THE BRITISH ARMY
Maintaining Readiness
in the Post-Cold War Era
S
taying at full readiness in the post-Cold War era requires the
British Army to be both cost effective and efficient in training its
personnel. With a tightly controlled budget and 85,000 men and
women in uniform, the military service has to manage its resources
carefully to keep its troops ready for rapid deployment.
In order to cut costs, the Army contracted Electronic Data Systems
(EDS) to develop a scheduling system for allocating resources. Called
TAFMIS (Training Administration Financial Management Information
System), the ILOG-based application is part of a 10-year, multimillionpound project in which the Army Individual Training Organization
(AITO) plans to better prepare its fighting force for crisis situations like
the Bosnian conflict while simultaneously reducing costs by a projected
£145 million.
The British Army uses ILOG optimization in protecting the Realm.
“ILOG’s components
provide the flexibility
for EDS developers to
deal with complex
scheduling algorithms.”
Geoff Richmond
TAFMIS Program
Director
EDS
Electronic Data
Systems
Founded in 1962, EDS is a professional
services company that applies
consulting, information and technical
expertise to enhance its clients’
business performance. Its
approximately 100,000 employees
apply a range of ideas and
technologies to help clients succeed in
many growing industries, including
energy; communications; manufacturing,
distribution and retail; finance and
insurance; travel, transportation and
logistics; health care; and government
services. Its revenue in 1996 was $14
billion.
Tank crews training for rapid deployment
About ILOG
ILOG is a leading provider of advanced
C, C++ and Java software components
for graphics and resource optimization.
ILOG products deliver high
performance data visualization for user
interfaces; integer, linear and constraint
solvers for resource optimization,
scheduling, logistics and planning
applications; dynamic rule systems for
intelligent agents and real-time data
flow control; and components for
integrating modules with real-time and
relational data sources.
ILOG was founded in 1987, and now
employs approximately 390 people in
seven countries.
Visit www.ilog.com for additional
information.
ILOG is a registered trademark of ILOG.
Cutting costs in defense of the Realm
It is the task of AITO to maintain its structured approach to training by ensuring all personnel
undergo training appropriate to their duties. Army courses managed by AITO range from
academic and highly technical subjects to physical and combat training. The previous scheduling
system depended on a variety of manual and technical systems that worked at the local level but
could not encompass the Army's entire training program. TAFMIS enables AITO to coordinate
training schedules almost instantly, making vital information such as curriculum details and
necessary resources such as tanks readily accessible throughout the 34 AITO training sites. ILOG
Solver, with its constraint-based engine and modular structure, is at the core of the application. It
has significantly lightened the administrative load for AITO personnel by analyzing and scheduling
complex, multivariate data such as costs, equipment, personnel and time slots. The application
leaves personnel free to perform a more strategic role within the planning process. TAFMIS
enables the Army to remain ready to deliver a quick response to changing situations and
emergencies, and ILOG Solver’s flexible software guarantees the same quick response in matching
the application to resource and fiscal demands.
Project
The application runs on Windows NT platforms operating within a local area network (LAN) at
each training center. The centers are linked through a wide area network (WAN).
Benefits
05/98
France ILOG S.A. - BP 85, 9 rue de Verdun, 94253 Gentilly Cedex - Tel: +33 (0)1 49 08 35 00 - Fax: +33 (0)1 49 08 35 10 - E-mail: info@ilog.fr • Germany ILOG Deutschland GmbH - Ober-Eschbacher-Strasse 109 - 61352
Bad Homburg v.d.H. - Tel.: +49 6172 40 60 - 0 - Fax: +49 6172 40 60 - 10- E-mail: info@ilog.de • Japan ILOG KK - 3F YS Sanbancho Building, 24-14 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo 102-0075 - Tel: +81 3 5211 5770 - Fax: +81
3 5211 5771 - E-mail: info@ilog.co.jp • Singapore ILOG (S) Pte Ltd - 73 Science Park Drive, #B1-15 Cintech I, Singapore 118254 - Tel: +65 773 06 26 - Fax: +65 773 04 39 - E-mail: info@ilog.com.sg • Spain ILOG SA Gobelas 21, 28023 Madrid - Tel: +34 1 372 95 51 - Fax: +34 1 372 99 76 - E-mail: info@ilog.es • USA ILOG, Inc. - 1901 Landings Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043 - Tel: +1 650 390 9000 - Fax: +1 650 390 0946 - E-mail:
info@ilog.com • UK ILOG Ltd - Gentilly House, Bracknell Beeches, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 7BW - Tel: +44 (0) 1344 66 16 00 - Fax: +44 (0) 1344 66 16 01 - E-mail: info@ilog.co.uk • URL:http://www.ilog.com • Representatives
and distributors in other countries
98ss09
TAFMIS became fully operational in March 1998. A private finance initiative, the project is being
run on a return on investment basis in which the developers are paid in line with the benefits
realized by the user. The application has already proved its reliability in placing people and
equipment in the right place at the right time. Also as changes in budget and resources have
occurred,TAFMIS has shown itself ready to adapt to the new needs of Britain's modern army.