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News
AUGUST 2011 (Hurricane Irene Response)
JUNE 2011 (USCG MRTT Contract Award)
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IDEAMATICS was awarded a contract to continue support for and development of U.S.
Coast Guard’s Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool (MRTT). The MRTT System has been
instrumental in providing USCG rapid response to National emergencies such as the
2011 MidWest Floods, DeepWater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill, Haiti Earthquake and Hurricanes
Ike and Gustav.
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MAY 2011 (NLE 2011)
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IDEAMATICS participated in the recent FEMA sponsored National Level Exercise 2011
(NLE 2011) hosted in New Orleans, LA on 16-19 May 2011. IDEAMATICS’ staff worked
with U.S. Coast Guard District 8 to provide hands-on training in the application
of the MRTT to respond to the gamed emergency.
NLE 2011 coincided with a real-life emergency of the Mississippi flooding, To that
end, our team assisted in the response provided by the USCG for the “2011 High Water”
disaster designation.
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NOVEMBER 2010 (USCG Innovation EXPO)
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The U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters‘ Incident Management & Cross Contingency Division
participated in the 2010 USCG Innovation EXPO hosted in Tampa, FL 2-4 November 2010.
This is the second year in a row that the Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool supported by IDEAMATICS
has been featured at the EXPO, providing the opportunity to tell the story of its
success during Cost Guard response operations over the past two years, highlighting
recent Haitian Earthquake and Deepwater Horizon (DWH) activities.
Six flag rank officers visited the MRTT booth to review the potential of future
use to improve USCG responsiveness, including:
- VADM Brice-O’Hara (Vice Commandant)
- RADM Hewitt (CG-1)
- RADM Day (Senior Reserve Officer, Atlantic Area)
- RDML Welch (Senior Reserve Officer, Pacific Area)
- RDML Thomas (CG-53)
- VADM (Ret.) Cross (former Vice Commandant)
Most visitors to the booth, including senior Auxiliary officers, were extremely
interested in gaining access to MRTT in order to help during response operations.
Team IDEAMATICS appreciated the opportunity to demonstrate the MRTT with our Team
Coast Guard counterparts.
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JULY 2010 (USN SEAPORT-E)
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IDEAMATICS, Inc. has been awarded a SeaPort-e contract for responding to requirements
of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and other US Navy commands.
SeaPort-e is the Navy's electronic platform for acquiring support services in 22
functional areas including Engineering, Financial Management, and Program Management.
The Navy Systems Commands (NAVSEA, NAVAIR, SPAWAR, NAVFAC, and NAVSUP), the Office
of Naval Research, the United States Marine Corps, and the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency (DTRA) compete their service requirements amongst SeaPort-e IDIQ multiple
award contract holders. SeaPort-e provides an efficient and effective means of contracting
for professional support services and enhancing small business participation.
This contract enables IDEAMATICS to provide a wide variety of information technology
solutions to Navy users. All of the company's staff have security clearances and
almost half of its staff have masters degrees. In addition, IDEAMATICS has direct,
long term experience with the human resource management systems used by the Navy,
Marine Corps, Coast Guard and U.S. Joint Forces Command.
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JULY 2010 (BABY ONBOARD, ROUND TWO!)
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Congratulations to Michael and Melissa Schwartz on the birth of Gabrielle Michelle
Schwartz. Mike's colleagues at IDEAMATICS are happy that the we now have a new girl,
"Schwartz 2.0", to compliment the June arrival of Linus. Our Colorado office is
really growing - in more ways than one!
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June 2010 (Gulf Oil Spill Response)
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The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the largest contingency, to date, for which
the USCG MRTT developed by IDEAMATICS has been successfully used. Once again, it
has proven to be invaluable in the contingency response. So far, over 7,400 Coast
Guard personnel have been deployed to support this effort.
The Individual Member's Readiness rating available in MRTT allowed sourcers to not
only identify members with the requested competencies, but also those that require
training in order to be qualified to fill the need for personnel.
In conjunction with the 24/7 technical support, the IDEAMATICS team was dispatched
to the Unified Command Center in New Orleans, LA to provide onsite training and
support for Operation Deepwater Horizon.
Click here for more information on the MRTT:
Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool (MRTT)
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June 2010 (Baby Onboard!)
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Congratulations to Chad and Pamela Markgraf on the birth of Linus Edward Markgraf.
Chad's colleagues in IDEAMATICS' Colorado office remarked on the successful deployment
of "Markgraf 2.0" and his choice of the company green attire. Older brother Myles
is preparing a quick start guide to sibling care.
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May 2010 (Millington, TN Flooding)
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Quick Efforts Saves Essential Data During Flood
MILLINGTON, TN -- While many of the Navy's web-based manpower systems were taken
offline due to flash flooding at the Navy's personnel headquarters in Millington,
TN, the Navy & Marine Corps Mobilization Processing System (NMCMPS) records contained
on the servers were safe. All applications were fully restored and quickly back
online.
"When the flood hit and the water started rising, we shut down key personnel systems
to limit long-term damage. Our singular goal was to save personnel data," said Force
Master Chief (AW/SW/NAC) Jon D. Port, Navy Personnel Command force master chief.
"Contractors and government civilians and even the Coast Guard, based in downtown
Memphis on the Mississippi River, joined the duty crew. Together, they pulled critical
disks and drives from personnel systems that track the entire Navy." He said their
quick action saved key personnel data that allowed NPC to be operational sooner.
Less than a week after torrential rains sent up to four feet of water across Naval
Support Activity Mid-South (NSA) Millington, Navy Personnel Command (NPC), the unclassified
portion of the NMCMPS was up and running and synchronized with the classified NMCMPS
Requirements Tracking Module which had been executing at the Pentagon without interruption.
The May 1 flooding caused base-wide power and phone outages, interrupted internet
access and damaged the servers that provide NMCI services to the more than 2,000
military, civilians and contractors that work at NPC as well as PERSNET which hosts
a variety of systems that provide services to the fleet.
* Some information above gathered from Navy News Service (NNS)
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May 2010 (ASMR's Winning Team)
IDEAMATICS, Inc. is pleased to be a part of the ASM Research team that was awarded
the U.S. Army's Human Resources Solutions (HR Solutions) contract for Studies and
Analysis Support of the Army's HR Community.
This multi-year IDIQ contract enables IDEAMATICS to work side-by-side with a top
provider of long-term support for the Army's HR Community to build a broader, stronger,
mutually beneficial relationship with the organization. All of the company's staff
have security clearances and almost half of its staff have masters degrees. In addition,
IDEAMATICS has direct, long term experience with the human resource management systems
used by the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and, indirectly through the U.S. Joint
Forces Command, the HR systems of the Army and Air Force.
Coupled with our philosophy of lifetime learning, continuous client involvement
and creative approaches to studying and solving complex issues and situations, our
knowledge and experience will ensure that the Army HR Community will receive the
best possible results on every project in which we are involved.
January 2010 (Haiti Earthquake Response)
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In January, the United States Coast Guard was called to action to assist with Haiti
Earthquake relief efforts. With the help of MRTT's Member Match functionality, the
Coast Guard was able to identify personnel with the necessary qualifications to
answer the call. MRTT facilitated with the deployment of 903 Coast Guard personnel.
The reports generated using MRTT aided the USCG in closely monitoring the number
of personnel used, their location at any given time, and their respective in theatre/demobilization
dates.
The accurate data provided by MRTT during the Haiti Earthquake Response was an integral
part of the Coast Guard successful response effort.
Click here for more information on the MRTT:
Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool (MRTT)
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November 2009 (USCG)
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Kajal Doshi and LT Christopher Tantillo at Exhibit Booth 1518
IDEAMATICS participated in the 2009 Coast Guard Innovation Expo at Virginia Beach,
VA, 17th-19th, demonstrating the Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool. Created and
supported by IDEAMATICS, the MRTT was highly praised in an article in "The Officer".
Read the article here.
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October 2009 (MRTT GSN Award)
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The U.S. Coast Guard's Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool (MRTT) has been selected
as a Government Security News (GSN) 2009 Homeland Security Award winner!
The award for Most Significant Information-Sharing Program was presented October
28, 2009 at the Honors Reception and Dinner at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.
The ballroom was packed with officials from federal, state and local government
agencies, as well as the CEOs and other executives of prominent companies in the
IT Security and Physical Security fields.
Summary of the Award Text:
The Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool (MRTT) is recognized for the end-to-end
improvements it has facilitated in the Coast Guard's emergency and disaster personnel
surge response communications and operations. MRTT is a web based tool that accesses
the Coast Guard's electronic data warehouse (EDW) to search out the proper personnel
resources needed for the operation. As a web based system, with proper authorization,
personnel can utilize the system whether they are at the office, home, or TDY, thereby
reducing a unit's response time. The system is also password protected so that unauthorized
personnel cannot access MRTT or its host data bases. Requestors (those at the affected
units, i.e. Sectors, etc.) enter the requirements (could be individual augmentation,
full or partial Contingency Personnel Requirements List - CPRL), forwards the request
to an approver, who then forwards it to the appropriate ISC (pre-modernization),
where an electronic search for the appropriate personnel takes place. What took,
in some cases, hours to research, now takes minutes. Once a match is made, the appropriate
steps are taken to issue orders and the individual is ordered to the appropriate
site. MRTT is capable of ordering active duty, reserve component, civilians, chaplains,
and contractors to duty under this system, and with the proper authorization. Once
the surge operation is completed, MRTT is instrumental in demobilizing reserve personnel
and sending active duty, civilians, and contractors back to their home units with
minimal delay and an assurance that all of the necessary administrative work that
is required is completed.
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October 2009 (FAA)
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IDEAMATICS chosen by FAA for five year FAA Master Ordering Agreement (MOA) under
the new Electronic FAA Accelerated and Simplified Tasks (eFAST) program. Read more
about the MOA and eFast here.
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October 2009 (Outstanding Service Award)
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Mike Schwartz Recognized for Outstanding Service
President and CEO of Ideamatics, Dr. David Danner, presented Mike Schwartz, Vice
President, with an Outstanding Service Award. The award recognizes Mr. Schwartz
for over a decade of dedicated service at Ideamatics.
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February 2009
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IDEAMATICS Team Wins Navy Recognition
The Navy-Marine Corps Mobilization Processing System Project Team was selected as
a 2009 Department of the Navy (DON) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Information
Management/Information Technology Excellence Award winner for their contributions
toward transforming the Navy and Marine Corps through information technology. Dr.
David Danner, IDEAMATICS, Jaime Wiley, Microsoft Corp., and LCDR Selina Burford,
NPC, received the award from Robert Carey, DON CIO, on behalf of the team at a ceremony
held in San Diego.
--- Positive Information Network (PIN): The
Newsletter for BUPERS Millington/NPC Employees (Issue 8)
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The award was presented in front of hundreds of Navy, other military, and other
government agency and contractor attendees at the Navy Honors Reception and Dinner
on Wednesday, 11 February 2009, at the San Diego Convention Center. The program
was part of the AFCEA/USNI WEST Conference.
Summary of the Award Text:
The Navy-Marine Corps Mobilization Processing System (NMCMPS) Team is recognized
for its rapid design, development and implementation of the core system for what
has become the US Navy's authoritative Web-based Individual Augmentation tracking
system in support of the Global War on Terror. The Development Team, comprised of
representatives from several key Navy organizations and small business application
software firms, used commercial development tools to create a web-enabled personnel
requirements and fulfillment system which operates across Department of Defense
secure and non-secure environments using role based permissions to allow use by
commands throughout the world.
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Prior News
December 2008 (MRTT)
"Modernizing the Force" article praises the MRTT:
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Coast Guard Reserve transitions to a new operational model while carrying out its
mission. This is an exciting time for the Coast Guard Reserve Force. As part of
a proposed modernization effort within the Coast Guard, we are seizing the opportunity
to update our Reserve support organizational structure. Modernizing our Reserve
Force begins with implementing the Reserve Force Readiness System (RFRS), a system
that is designed to provide the best support and ensure the maximum readiness of
all Reservists. It's all about placing the right people in the right position to
do the right work. It involves placing trained full-time support personnel at the
mission execution point of our organization; for the Coast Guard, that is at our
sectors, the Deployable Operations Group (DOG), and district offices where our Reservists
perform key training and readiness activities. This effort is sometimes referred
to as "Integration 2.0" as we make adjustments based on lessons learned since 1995.
To properly staff RFRS, we must re-position many of our full-time support (FTS)
billets. Over the past six months we have made significant progress in this effort.
In June the commandant approved the RFRS model for the future management of our
Reserve Force, and we are currently in the middle of a large-scale effort to re-position
the FTS billets that will support RFRS. Additionally, we have proposed to grow our
Reserve Force with two new port security units (PSUs) to be requested through the
budget process, along with the FTS to support them; and in the future, we are planning
to add up to 200 new billets in the field to support our operational commanders.
These efforts will ensure that our Reserve Force is properly sized and ready to
respond to all threats and all hazards facing our nation.
From an operational standpoint, our Reserve Force is actively engaged in expeditionary
and domestic missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Our PSUs have deployed to a number of locations in support of these missions, and
other mobilized Reservists are assisting with military outload missions and maritime
safety and security deployments. Domestically, many of our Reservists were recently
activated to support response-and-recovery efforts due to Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna,
and Ike.
We continue to work closely with the Navy and Marine Corps in many of our maritime
mission areas. At our Special Missions Training Center at Camp Lejeune, N. C, we
train side by side on our small boats with both Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
The Coast Guard has just announced that it will provide an opportunity for Coast
Guard personnel to train with and become qualified as Navy SEALs. The Coast Guard
has been a maritime service for more than 218 years, and our interaction and joint
efforts with the Navy and Marine Corps have never been greater than they are today
as we respond to the many maritime threats that face our nation.
During this past year, the Coast Guard continued to deploy Reservists to Joint Task
Force (JTF) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Since 2002, the Coast Guard has provided support
for numerous roles within the JTF whose mission is to provide for the safe and humane
care and custody of detained enemy combatants. Coast Guard assets, including PSUs,
marine safety and security teams, and other elements, have supported primarily waterside
anti-terrorism and force protection security at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The Coast Guard currently has 75 Reserve personnel serving in this capacity, with
personnel rotations occurring approximately every six to nine months.
For the Coast Guard, operating in a joint arena often includes working with multiple
federal and state agencies in response to natural disasters. Earlier this year,
when water levels were rising in several Midwestern states, the Coast Guard deployed
18 Disaster Area Response Teams as part of a response coordinated by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Each team consisted of three flat-bottom boats
and seven Coast Guard crews. These crews of Active and Reserve personnel were part
of an effort that included the Army Corps of Engineers, General Services Administration,
Defense Logistics Agency, Small Business Association, National Guard, Environmental
Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Energy,
and Department of Labor.
Similarly, the Coast Guard Reserve responded to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike by deploying
more than 4,000 man-days of support under the Coast Guard's unique Title 14 authority.
What made these deployments different was the employment of the newly developed
Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool (MRTT), a web-based solution for tracking and
reporting the mobilization and demobilization process for all Coast Guard members.
MRTT was modeled after the Navy-Marine Corps Mobilization Processing System, customized
for the Coast Guard. Starting Oct. 1, MRTT was also able to track dwell time.
A highlight for the Coast Guard Reserve in 2008 was the advancement of Reserve education.
During October, we finalized the acceptance of 120 new distance-learning courses
eligible for Reserve Retirement Points. The Coast Guard is an integral part of the
national response framework and routinely interacts with other agencies on a daily
basis. To bolster the interagency response capability, the Coast Guard has evaluated
and approved distance-learning courses offered through National Defense University,
Defense Acquisition University, and FEMA's Emergency Management Institute. These
courses meet the spirit of the Reserve Policy Statement and assist members in obtaining
the technical skills and leadership necessary to support joint and interagency responses
during mobilization. Each year, my staff will promulgate a list of approved courses.
Last but not least is the Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) incorporation into the Selected
Reserve benefit package and the development of a new physical screening process.
As of the September 2008 TRS enrollment report, the Coast Guard Reserve had 540
total plans in effect (253 are member-only; 287 are family plans) for a total of
1,256 "covered lives." This benefit in today's economic environment is vital to
ensuring health coverage and helping protect our drilling Reservists from financial
crisis. Additionally, the new Periodic Health Assessment is currently being piloted
at five Coast Guard clinics. It is an annual physical screening exam that will replace
the previous quinquennial (every five years) and triennial (every three years for
personnel over age 50) exams. For Reservists, the Reserve Health Readiness Program
contract will be used. It is nearly ready for pilot testing with the Coast Guard;
full implementation for the Reserve community is slated for January. Further information
can be obtained from Coast Guard message ALCOAST 355/08, 251842ZJUL08.
A year in review would not be complete without mention of the operational excellence
within our integrated work force. In the mid-1990s, the Coast Guard opted for Reserve
augmentation of the Active Duty work force (on-the-job training) as a means to leverage
manpower while keeping the Reserve Force current in training and qualifications.
This year was highlighted by Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, FIa., earning the
ROA Bud Sparks Total Force Award. Sector St. Petersburg's high level of readiness,
efficiency, and effective integration is directly attributed to its totally integrated
work force, where both the sector and the Coast Guard benefit. The sector's ability
to achieve superior integration levels, using a combination of innovative and time-tested
leadership methods, epitomized the definition of Team Coast Guard. During this period,
Sector St. Petersburg realized a 400 percent increase (from Fiscal ifear 2006) in
safety and security evolutions, a grade of 100 percent on the Reserve section of
the Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic compliance inspection, and fully
incorporated inspections and investigations teams, boat crews, and Vessel Boarding
and Safety Teams. Sector St. Petersburg personnel have collectively demonstrated
the spirit of the Sparks award: measurably improving readiness and emphasizing integration.
The Coast Guard is a total force organization, and our Reserve Component is critical
to the service's ability to meet all the requirements in today's post-9/11 world.
Our Reserve Force is ready for the challenge and lives by our motto Semper Paratus
every day.
--- May, D. R., The Officer, "Modernizing
the Force", Dec 2008
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December 2008 (NMCMPS)
The Navy and Marine Corps Mobilization Processing System (NMCMPS) total development
team, including NAVY program managers, key Navy Command and staff organizations,
system users and contractors led by IDEAMATICS, recently completed its fourth quarter
2008 workshop. Used world-wide, NMCMPS was designed from day one to be able to meet
the vast user base's emerging requirements without major modifications to the core
software. This design philosophy is known as spiral development. The preplanned
workshops, integral to the IDEAMATICS development methodology are a technique for
reviewing the current NMCMPS status, identifying the emerging issues and requirements,
as well as establishing the Navy's priorities for the next development cycle. Potential
requirements are also proposed for future development and testing cycles. In the
near future, NMCMPS will provide users with expanded performance metrics, more powerful
system wide reporting tools, and the capability for select Navy organizations to
use ID card bar code readers for direct input into the system.
November 2008
U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) conducted a workshop for its new, soon to launch,
Joint Capabilities Requirements Manager (JCRM) system. While there was broad based
military attendance representing each of the Armed Services and major Combatant
Commands (COCOMS), the Navy and Marine Corps Mobilization Processing program manager
was one of only two non-USJFCOM systems representatives requested to attend. The
IDEAMATICS representative was the only non-JCRM contractor in attendance. The JCRM
development team is very interested in coordinating with the IDEAMATICS led NMCMPS
team in the areas of inter-Service web services, requirements management metrics,
reporting tools and integrated SIPRnet and NIPRnet processing.
July 2008
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)went live with its new disaster response management system
on June 1, 2008 and 91 days later, was successfully used the system to preposition
resources and speed the appropriate response team responding to the devastation
created by Hurricane IKE. The Mobilization Readiness Tracking Tool (MRRT), a system
developed by a team led by IDEAMATICS, Inc., performed flawlessly. When new requirements
arose during the response to IKE, the IDEAMATICS team was available 24 hours a day
to create and integrate the solutions into the system. MRTT also provided managers
on the ground and at Coast Guard Headquarters with up-to-date metrics and tabular
and graphical reports that were never before possible.
September 2007
Under the U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) study and concept contract for a Joint
Mobilization Processing System (JMPS), IDEAMATICS recently delivered its final report
on the identification of all of the U.S. Armed Services authoritative data systems
for personnel and readiness data and the barriers to acquiring the approved access
to the USJFCOM desired data sets in those systems. Successful completion of the
contract also required the design, development and delivery of a working prototype
web-based system that could access the desired data without modification of the
existing Service systems. Despite the lack of access to the Services' authoritative
data systems, IDEAMATICS met the contract objectives by delivering a working prototype
of a web-based system that demonstrated the use of web services to access each of
the Service systems and data sets. The entire project was delivered on time and
on budget.
January 2006
The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) web-based Marine Corps Mobilization Processing System
(MCMPS) originally designed, developed and implemented by IDEAMATICS, was recently
integrated into the Navy and Marine Corps Mobilization Processing System (NMCMPS)
via a web service that allows the exchange of approved personnel requirements between
the Navy and the Marine Corps. The new web service nearly eliminates the need for
multiple telephone and e-mail coordination efforts to get the right the right people
to the right place at the right time.
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