AFCEC Introduces New Tool to Simplify Civil Engineering Data Collection

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center has deployed a new tool that eliminates the need for civil engineer field technicians to return to military installations to upload civil engineering data on the NexGen IT system.

The custom-designed mobile tab within the system allows the technicians to record data from real property, facility space management, operations, energy and cost accounting directly from job sites.

In 2022, using $520,000 in innovation funds from the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, the AFCEC developed and tested the tool at four installations, including Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, AF .mil reported. 

The AFCEC launched the tool enterprisewide in January after validating that the mobile tab can run on a device with a standard Air Force desktop configuration while connected to a government network.

NexGen IT was developed to improve Air Force infrastructure data transparency to inform decision-making efforts and enhance maintenance effectiveness.

According to Bryan Muller, operations maintenance subject matter expert for AFCEC, the new tool will speed up and reduce the costs associated with data collection and enhance the accuracy and quantity of captured data.

Muller encouraged other bases to begin using the tab to reap the benefits of simplified data entry in the NexGen IT system.