On-demand Assistance in Handling Ammunition:Development of a Mobile Ammo DSS

Abstract

Wireless technology and the emergence of handheld devices provide newways to deliver and present information For the military availability ofneeded ammunition information is critical for decision making especiallyin a war zone This case study describes the extension of a Web basedammunition multimedia encyclopedia (AME) developed for the U S ArmyDefense Ammunition Center (DAC) Mobile AME uses handheld technology toprovide Quality Assurance Specialist Ammunition Surveillance (QASAS)personnel access to needed ammunition information via a personal digitalassistant (PDA) The focus was to develop a highly usable systemsupporting QASAS decision making and training in choosing the bestpractices to properly handle ammunition items This chapter discusses themotivation behind Mobile AME design and development of the system andfuture directions