Service Deployment Module (SSDM) for ICODES software v7.1.  The SSDM enhancement provides the U.S. Navy and Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a common operating picture for managing cargo and personnel movements via ICODES.

THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT
With ICODES technology, Tapestry calculates that the U.S. defense department is achieving annual sustainment cost savings of more than $10 million annually. These efficiencies are derived from its Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) environment, as well as its internal knowledge-base, intelligent software agents, and the automation of load planning task sequences.

As a result, ICODES has reduced the time to prepare load plans by 50% or more. In addition, users have access to myriad capabilities – all on a single platform – made possible with the SOA environment design principles (e.g., its standard API and “reusable” services).

The SOA infrastructure provides a highly modular, flexible platform that allows users to easily add new web applications and services, including legacy applications. This agile architecture provides a cost-effective way to add new capabilities to an enterprise-level system, for instance, without causing disruption to existing business processes within the system.

COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
Encouraged by U.S. military’s returns on investment,  ICODES technology has further been delivered to non-DoD customers as GOLDesp Load Planner and GOLDesp Terminal Manager commercial variants. Customers include the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Lithuania and NATO (Hungary) and Heavy Airlift Wing. These two commercial modules, which are fully compatible with ICODES, will be also be delivered to other nations’ defense forces over the next few months.

Tapestry’s customer base for non-defense operations is also diverse and expanding. In the public sector, the U.S. National Science Foundation has used the Load Planner tool in support of its Antarctica exploratory missions, enabling customized load planning for “routine” to the most challenging operational conditions requiring landing on sea-ice runways.

Other commercial entities that use the ICODES commercial modules include Wilhelmsen, Höegh Autoliners, Pasha Group, Liberty Global Logistics, SEACOR Holdings (previously as International Shipholding Corp.) and Logistics Management Institute.

The commercial customers use the technology to transport both commercial and military shipments, including cargo for U.S. DoD and international militaries.

THE TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATIONS
ICODES delivers six, high-level, functional capabilities to the customer. This suite of logistics services permit individuals in the logistics chain to intricately manage load planning, and successfully complete higher-order requirements up through managing ports, rail heads and other logistic nodes.

Artificial intelligence, in the form of embedded knowledge-based and rule-based agents, increase the speed, accuracy and quality of ICODES’ deployment operations.

Supply chains in the defense and commercial sectors also take advantage of SOA technology to complete lower-level, foundational capabilities, or micro services (services) for every requirement.

Combining these services within the SOA environment not only allows a system to execute highly complex computational tasks, but also extends the lifecycle of legacy systems. This, in turn, fills in functional gaps tailored to specific capabilities, allowing business processes to evolve.

A TEMPLATE FOR GROWTH
Current defense and commercial customers have further benefited from ICODES’ SOA infrastructure, which is made up of loosely coupled “services”  that are somewhat related but can also work independently to manage processes.  Its layered architecture is similar to the concept of LEGO blocks, allowing users to cost-effectively add functionality and easily evolve business processes.

This construct is permitting Tapestry’s development team to reuse existing functionalities, for example, and transition five legacy systems into a Cloud-compatible, Web application-based solution.

The implications of  service reusability is significant for prospective commercial and other customers, regardless of their annual sales volume, or other metric of size.  Rather than buy new off-the-shelf software, the end users can use service-oriented blocks in ICODES’ architecture to build “new” tailored software, scaled to their requirements.

With this feature, customers achieve greater flexibility, reduced development time and other costs, as well as increased system stability.

In one example of the state-of-possible, Tapestry’s engineering team built a software interface – from storyboarding through testing and fielding – and integrated a legacy system into ICODES in only 60 days.

Tapestry’s competencies in building software interfaces are well established, with approximately 25 interfaces supported by ICODES. The applications within ICODES include the Single Load Planner, Conveyance Estimator, Conveyance Builder, Data Manager, Data Cleanser, Conveyance Repository, Hand-Held Terminal Administrator, Information Repository, Breakbulk Tool, and more.

FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Tapestry Solutions is focused on helping current and prospective customers keep supply chain costs down and gain other efficiencies through concurrent program and technology enhancements.

The DoD has contracted with Tapestry Solutions to redesign particular, remaining legacy logistics applications to become services-capable and link into ICODES’ SOA infrastructure – the Collaborative Information Workspace (CIW).

Beyond these programmatic advancements, future ICODES technology enhancements will leverage Tapestry’s competencies in RFID and its Enterprise Sensor Integration (ESI) solution, which in turn, will become part of the SOA infrastructure.

Tapestry Solutions is further staying ahead of customers’ imminent migration to Cloud providers for computational and data storage purposes via  research and development programs, including an effort involving a commercial sector, Cloud service provider.

In addition, Tapestry is refining other capabilities in the service-client architecture environment, including options as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. An SaaS capability may conceptually provide military and commercial customers a “fee-for-service” or “pay-as-you-go” business model for ICODES/GOLDesp Load Planner access.

This technology thrust will further allow Tapestry Solution to move beyond the current ICODES program model of issuing quarterly, annual and other long-lead version upgrades, and be more continuously responsive (in weeks, or possibly days) to a customer’s change requests.

And finally, ICODES is transitioning from its Flash multimedia, software platform to the emerging Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) 5 format. This technology enhancement will streamline the server-to-client data exchange, allowing ICODES customers to run the latest version of the system on even “older” hardware – with a Web-browser required.

With  these emerging and existing technologies, ICODES/GOLDesp Load Planner tools are designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of load planning operations for years to come. To learn more, contact Tapestry for consultation or email marketing@tapestrysolutions.com 

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information
does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
Boeing Global Services
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

Filed Under: Blog Posts Tagged With: AI, Artificial Intelligence, ICODES, Load Planning, military deployment, Military Logistics, Shiploading, SOA, Terminal Management

NASA’s Announcement of First Commercial Crew Astronauts Hits Close to Home for Tapestry’s Engineering Team at San Luis Obispo Office

August 9, 2018

Space news took center stage at Tapestry and Boeing this month when NASA unveiled the first nine astronauts to crew commercial spacecraft to and from the International Space Station (ISS).  The news hit very close to home for Tapestry’s San Luis Obispo (“SLO”) office because one of the astronauts, Victor Glover, is a graduate of SLO’s California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly).

NASA astronaut Victor Glover, a 1999 Cal Poly graduate, has been selected to fly Crew Dragon, a private spaceship built by SpaceX, to the International Space Station in 2019. (Photo: Bill Ingalls/ NASA)

Like Glover, Tapestry has a close connection with Cal Poly – the alma mater for the majority of the software engineering and testing talent at its SLO office.  Although Tapestry’s Cal Poly alumni aren’t flying spaceships, they’re grounded in Southern California developing software for military, government and commercial customers around the world.

The engineering team at the 140-person SLO facility supports software development for products including ICODES load planning / yard management solutions for the U.S. Transportation Command, as well as Tapestry’s GOLDesp MRO & Supply.  GOLDesp is a leading tri-service software that also supports IT maintenance and supply activities for the International Space Station under the Boeing administration. Each month, GOLDesp handles over 25,000 transactions monthly supporting 2,000+  assets for the ISS.

Glover: Destined for Spaceflight

Glover is the fourth Cal Poly graduate to become an astronaut, according to The Tribune.  After earning his bachelor’s degree in engineering at Cal Poly in 1999, Glover went on earn three masters degrees while serving in the Navy. He has served as a Navy commander, aviator and test pilot with almost 3,000 hours flying more than 40 different aircraft.

Glover will join eight other astronauts who will crew the first test flight and mission of  Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Glover will fly missions aboard the SpaceX.

In a recent Tweet, Glover (@VicGlover) said: “I am overwhelmed and humbled to be a part of the @SpaceX team for my first flight! Feeling extremely grateful that the agency and our leadership have confidence in these crews to be part of such a critical mission. This is a big step for @NASA and for our Nation! #LaunchAmerica”

Meet ‘Fergie’ with Boeing’s Starliner Crew

NASA Astronaut Eric Boe, Boeing Commericial Test Astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA Astronaut Nicole Mann (Photo: Boeing)

Also making headlines is Boeing’s CST-100 crew, including Boeing’s very own Chris Ferguson (“Fergie”) who will fly missions alongside NASA’s Eric Boe and Nicole Mann. Ferguson has been an integral part of the Starliner program since retiring from NASA and joining Boeing in 2011. He spent more than 40 days in space for NASA during three shuttle missions. (Source: Boeing)

Ferguson hopes to make history as the first private citizen to launch to orbit on a commercially operated rocket, reports the Washington Post.  Mann will also make history as the first female astronaut on the inaugural crewed flight of a new U.S. spacecraft.

Mann is a U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and pilot of the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet, while Boe is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who was a test pilot on the Boeing F-15. Boe will be making his third trip to space.

The nine astronauts will be among the first Americans to launch into orbit from U.S. soil since NASA’s space shuttle program shut down in 2011. Since then, NASA has depended on Russia’s Soyuz rockets and spacecraft to transport American astronauts to the ISS at a hefty price: upward of $70 million per seat.

Boeing aims to launch its CST-100 Starliner capsule on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in mid-2019 if everything goes according to plan.

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
Boeing Global Services
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

 

Filed Under: Blog Posts Tagged With: Cal Poly, Chris Ferguson, GOLDesp, ICODES, ISS, SLO, Space X, Starliner, Victor Glover

Optimizing Supply Chains with Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) – The Foundation for the U.S. Military’s ICODES Load-Planning System

September 16, 2017

All supply chains focus on keeping costs down by optimizing their existing processes and systems.  As the world becomes more complex, however, today’s systems have trouble keeping up with the demand to expand services and processes. As a result, organizations are leveraging the power of service-oriented architecture (SOA).

SOA gives organizations the agility and flexibility to connect legacy systems with new applications, saving time and money. In essence, SOA makes existing resources more productive and helps supply chains manage increasingly complex infrastructures.

Service-oriented architecture is by no means a new concept in the software industry – especially in the defense industry. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has relied on SOA for over 20 years to optimize its load-planning processes.  While many claim that SOA is outdated, it is becoming more relevant than ever. In fact, SOA is alive and well and remains a solid foundation for enterprises.

As its name implies, service-oriented architecture is made up of loosely coupled “services” that are somewhat related but can also work independently to manage processes and create order. It is a cost-effective way to add new capabilities to an enterprise-level system, for instance, without causing disruption to business processes that are using the existing capabilities of the system.

The services within the SOA environment are designed to perform basic functions. Combining these functions into a service-oriented architecture not only allows a system to execute highly complex computational tasks, but also extends the lifecycle of legacy systems. This, in turn, fills in functional gaps tailored to specific capabilities, allowing business processes to evolve.

Similar to the concept of Lego Blocks, SOA facilitates easy connectivity to other applications – allowing users to add and enhance components over time.

 THE FRAMEWORK FOR MILITARY LOAD PLANNING

The modular, component-based SOA architecture is at the heart of the DoD’s load-planning system, known as the Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES). The DoD adopted ICODES in the late 1990s when it recognized the need to consolidate the various maritime load-planning systems into one integrated computerized system. After reviewing several options, they found their solution with ICODES, developed by Tapestry Solutions, Inc.

Built from the ground up with SOA, ICODES was designed to address the complexities inherent in military load-planning – a process that involves the strategic placement of cargo and personnel as well as route optimization. As with commercial supply chains, the goal is to reduce transportation costs, save time and ensure the safety of cargo and personnel.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nick Cerilli.

Load-planning is extremely complex for the military, which probably moves more freight than any other private enterprise or civilian operation, noted Stephen Goodman in his article, Strategic Load Planning.

“Basically, if America’s warfighters can wear it, eat it, drive it or shoot it, military logisticians are responsible for getting it to them,” Goodman explained.

More specifically, transporting military assets from the U.S. to overseas locations involves moving a vast amount of cargo – everything from vehicles, weapon systems, ammunition to communication assets, fuel and food supplies – by land, air and sea. It also involves the staging of military personnel.

Transporting the cargo safely and efficiently all begins with load-planning. “During load-planning, the loadmaster plans how to optimize the cargo space within an aircraft or container ship,” Goodman explained. “Overall, it is the responsibility of the loadmaster to ensure that the load can be safely carried by the transport, and on-loaded and off-loaded quickly and efficiently.”

MANAGING UNCERTAINTY, COMPLEXITIES IN THE THEATER OF WAR

In the theater of war, load-planning is compounded by uncertainty, complexity and information saturation. It typically involves several modes of transportation, last-minute cargo changes and hazardous conditions, according to the white paper, ICODES: A Load-Planning System That Demonstrates the Value of Ontologies in the Realm of Logistical Command and Control.

Oftentimes, there is a need for frequent re-planning due to changes in priority or as routes in the theater become temporarily unavailable due to inclement weather or enemy activities.

With continuous information changes and problems that arise during load-planning, commanders are saturated with a wealth of data in dynamically changing situations. They need access to timely and accurate information – actionable data they can easily understand and quickly exploit to make important decisions. Commanders also need complete situational awareness.

This requires a system that enables in-transit visibility, speed, extensive documentation accuracy, security, and above all else, automatic reasoning and analysis capabilities. Since shipments can be impacted by many factors during combat operations, the system must be adaptive and responsive.

To effectively address these complexities, it was necessary to find a flexible, modular solution that would consolidate all this data, and find solutions to problems as they arise. The solution should incorporate “intelligent software capable of analyzing the large amounts of data … and most importantly the extensive relationships that bind these components together,” according to the white paper.

AN INFORMATION-CENTRIC SYSTEM

With service-oriented architecture, the ICODES solution includes “expert software agents with automatic reasoning and analysis capabilities,” according to Dr. Jens Pohl, Chief Technology Officer, Tapestry Solutions. It was one of the nation’s first examples of “information-centric” military decision-support systems.

Its SOA interface allows “each service to be utilized in a manner that ensures that the end-product of one service becomes the starting point of another service,” asserts another white paper, Knowledge Management Enterprise Services (KMES) Concepts and Implementation Principles. This defining characteristic of service-oriented architecture enables a continuous flow of information, supporting multiple transportation and general logistics operations.

To be as flexible as possible, an SOA environment is “highly modular, platform independent, compliant with standards, and incorporates mechanisms for identifying, categorizing, provisioning, delivering, and monitoring service,” according to the white paper, authored by Dr. Pohl.

The modular software suite within ICODES, for instance, enables individual applications to work together and provide an array of capabilities. Each application performs specialized functions configured to interact with other applications either automatically or under the users’ direction.

The interoperability between applications is a key design feature of the ICODES suite, providing a flexible and comprehensive platform for the DoD and commercial users. The SOA architecture promotes better collaboration between users and its services. This ensures all stages of load-planning are managed effectively and efficiently.

ICODES: A DoD SYSTEM OF RECORD

ICODES has emerged as a system of record, serving as the single load-planning capability for the DoD. Among its functions, ICODES provides near real-time planning and tracking of cargo stowage for air, ocean, rail, and truck, allowing users to easily exchange and interpret global cargo movement plans. It also optimizes logistics operations for the day-to-day management of transportation terminals and provides predictive analysis for future operations.

Today, over 20,000 users rely on ICODES to create effective and efficient load-plans for vessels, aircraft, railcars and trucks/trailers. With is automatic reasoning and analysis capabilities, ICODES enables users to monitor various stages of the load-planning process and suggests solutions to existing and potential problems. For example, it provides notifications of issues such as weight imbalances and improperly stowed hazardous materials.

Its commercially available modules, called GOLDesp Load Planner and GOLDesp Terminal Manager, are also gaining popularity in non-DoD markets.

Because it is based on SOA concepts and design principles, ICODES’ functionality continues to expand – allowing users to quickly adapt to the fast-paced, mobile landscape within supply chains. Above all, ICODES helps commanders make sense of volumes of data, so they can make better decisions faster when every second counts.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information
does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

 

 

Filed Under: Blog Posts Tagged With: ICODES, Load Planning, Service Oriented Architecture, SOA, Web Services

ICODES Upgrades to Enhance Military Distribution and Deployment Processes for Joint Services

August 18, 2017

Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing Company, continues to enhance deployment planning and transportation functions for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) with its Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES) – a DoD system of record for loading vessels, aircraft and railcars, as well as supporting yard management.

Most recently, Tapestry delivered an Initial Operational Capability for a Sea Service Deployment Module (SSDM) for ICODES software v7.1. SSDM provides the U.S. Navy and Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a common operating picture for managing cargo and personnel movements via ICODES.

SSDM will replace the MAGTF (Marine Air-Ground Task Force) Deployment Support System, Version 2 (MDSS II) and merge its capabilities into ICODES. The MAGTF database enables commanders to manage, track and rapidly deploy a unit’s assets and personnel anywhere in the world.

ICODES has served as the DoD’s Joint Service logistics planning and execution system since 1997 and currently has over 30,000 global users.   The web-based enterprise technology provides end-to-end supply chain visibility of cargo load plans, including distribution forecasting and planning.

ABOUT ICODES

ICODES increases the efficiency of transportation planning performance by incorporating intelligent software agents that offer technical solutions to complex problems. The software agents monitor operations in near-real time, and issues alerts of inconsistencies for item placement and hazardous item segregation and storage. Users also have direct access to multi-user collaborative planning and comprehensive customizable reports.

A central component of ICODES is the Single Load Planner, or SLP, which interfaces with multiple cargo documentation systems to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of cargo data within a load plan.  The ICODES Terminal Management Module expands upon the basic yard capabilities in the SLP by adding the element of time, geospatial representation of the facility, and tracking the history of cargo items as they are manipulated.

Major features of ICODES include:

  • Load planning for ships, aircraft, railcars, and yards
  • Load estimation for pallets, containers, trucks, and trailers
  • Agent alerts that notify users of warnings or violations in a load plan or estimation
  • Near real-time tracking and monitoring
  • Representation of conveyance and cargo reference data
  • Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) technology
  • Enterprise with stand-alone fallback capability

Commercial variants of ICODES include GOLDesp Terminal Manager and GOLDesp Load Planner.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information
does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

 

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Uncategorized Tagged With: cargo tracking, ICODES, Service Oriented Architecture, Single Load Planner, SOA, Web Services

Tapestry and RSAE Labs Demonstrate Advanced Cargo Tracking and Monitoring Solution for U.S. Navy Officials

July 11, 2017

Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing company, and RSAE Labs, a veteran-owned small business, recently demonstrated an advanced asset management solution for U.S. Navy officials that solves logistics challenges related to cargo tracking and monitoring. The solution demonstrated how the integration of software agents, wireless mesh networks and sensor devices can ensure total asset visibility – in open sky or indoor areas without GPS access.

The Department of Defense uses ICODES for global movements of cargo across all modes of transportation – as represented in the photo above involving an SH-60 lifting a cargo pallet from a supply ship.

The companies integrated Tapestry’s software technologies developed for military’s Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES) with the automatic location and monitoring features of RSAE Labs’ mist® mesh network.

ICODES is one of Tapestry’s premier software tools used for military deployment and distribution processes, including conveyance load-planning and yard management. It enables real-time collaborative planning and tracking of cargo for vessels, aircraft and railcars and provides a common operating picture across facilities. ICODES has been the Department of Defense’s vessel load planning system of record since 1997 and has served as its single load planning capability since 2007. Today, ICODES serves over 22,000 global users.

RSAE Labs’ mist solution is an ultra-low power, self-healing mesh protocol that incorporates Automatic Identification Technology (AIT) devices, such as sensor tags, location beacons and network gateways. Unlike other AIT solutions limited to periodic manual or choke-point scans, mist can provide continuous end-to-end visibility of tagged assets in near real-time without the need for a fixed infrastructure.  This enables regular position updates and timely sensor alerts for assets as they move through the supply chain.

The demonstration validated that mist asset tags can reliably provide ICODES timely position information, enabling fast and accurate responses.

 

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information
does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Contact:

Janet Dayton
Tapestry Solutions Inc.
jdayton@tapestrysolutions.com

 

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Uncategorized Tagged With: asset visibility, cargo tracking, ICODES, military deployment, RSAE labs, sensors, USTRANSCOM

Tapestry Solutions Announces Contract for ICODES Version 7

August 12, 2015

SAN DIEGO, August 12, 2015 – Tapestry Solutions, a non-fully integrated subsidiary of Boeing [NYSE: BA], was awarded a $16.3 million United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) contract to enhance and sustain the Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES). ICODES is a joint decision-support system that provides near real-time planning and tracking of cargo stowage for air, ocean, rail, and truck, allowing users to easily exchange and interpret global cargo movement plans.

“We are proud to have the privilege of supporting the ICODES program and continuing our deep commitment to the warfighter,” said Geoffrey Evans President & CEO of Tapestry Solutions and Miro Technologies. “This contract win is a testament to our innovative load planning and cargo management capabilities and the dedication of our people to the success of the program.”

ICODES increases the efficiency of transportation planning performance by incorporating expert computer agents that offer technical solutions to complex problems. The software agents monitor various stages of the load-planning process and suggest solutions, notifying users of issues with load plans.

“The win ensures that the warfighter will continue to receive the highest levels of load planning and terminal management support and service available in the DoD,” stated Tony Rigazzi, Vice President of Mission Products and Services of Tapestry Solutions.

ICODES is the United States Government’s single load planning solution. USTRANSCOM uses ICODES for global movements of cargo across all modes of transportation.

Tapestry will provide 18 months of software development and enhancements and three option years of sustainment support. The contract will be performed out of Tapestry’s San Luis Obispo, CA office and at Scott Air Force Base, IL.

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Press Releases Tagged With: ICODES, SOA

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