Eng Edge Aug Newsletter 2014

THE ENGINEERING EDGE

EDGEWOOD CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL CENTER

Volume 6, Issue 8

August 2014

What to Expect from the BD Training Sessions pg. 3 OSCAR Provides Online Ordering for Critical Reagents Program pg.6-7 Engineering Directorate Employees Honored for their Service to the U.S. and the Warfighter pg. 8

Growing the Future Workforce

Through Mentoring and STEM Education Programs To access the electronic version of this newsletter, visit: http://www.ecbc.army.mil/news/ENG/ APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE: pg.3|What to Expect from the BD Training Sessions: Tips from the Trainers pg.4-5| Growing the Future Workforce through Mentoring and STEM Education Programs pg.6-7|OSCAR Provides Online Ordering for Critical Reagents Program pg.8|Employee Spotlight: Shelby Bartram pg.8|Engineering Directorate Employees Honored for their Service to the U.S. and the Warfighter

ECBC Seal of Excellence Program Featured at July Division Chief Roundtable A briefing on the ECBC Seal of Excellence is among the highlights of the most recent Engineering Directorate Division Chief Roundtable, held in the Berger Auditorium on July 15.

Sue Procell, ECBC Quality Manager, and Robin Haupt, Engineering Quality Manager, provided an interesting and informative briefing entitled “Collecting and Reporting Customer Service Data.” Discussion topics included the importance of data, how often should it be collected, tailoring data collection to the customer’s personal preference, and the process for reporting the data. The presentation was especially timely since one of the Division Chief initiatives currently being worked is “Develop Responsive Customer Service Standards.” Staying informed about the ECBC Seal of Excellence Program will ensure that the Engineering strategic initiative fully supports the Center-level effort.

After the presentation, Acting Director Bill Klein discussed the “State of the Directorate,” which was followed by updates on the Business Development, External Communications and Human Capital strategic initiatives.

SharePoint Tip: Creating a Master Calendar You can overlay multiple calendars in SharePoint to create a master calendar for your team that includes information from calendars that are nestled deeper into the SharePoint site hierarchy. You can overlay up to ten calendars to create this master calendar, and each calendar is displayed in a different color code. At the main SharePoint site where you want the master calendar to live, either create a new calendar list from the “Site Actions” menu, or use an existing calendar that already is configured at the level you want. On the “Calendar” tab in the ribbon, click “Calendars Overlay,” and then click the “New Calendar” link to add a new calendar to the overlay view.

This next part is a bit trickier: You have to give SharePoint some information about the calendar that you are adding, such as a name and its plain-English description, and you need to have the URL of the site that houses the calendar. This is the link to the site itself, not a link directly to the calendar. After you enter in the web URL and click the “Resolve” button, SharePoint will use that URL to crawl the site and find the calendar lists and views. If the site you provided has many calendar lists or views, SharePoint will ask you to choose the ones you want to overlay; just select the box next to “Always Show,” and when you’re done, click OK. Repeat this for each separate website that contains calendars you want to overlay (again, up to ten individual calendars), and then click OK. Now you’ll see all of those calendars rolled up into one master calendar.

This newsletter was published through the Balanced Scorecard.

For article suggestions, questions or comments please contact Ed Bowen at edward.c.bowen8.civ@mail.mil.

Ask a Tech Tip: Lump Charcoal vs. Briquettes Mike Kauzlarich, of the Pyrotechnics and Explosives Branch, reveals how the techniques and lessons learned in labs can help you solve your household problems. Submit a question to him at usarmy.APG.ecbc.mbx.engineering-directorate@mail.mil.

When cooking out this summer, you may wonder: What’s the difference between lump charcoal and charcoal briquettes? Lump charcoal is just the raw, burned wood before it is ground up and formed into briquettes. But that is where the similarities end. In order to form the briquettes, sodium nitrate and sometimes a few other chemicals are added to aid in burn performance. That is why the instructions on the briquettes say to ensure the briquettes are fully white and hot before using, so that those additives are burned off before you cook. An interesting fact: Charcoal briquettes were invented by Henry Ford of Ford Automobile fame.

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What to Expect from the BD Training Sessions: Tips from the Trainers

Trainees pair up and practice their skills by acting out various BD and customer scenarios.

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he Engineering Directorate’s business development (BD) training opened to the workforce in July. The training covers the methods of pursuing business opportunities, preparation for business meetings, customer service skills and how to approach new business prospects. Trainees also participate in role-playing scenarios that simulate customer meetings. The training is conducted in-house by trainers from across the Directorate, with additional role players from the Center.

What can you expect from the BD training? Here are some tips and insight from the trainers to help the workforce get the most out of the BD training sessions.

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The training session has been designed and personalized for the needs of the Engineering Directorate. Through the role-playing scenarios, you will become more familiar with the marketing toolkit, especially with the elevator speech and messaging playbook. Plus, you get to practice with a partner in a relaxed setting. By the end of the training, you will be able to talk to customers about capabilities across the Divisions and Branches and become a ‘viral marketer’ for the whole Directorate, in addition to your area of expertise.”

– Genna Rowe, lead trainer and Business Operations Coordinator, Strategic Planning and Business Operations Branch, Strategic Planning and Business Management Division

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The training really drives home the importance of building relationships; not just with external customers, but also with internal customers—other Engineering employees—since we all work across the Directorate on projects. The training sessions have a mix of participants from across the Directorate, so take that opportunity to get to know your colleagues, learn about their team’s capabilities and think about ways you could partner in the future. You will also be encouraged to provide feedback on the training course, both during and afterwards. Feel free to speak up about what you liked and didn’t like about the training, so that changes can be made for future training sessions. This is a team effort and your input and opinions matter.”

– David Love, trainer and chemist, Joint Service Physical Protection Engineering Branch, Protection Engineering Division

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You will gain an understanding of the ‘big picture’—the larger vision of the Directorate’s strategy and the valuable role that everyone in the Engineering workforce plays in supporting it. The training session begins with an explanation of the BD initiative and how it supports the Directorate’s Balanced Scorecard strategy. The tools, techniques and resources provided in the session reinforce the strategy. As trainers, we will support your learning process and help you get comfortable with the tools and resources as you prepare to have more interaction with customers. There is no pressure—We are here to answer your questions during the training, as well as after.”

– Nichole Mortin, trainer and chemical engineer, Detection Engineering Branch, Detection and Decontamination Engineering Division

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The training is conducted among peers, with an opportunity to share customer experiences, lessons learned, and best practices. We will talk about the importance of capitalizing on customer meetings—both formal meetings and ‘chance’ meetings. Knowing how to cross-communicate the Directorate’s capabilities is key. Get to know your colleagues in the class and around the Directorate so that you can link customers to the right people with the right expertise to serve their needs and provide desired solutions. By engaging in the BD efforts and helping bring work into the Directorate, you are ultimately influencing your own work and fostering relationships that support future work critical to the continued protection of the Warfighter and the nation.”

– Mike Palko,trainer and mechanical engineer, Advanced Technology Demonstration Branch, Detection and Decontamination Engineering Division

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Growing the Future Workforce through

Mentoring and STEM Education Programs ECBC Mentoring Program Creates Networks and Awareness Inside and Beyond Engineering Directorate

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mployee education and growth are essential to the core ability of the Engineering Directorate and ECBC as a whole to provide innovative, cutting-edge solutions to customers and Warfighters. This continuing need for training has resulted in numerous employee-focused initiatives centered on mentoring and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

One such initiative is the ECBC Mentoring Program, a sixmonth intensive course that last ran in 2012 and is planned for reinstatement in fiscal year 2015. The 2012 program included 16 pairs of mentors and mentees, and sessions throughout the program focused on awareness of self (networking, scheduled speakers), awareness of ECBC (tours, overviews) and awareness of customers (scheduled speakers, tours). The once-monthly activities consisted of a combination of traditional lectures, practical exercises, speakers and tours. The program culminated in an “elevator speech” delivered by program participants to ECBC senior leaders, who were involved throughout the course.

The Engineering Directorate saw nine employees participate in 2012: four mentors (Randy Laye, Allen Swim, Jorge Christian and Mark Ciampaglio) and five mentees (David Farnschlader, Cynthia Learn, Stephen Harper, Michael Allerton and Carrie Voelker).

The ECBC Workforce Management Office said throughout the mentoring program participant feedback was encouraged and used to guide the program. Mentors and mentees met formally or informally to discuss topics driven by the course curriculum, and many pairs maintain communication to this day.

“The ECBC Mentoring Program has been a huge success for our employees as well as the organization,” said Mary Martinez, chief of the ECBC Workforce Management Office. “It proves to be a learning experience for both the mentors and mentees time after time.”

The ECBC Mentoring Program is designed to provide employees growth and development opportunities through access to the experience and knowledge of more senior-level employees. A survey of Fortune 500 companies showed 96 percent reporting that mentoring was an important employee development tool, and 75 percent said it was a key factor in their own personal success. Some 71 of Fortune 500 companies and private companies use mentoring in their organizations, and ECBC is following these best practices to grow a more aware, connected workforce.

“Throughout the course of the program, participants create networks, broaden their perspectives and increase their insight into ECBC and its mission,” Martinez said. “Beyond that, mentors and their mentees frequently form a lasting bond that further makes this a win-win situation for ECBC and the professional development of its workforce.”

The ECBC Mentoring Program is being planned for 2015. More information will be available to the workforce in late 2014.

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STEM Outreach Shows Returns Now and On Horizon

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imilar to the mentoring program in both purpose and performance are ECBC’s outreach programs to build awareness and education in the STEM disciplines, crucial areas of focus for future employees working in the CBRNE defense space. ECBC has been actively promoting STEM education in nearby Harford and Cecil County schools since the 1980s, said ECBC Public Affairs Office Nicole McKew, who coordinates the Center’s STEM outreach programs. Activities include sending scientists and engineers to classrooms to speak to students as subject matter experts (SMEs), providing guest lecturers, hosting field trips, judging competitions and science fairs, assisting with senior capstone projects and exhibiting at career fairs and expos.

“Nearly 175 ECBC personnel participated directly in STEM activities in fiscal year 2013, so we’re seeing a large share of the ECBC workforce take part in these important educational programs,” McKew noted.

ECBC’s STEM Outreach Program is directly aligned with the National Defense Education Program (NDEP). NDEP’s mission is to inspire, develop and attract the STEM talent essential to deliver innovative solutions for the nation’s current and future challenges. The funding ECBC receives from NDEP empowers its community and educational outreach program to leverage the Center’s knowledge ─ its scientists and engineers ─ to support a continuum of STEM learning experiences and opportunities within and beyond the local community.

ECBC’s most popular STEM program is called “Engineering is Elementary,” which is based on a book series by the same name. The books’ characters (from different cultures and countries) encounter different types of engineering problems in the story. Students read the story, and then reenact the engineering project in the classroom with help from SMEs from ECBC. The SMEs also present information about their work at ECBC and how it supports Warfighters and first responders. Engineering is Elementary has reached 1,100 students and 63 teachers using 32 ECBC SMEs, McKew said. The program not only teaches students about science and engineering, but also about professional skills such as teamwork, communication, critical thinking and collaboration.

ECBC’s STEM programs offer a host of other in-classroom activities, from egg drop tests in which students will design apparatuses with engineers in order to protect a falling egg, to learning the importance of hand-washing by covering their hands with a UV-sensitive powder, then washing them and putting their hands under a UV light. Building live circuits, designing catapults that can launch marshmallows, and learning about gas masks have been known to be favorites as well.

In addition to these programs, several teams within the ECBC Engineering Directorate are enthusiastically involved with various STEM outreach activities, including the Advanced Design and Manufacturing Division (ADM), which runs an annual Defense Threat Reduction Agency STEM camp in August. ADM employees create a hands-on forensics experience for local high school students as part of the camp, incorporating basics of ECBC projects into simulated activities.

Similarly, the Engineering Test Division hosts students in its facilities over the summer to learn about product testing. Steve Yurechko, Protection Factor Test Team Lead, said he also has the students work on projects that encourage them to think like engineers and scientists.

“Students who participate in STEM programs obtain a much clearer perspective about what scientists and engineers do in the real world than students who don’t,” Yurechko said. “STEM programs and activities let students learn and get experience about what their mentors and leaders do on the job, how team dynamics work and the practical applications behind why we do the testing that we do. That is something that the usual classroom sessions just can’t do on their own.”

Mark Colgan, electrical engineer and team manager for ADM’s Unmanned Systems Team, has gotten involved with STEM outreach in the past year, mentoring Elkton High School’s FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Team in support of team coach Alison Hapka. He has also participated in a robotics and programming demonstration to Elkton High School Honors Physics and Programming classes.

Colgan said the FIRST Tech Challenge afforded him an opportunity to share his skills and experience while simultaneously engaging the students with an engineering-style team challenge.

“STEM programs are a valuable way to interact with the local community, introduce ECBC and the Army as a future employer, and provide students with inspiration to consider a career in one of the STEM fields,” Colgan said. “Participating in STEM activities is another way of exercising your skills and abilities, and it provides a low-stress way of improving your personal and professional life. Also, watching students learn, create and apply their skills toward a unique solution is a rewarding part of any hands-on STEM outreach event.”

As the success ECBC’s STEM outreach grows, so does the strength of the future science and engineering workforce.

“It’s very important that we get students involved and excited about STEM-related careers so that in the future, ECBC can hire the absolute best scientists and engineers to work on the latest emerging technologies,” Yurechko said. “The STEM programs that these students participate in today are what will help foster that interest in becoming a scientist or engineer later on in their career path.”

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OSCAR Provides Online Ordering for

the Critical Reagents Program

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all to the betterment of the final product. Lastly, none of this is possible without capable software developers, and ours have been excellent.”

The new system is called OSCAR, which stands for “Ordering System for CRP Assays and Reagents.” The original goal of OSCAR is to eliminate the need to manually submit a Product Requisition Document and DD Form 448 Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request, or other funding documents to place an order based on a printed product catalog. OSCAR will modernize the CRP business process by bringing it online and eliminating potential errors created through manual entry via paper forms.

Information Assurance and Network Security

he Information & Technology Solutions Branch (ITSB) in the Engineering Directorate of the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) at Rock Island, Ill., recently launched an online ordering system in support of the Critical Reagents Program (CRP) within the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD). As a principal resource for the biological defense community, the CRP provides high-quality, validated and standardized biological detection assays and reagents for use by customers from DoD components and federal agencies.

OSCAR: An E-Commerce Business Solution This was the ITSB’s first project involving an e-commerce application. Developed from the ground up, OSCAR took only six months from the time funding was received to the time that a working version was released online. As of May 2014, 468 orders have been placed using the new system.

Similar to other e-commerce applications (such as Amazon), OSCAR allows the customers access to an online CRP product catalog, where they can select and add items to be purchased to a cart, and provide a method of payment for the order. This generates an electronic order that is processed and monitored by CRP personnel, with status updates provided to the customer. After the order is placed, a CRP Commodity Manager reviews and approves the order and funding is verified by a Financial Manager prior to shipment of the order from one of the four repositories in the United States.

A major challenge was programming the financial functions that will be required to authorize the fulfillment of an order, and to interface its funding activities within the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS), which was designed to provide Army decision makers with relevant, reliable and timely information. This interface was a key provision of OSCAR that will replace time-consuming manual processes with automation technology.

“There is much work left to do to make OSCAR as fully functional as desired, but the v1.0 release and early use has gone as smoothly as we could have hoped,” said Will Brooke, the ITSB Project Manager for OSCAR. One key to the early success has been the very open lines of communication between all involved parties. Also, the customer has an understanding that during the normal process of development, unforeseen issues arise, processes become refined and what you thought you knew is no longer the case,

OSCAR was developed on a .NET framework, which is a Microsoft software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It gives numerous techniques and a vast range of types in the security namespaces to help build secure codes and create secure web applications. This allows all team members the capability to work on different projects without learning specific languages, which greatly increases the productivity, effectiveness and efficiency of the Branch.

The security of information systems residing on U.S. Army network is of paramount importance, which requires continual focus to prevent unauthorized access. The ECBC data systems conform to the DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP), which ensure that risk management is applied on all information systems, including OSCAR, throughout the systems’ life cycle.

As an ISO 9001:2008 certified organization, ECBC has established controls to ensure that any nonconformities occurring in its systems are reviewed, corrected in an expeditious manner and prevented from happening again. Internal process audits are conducted to assure compliance to work instructions and procedures, which were based on Federal regulatory guidance for information assurance and security.

Benefits Achieved Through OSCAR The users of OSCAR benefit from the ability to order online 24/7 and track their orders by accessing the online order history. As for the CRP, OSCAR provides a more efficient, less error-prone ordering process, as well as electronic records of all the transactions. An e-commerce application typically results in lower transaction costs, such as upfront expenses incurred taking orders and post-sale customer service costs. The integration of stand-alone systems, such as the inventory databases maintained by the repositories, will also enhance operational efficiency. The development of an ordering system that can centralize and streamline fulfillment positively impacts the CRP mission in many ways. First, the system significantly reduces the potential for error, creates a level of visibility into order status not currently available, and greatly improves transparency and business intelligence – not to mention that the entire process is now simpler and more efficient. All of these benefits directly impact customers, the CRP office and the government support labs and contractors that produce and distribute CRP products.

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Moreover, because of the improvements in efficiency, the CRP staff has more time to focus on other important areas of the CRP mission, such as product development and improvement.

The chem-bio defense program and its partners must be responsive to emerging threats and effectively address capability gaps. The creation of this ordering system empowers the CRP to do both in a more agile, dynamic way.

The CRP’s Kristin Kittle is one satisfied customer, noting that, “The ITSB team has been invaluable in the development of this system. They have been attentive listeners, addressing our requirements quickly and comprehensively.

Their willingness to work with our processes, even with all the nuances, demonstrates stellar problem-solving skills and tenacity for delivering a quality product. Lastly, because of their ability to set realistic expectations with regard to schedule and capability, the CRP office has been able to communicate early on with stakeholders and plan a smooth transition to the system.”

Will Brooke, ITSB Project Manager for OSCAR, said that key to the early success of the system has been the very open lines of communication between all parties during development.

Continual Enhancement of OSCAR The OSCAR program holds great potential to become a comprehensive business decision support system that will support strategic initiatives, such as customer management, inventory management, and marketing efforts with associated data mining and trend analysis capabilities.

Since its release in December, an updated version of OSCAR has been implemented that further automates CRP’s business processes.

This includes an enhanced fund verification process, filling orders from the repositories, and shipment and order tracking. Dashboards have been developed to assist the financial management and repository functions to monitor the approval process and processing of orders. This allows CPR to gauge exactly how well it is performing overall and report specific data points from each process within the organization providing a “snapshot” of performance.

Benefits of using dashboards include: visual presentation of performance measures; and the ability to identify and correct negative trends, measure efficiencies/inefficiencies, and generate detailed reports showing new trends to make more informed decisions. They also save time compared to running multiple reports and give total visibility into all processes instantly.

OSCAR can be accessed via the Joint Acquisition Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Knowledge System (JACKS) website, a key internet portal of the JPEO-CBD. JACKS, which was also developed

by ECBC, provides the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defense community with a single effective and powerful means of accessing CBRN defense information on procedures, material, equipment, availability and acquisition. It is a single source of comprehensive information for the CBRN defense community, regardless of the agency, equipment manager or data owner. The OSCAR webpage is at https://pki.jacks.jpeocbd.army.mil/Crp/.

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Employee Spotlight:

Shelby Bartram This month, the Engineering Edge profiles Shelby Bartram, an intern with the Protection Factor Test Team in the Engineering Test Division. She is currently participating in the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) program, which supports her education in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) discipline and matches her with a job opportunity after graduation. Bartram has been involved with STEM programs at ECBC since high school.

How did you first get involved at ECBC? I was reluctant at first, but my parents encouraged me to sign up for the Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP) when the STEM outreach board visited Perryville Middle School in Cecil County, where I went to school. I didn’t want to be a scientist—I wanted to be a teacher— but my parents told me I should try it and could stop after a year, so I signed up. It’s one of the times when you look back and thank them.

And you have stayed involved working at ECBC through college?

Yes, I moved from SEAP to other summer internships like the Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS) summer program at Aberdeen Proving Ground, and I have now been in the SMART program for two years. During my first year in the SEAP program, I was doing research online because I thought engineers were just people who worked on trains. I wrote a paper about chemical engineering and then found all of the fields within biomedical engineering, and something clicked and I thought, “This is something I really want to do.”

What are you studying in school?

I am in a five-year program to get my Bachelor’s in Science in biomedical engineering with a minor in chemistry and a Master’s degree in engineering management. I’m going into my senior year at Western New England University in Massachusetts.

What has been the most rewarding experience about participating in these STEM programs?

I have been asked many times to be a keynote speaker for other students or classes to tell them about my experience and the opportunities available, and that’s been the best part for me. I love being able to share these options with kids and tell them not to hold anything back and not give up on their dreams, because there are programs through the government that provide incredible opportunities.

How do you see yourself staying connected to ECBC? I plan to explore the career options at ECBC by talking to mentors and learning about the capabilities on post and how they align with what I want to do. I also plan to stay involved with STEM outreach activities so I can pass my experiences onto current students and educate kids about the possibilities for careers like mine in this field.

Engineering Directorate Employees Honored for their Service to the U.S. and the Warfighter The accomplishments of several Engineering Directorate employees were honored at the ECBC Town Hall on Wednesday, July 30. Awards were presented

by ECBC Director Joseph D. Wienand.

• 25 Years of Government Service: Kate Ong • 30 Years of Government Service: Barry Elliott • 40 Years of Government Service: Joseph Domanico • 50 Years of Government Service: Frank Dipietro • Patent Award for Flameless Smoke Pot: Joseph Domanico • Non-Article 5 NATO Medal for Service in Afghanistan: Nicholas Merrill and Glenn Wetherell • Commander’s Award for Civilian Service: Mark Ciampaglio and Robert Mays • Army Senior Executive Service Commendation: Alvin D. “AJay” Thornton • Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award: Alvin D. “AJay” Thornton Thank you for your service to the United States and the Warfighter!

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