IETM: Interactive Electronic Technical Manual

Training Aids to Defence Client

If you are a supplier of defence then along with the system/equipment you also need to provide Training Aids

• (CBT) — Computer-Based Training
• Charts and Bloups
• Video Film
• Training Work Modules
• Manuals Hard Copies
• IETM

Evolution of Documentation in Defence

Before — Hardcopies and PDFs in DVDs (Upto 2015)

2015 to Present (IETM is used in RFQ/SOTR/SCOPE)

What is the meaning of the IETM?

Manual: Manual means any literature organized or written in a prescribed manner to guide the user.

TechnicalManual: This means the literature is technical, like user manuals, maintenance manuals etc. Hard copy

Electronic Technical Manual: This means the manual is available in the form of an electronic version which simply means digital format or softcopy. It can be a PDF file or a database-driven software application.

Interactive Electronic Technical Manual:

• Let us first understand the meaning of Interactive.
• The meaning of interactive is two people or things influencing each other.
• Allowing a two-way flow of information between an electronic device /computer and a user; responding to a user’s input.
• Involving the actions or input of a user. Especially
• It means when the Electronic User manuals Interact and respond with the user, that is you, it will become an Interactive Electronic Technical manual.

Interactive Features

Interactivity

• Hyperlinks
• Hot Spots
• Text hotspot
• Image hotspot
• Video Hotspot

Bookmarks

• User wise bookmarks

Navigation

• Linear navigation
• Non-liner navigation
• Page Search
• Global search
• Best matched
• Content tree
• Related topics
• Core IETM
• Documents
• Drawings

Annotation

• User wise bookmarks

The documents and pages are many hence, for easy and fast accessibility complete content is converted and stored as a database.

Whenever the user wants some information, IETM software produces the information in a fraction of a second.

IETM is a combination of software applications and databases.

Use or Purpose of the IETM?

The purpose of the Manual is to give information related to the equipment to the end user for quick reference.

All the technicality is written in detail so that when an issue arises, the user can refer to the manual, as every time OEM or technical person or subject matter expert might not be available on the spot to resolve the issue.

If the manual has 10 pages users can refer easily.

But any system used by the defence will have multiple manuals and thousands of page counts and many times a user has to cross-refer between manuals, intra-manual and inter-manual to resolve the issue.

Referring to 10- 15 hard-copy or even soft-copy books simultaneously will be difficult and time-consuming.

Using IETM software, users can solve in a single click and seconds.

How to access the IETM ?

• IETM is a web-based application like our bank software or any other web application. The graphic user interface will be provided to use IETM through which users can interact and get the desired data.
• Like all other standard software, Unauthorized users cannot access the IETM. IETM is a Login - login-based application. Only users having valid Login credentials can access the software.
• Based on the user log credentials data will be provided to the user.

IETM has 2 types of Users and one Administrator

• Maintainer
• Operator

If the operator logs in, the user gets all the content related to operator use, similarly if the maintainer logs in only maintenance-related content is visible for that user.

Ideally, all the content is available for both users, because the purpose of the IETM is to refer to the manual to fix the issue.

Administrators can create users who can see the user’s navigation and log-in history and interact with the users using user dashboards through Annotations.

In any case, Only OEM has the right to update or modify the content. Users can only refer to the content

What Inputs are Needed? (From OEM to Create IETM)

• All the softcopies of user manuals to be converted to IETM.
• All images Videos, and drawings to be integrated into IETM.
• Subject matter expert to resolve technical clarifications
• Table of contents/tree structure.

All the manuals should be editable i.e. open files which does not have passwords or Locks and copy-protected PDFs.

Minimum Hardware Requirements?

• NO High-end hardware or servers are required to run IETM.
• However, if more concurrent users, then a good configuration server with good LAN connectivity must be ensured.
• i3 with 8 GB RAM systems is the minimum configuration required for the server or for Node.

Deliverables

1. BASED DB (Manuals are covered in the Database)
2. IETM VIEWER Software
3. User Manual and Installation Manual

Standards — compliance

The IETM framework complies with Indian Defence standards, JSG 0852

Costing of IETM: (Interactive Electronic Technical Manual)

• Level of IETM, is it Level 3 or Level 4
• Cost will be based on the number of pages that are to be converted
• The vendor calculates the cost per page. And a fixed cost of IETM viewer software
• If you want to create IETM by yourself self then you also need to buy IETM authoring software.

What are these Levels?

Level — 1 is any PDF file

Level — 2 is a PDF file with hyperlinks from the table of contents to the body etc.

Level — 3 is an HTML application. More hyperlinks, simple search, a content tree having log a screen with a hardcoded username and password and supplied in the format of EXE so that Windows can easily open

Level — 4 is Software plus Content/manuals converted as Database

Level — 5 Regarding Level — 5, rest assured, till 2028 it will be Level — 4 only. As of now, there is nothing practically called Level — 5. Few are calling virtual reality and Augmented reality and Artificial intelligence Level — 5.

Regarding Level — 5, rest assured, till 2028 it will be Level — 4 only. As of now, there is nothing practically called Level — 5. Few are calling virtual reality and Augmented reality and Artificial intelligence Level — 5.

Pulling data from many user inputs and analyzing and giving results are done in Level — 5. IETM software cannot pull the data from various real-time points as No OEM will give the real-time information to third-party software directly. Yes, if the information is available offline, then that information can be imported into IETM and can be used as a reference.

Implementing VR/AR and Artificial Intelligence itself costs 10 times more than the actual equipment cost. Hence for the next few years, AR/VR and artificial intelligence are affordable.