Whats an IETM?
Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs) have long been used by our Armed Forces to help maintain and diagnose operating issues with vehicles, aircraft, weapons and supporting systems. Recognizing IETMs' high quality presentation features, wealth of accessible knowledge and troubleshooting efficiencies (as well as driving knowledge transfer during on the job training), commercial businesses have begun to adapt the DoD standards in their aftermarket service areas.
Datalis Solutions has developed IETMs which have resulted in the following benefits for our clients and their customers:
Reduced equipment downtime
Reduced time to diagnose and repair
Reduced warranty expenses
Avoidance of printing expenses
Faster deployment of procedure updates
Lower maintenance costs per technician
Classes of IETMs
IETMs are classified in one of six categories. Datalis Solutions has recently addressed more Class 3 and Class 4 solutions, but we have experience developing all classes. We work with our clients to assure that they receive the best return for their investment in IETMs, because the higher classifications require more upfront development costs via their interaction with external systems.
Class 0. Non-Electronically-Indexed Page Images [Not an ETM]
Systems of Digitized Page Images that are intended for electronic archival filing or Print on-Demand. These allow pages to be viewed on an electronic display but have no detailed index for navigation through the document for purpose of on-line usage.
Class 1. Electronically Indexed Page Images
Systems of Digitized Page Images intended for Full-Page Display and use allowing navigation by means of hyperlinks to the page images for user access. These systems can be used in a library or reference setting for reading and research use.
Class 2. Electronic Scrolling Documents
Systems for Interactive Display of ASCII encoded Documents using an intelligent index and Hypertext tags inserted into a tagged document file. In general, the document is the result of a simple conversion from a page oriented document but with little reauthoring with the exception of adding hypertext tags. These allow a user to navigate through the document, but have very limited, if any, author inserted navigation aids or a content driven NEXT function. Class 2 may include multi-media.
Class 3. Linear Structured IETMs
Interactive Display of Technical Information which is SGML tagged to the maximum extent possible and using a Hypertext presentation system for display. It is based on a linear SGML document file and not a hierarchically-based Data Base. Navigation is based on author developed constructs employing prompted dialog boxes and content driven logical NEXT function. Most often viewed as an indexed PDF file with self-contained hyperlinks.
Class 4. Hierarchically Structured IETMs
Interactive Electronic Display of Technical Information specifically authored into and maintained in a non-redundant relational or object-oriented hierarchical data base. These source data are subsequently packaged (i.e., "view-packaged") as a run-time data base for Interactive Presentation.
Class 5. Integrated Data-Base IETIS
Integrated Electronic Technical Information System (IETIS) for Interactive Presentation of Class 4 IETMs integrated in with the data for other processes including Expert-System rules for the display of information and other user-applications such as diagnostics or computer-managed training.
For a demonstration of a Datalis Solutions' developed IETM or to discuss the type of IETM and content delivery method which fit your needs, please Email Us.
