Enigma Simplifies Access To Technical ManualsEnigma Simplifies Access To Technical Manuals

Equipment operators can be overwhelmed by the technical data necessary to maintain complex machinery, and the difficulty of quickly finding specific information. This week, they may have gotten some relief. Enigma Inc., a provider of E-business software that streamlines the supply-chain relationship between manufacturers and operators of capital equipment, has introduced a set of software tools that can make it possible for technicians to access data from multiple parts vendors via a single application.

Anyone who's ever had to make three or four trips to Home Depot to find the right part for a home-improvement project can appreciate the problem Enigma is attempting to address. Enigma's Component Information System (CIS) extends the company's earlier offerings, which focused on letting the equipment manufacturers more effectively aggregate their technical data in XML and offer customers a condensed, easily searchable application. With CIS, equipment operators can take that one step further, by developing a single app to link together the digital technical manuals published by the myriad of vendors that may supply parts for a single piece of equipment.

John Snow, VP of marketing for Enigma, says the CIS not only makes technical content more accessible, but also encourages collaboration because technicians can easily share best practices. It also spurs E-commerce, says Snow, by linking equipment buyers directly from a manual to the manufacturer's online parts catalogs, ensuring the right part is ordered. Snow says Enigma's existing vendor-side apps already are enabling operators to increase productivity and efficiency, while equipment vendors reduce service calls and increase sales. He says the CIS, which is available for between $200,000 and $500,000 for a pilot application (a subsequent expanded implementation will cost up to $2 million), is expected to supply an even greater return on investment.

William Kone, a supervisory mechanical engineer with the Boston Planning Yard, an administrative arm of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, says the CIS would be very helpful to his operation's distribution of technical manuals. Kone says he and his staff require two months to distribute a new manual once it's been approved. With 110 different manuals to manage, and a distribution list of 75 ships, aircraft, bases, and other facilities, Kone says the CIS would help him streamline distribution. For the time being, the planning yard is limited by its federal funding and is doing something similar manually. But once Kone's clear on the benefits of Enigma's CIS, "It's something we'd like to do."