DCASR data input workload capacity study

Abstract

4~flui .. uent has been approve for public release and sale; its ditribution is unlimited. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY HEADQUARTERS CAMERON STATION ALEXANDRIA. VIRGINIA 22314 DLA-LO FOREWORD Each DCASR headquarters is responsible for the Mechanization of Contract Administration Services (MOCAS).This is an automated data system which provides management and operational data on delivery schedules, shipments, contractual changes and disbursements to contractors.At each DCASR, information is extracted from contractual documents by data input clerks and entered into the MOCAS system.One recent enhancement of MOCAS is the development of an on-line capability for data input, which is replacing a batch method of data input. This on-line capability was the subject of this study, which was sponsored by the DLA Office of Telecommunications and Information Systems and performed by the DLA Operations Research and Economic Analysis Office.The first purpose of this study was to develop standards or threshold values for system response times for the on-line input of contractual documents. Such standards would be the maximum allowable values of response times which would permit the backlog of documents awaiting input to be kept within an acceptable range.By establishing standards for response time, it is then possible for the DLA Systems Automation Center to determine the level of ADP capacity nece ary to meet the needs of the functional users of the new on-line system. Pds is far preferable to sizing ADP requirements based on, for example, an "/arbitrary level of CPU utilization.-. The second purpose of this study was to measure the data input productivity improvement associated with the new on-line system. -.It is the conclusion of the study that the number of documents per day that/ a input clerk can process on-line will increase by roughly 15 percent over the batc input method. This productivity improvement can be used to reduce personnel\ equirements while maintaining backlog performance, or else it can be used to reduce backlog size if personnel requirements are kept at their present levels.