FAA: Projects Toolset System

Efficient & Effective System Solutions

Download our FAA Projects Toolset System Case Study

Challenge

The Office of Financial Services (ABA), Office of Financial Operations (AFO), Data Management and Systems Support Branch is responsible for the creation and documentation of business requirements for the FAA Projects Toolset system. This system will implement a variety of essential capabilities to aid FAA policy and performance objectives.  On this project, our team was asked to ensure the timely and efficient processing of reimbursable agreements and associated projects. In order to accomplish this objective, the FAA Projects Toolset needed to automate the transfer of data between a variety of FAA systems. In addition, the new system requirement called for a user-friendly monitoring system and a solid framework that easily guides reimbursable users through the agreement process.

Solution

To understand the issue at hand, our team met with stakeholders to identify system requirements, user requirements and critical pain-points that should be addressed in a new system. Utilizing the experiences and functionalities of the current system, MIL was able to develop a comprehensive business requirements document. Ultimately, this document captured the requirements and designed a new system that will better handle all financial aspects of not only reimbursable agreements and projects, but also of indirect projects as well. MIL authored a vast library of detailed requirements, giving developers an easy to read understanding of every possible screen that would appear, and features that would be available in the new FAA Projects Toolset.

To facilitate developer understanding of business needs, MIL considered the following critical success factors, including: strong communications approach with shareholders; collaborative tool use; the identification of a manual process capable of automation; and clear and concise writing style.

Benefit

With the recourses provided by MIL, FAA Projects Toolset developers were able to begin development with a clear understanding of what the new system needed to do. MIL completed the initial research for the developers, giving the FAA the confidence to authorize development of the features requested. MIL’s detailed design documentation enhances the current system’s capabilities to include functionality for indirect projects upon initial release. In addition, our work leaves room for future expansion into capital projects. Eventually, the FAA Projects Toolset will handle the financial aspects of all types of projects agency-wide. Our team will continue to provide requirements elicitation, specification, validation and documentation support to the FAA Data Management and Systems Support Branch (AFO-310) as they move toward a successful FY 2016 implementation of the FAA Projects Toolset.