Computer Procurement: Issues Concerning Technical Specifications for Navy's CAD/CAM Acquisition
IMTEC-88-16BR
Published: Mar 03, 1988. Publicly Released: Mar 03, 1988.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the Navy's technical specifications for its Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) equipment, focusing on issues the Navy should address before releasing its solicitation to industry.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Navy | As the Navy finalizes the specifications for inclusion in its CAD/CAM solicitation for release to industry, it should consider reevaluating its hardware requirements for: (1) mix-and-match graphics display screens for work stations; (2) application software compatibility across work stations and servers; and (3) a wide array of communication methods. |
Closed – Implemented
The Navy has reevaluated these hardware requirements and eliminated these and other requirements from the specifications. The specification has been reduced to strictly commercially available, off-the-shelf products.
|
| Department of the Navy | As the Navy finalizes the specifications for inclusion in its CAD/CAM solicitation for release to industry, it should consider modifying its treatment of the POSIX and PDES standards in light of the current capabilities of both. |
Closed – Implemented
The Navy has modified its treatment of the standards to be consistent with the maturity of both. The specification has been reduced to strictly commercially available, off-the-shelf products.
|
| Department of the Navy | As the Navy finalizes the specifications for inclusion in its CAD/CAM solicitation for release to industry, it should consider pursuing its system integration objectives under a separate developmental effort and limiting this CAD/CAM acquisition to a procurement of commercially available and proven equipment. |
Closed – Implemented
The specification has been reduced to strictly commercially available, off-the-shelf products.
|
| Department of the Navy | As the Navy finalizes the specifications for inclusion in its CAD/CAM solicitation for release to industry, it should consider clarifying which of its requirements are mandatory and which are negotiable. |
Closed – Implemented
The specification has been re-written to clarify mandatory versus negotiable requirements.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
CAMComputer equipment contractsSoftwareInformation systemsMilitary engineeringNaval procurementProduction engineeringSolicitation specificationsSystems designMilitary forces