Breaking down the " Stovepipes " Information Technology's Role in Solving the Navy's Logistics Support Challenge

Cmdr. " Rusty " Acree, USN, is a Professor of Information Systems Education Management, DSMC. He is a career Surface Warfare officer who, while assigned to the staff of the AEGIS Program Manager, developed applications of information technology for managing technical documentation and logistics support data for AEGIS class ships. Dr. Money is an Associate Professor of Information Systems, George Wash-ington University. His research has focused on information system development tools and methodologies and the impact of workflow systems and Artificial Intelligence on task performance. F or many years, the United States Navy, like many other large public and private organizations, has attempted to implement large-scale organization changes. Among the changes attempted are significant efforts to maintain, synchronize and integrate access to databases that are geographically widely distributed and administered, and supported by separate functional command and decision making structures. Background The Surface Navy's change efforts have been underway since the mid-1980s. At the climax of what was then called the " Revolution at Sea, " Vice Adm. Joseph Metcalf, a former Deputy