IETM for beginners A Quick Guide to IETM Software

The main objective of this page is to give a quick insight into IETM. You may have many assumptions related to IETM. We tried to cover all the aspects related to IETM.

Interactive Electronic Technical Manual, in short, is called IETM. If you are a supplier of defence then along with the system/equipment you also need to provide training aids like CBT, Charts and blowup diagrams, Video films, Training work Modules, and a few sets of Hard copies of the manuals and IETM.

Till 2015, mainly Hardcopies and PDFs in DVDs used to be in deliverables. From 2015 onwards IETM is used in RFQ/SOTR/SCOPE as a deliverable.

Let’s Understand the Meaning of the IETM Software:

Manual	Manual means any literature organized or written in a prescribed manner to guide the user.
Technical Manual	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. So, how will the Manual respond to You and your question? Let’s see

As per the above definitions, it is clear that we need a Technical Manual that too in soft copy and which will be able to talk to us or able to respond to us.

When the Manual responds to user questions then it is called an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual.

How will the document be able to respond? We need to embed or integrate this soft copy or content into one application so that the application will respond or interact.
What are the common interactivity features so that the User will be able to get the information from the software?

The Features of Interactive IETM Include:

Navigation

1. Linear navigation (moving in the fixed or pre-defined path..e next – previous topics
2. Non-liner navigation ( it means the user can go to any topic randomly)

• Page Search
• Global Search
• Best Matched
• Content Tree
• Related Topics
• Core IETM
• Documents
• Drawings

Interactivity

• Hyperlinks
• Hot Spots

1. Text Hotspot
2. Image Hotspot
3. Video Hotspot

• Bookmarks
• Annotation

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.

What is the IETM Use or Purpose of the IETM?

Any manual’s purpose 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 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.
• Table of contents/tree structure.
• Subject matter expert to resolve technical clarifications.

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

Minimum Hardware Requirements for optimal performance of IETM

• 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

• BASED DB (Manuals are covered in the Database)
• IETM VIEWER Software

User Manual and Installation Manual

Standards Compliance

The IETM framework complies with Indian Defence standards, JSG 0852

What is IETM and What is Not IETM?

IETM Vs 3D Blowups

• There is a misconception about IETM. As the name indicates interactive, people assume that it is a 3D based on blowup software. Interactive means, users can browse or cross-refer or interact with the software to search on a particular topic/sub-topic.
• 3D Animations and blowups can be taken as separate tasks based on the complexity of the system and the level of blowups that you want. We have a separate division to take up such assignments.
• If your SCOPE /SOTR /RFP says IETM then stick to IETM only.
• These 3D animations, 3d Blowups, and virtual reality cost more than IETM cost. They will be good to see definitely but they are not part of IETM. If your client wants 3d and if the scope specifically mentions 3d then it is a separate deliverable but not IETM.
• There is no link between IETM and 3d. If you have 3D animations or blowups, you can integrate into IETM.
• Understand the difference between IETM VS CBT VS Virtual reality.
• Another important point to check is which IETM level the client/ SCOPE is asking for. Generally, they may ask for Level 3 or Level 4. (If your RFQ is 5 years old around 2016-17 then they may ask for Level 2 or 3)
• Level -3 costs less price than Level -4. If you have a choice to select, then select IETM -3 as it is very economical.
• The latest RFPs / SCOPE asks for Level -4 only.

Costing of IETM Application/Software Design

• 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 IETM Software Levels?

Level 1	is any PDF file.
Level 2	is an HTML application. More hyperlinks, simple search, a content tree having a login screen with a hardcoded username and password and supplied in the format of EXE so that Windows can easily open.
Level 3	is an HTML application. More hyperlinks, simple search, a content tree having a login 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 a Database.

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 can not 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.

Want to see the IETM software?

Until you see the software, you will not be able to understand it fully. Hence, we strongly recommend you have a virtual meeting for 15 minutes so that you will have a fair idea about the IETM software.

Write an email to ietm@codeandpixels.net or call 9849527706 to fix up the quick demo on IETM.

Our Expertise:

Code and Pixels Interactive Technologies Private Limited (CNP) is an IETM service provider based in Hyderabad (India). We provide end-to-end Software development and IETMs (INDIAN STANDARD IETM JSG 0852, LEVELS 3 and 4 )

Code and Pixels is the only Company, that delivered 50 plus IETMs (Class 3, Class 4) to Indian defence and many corporates i.e. Tata, L&T, Nova, Ashok Layland, Mahendra Defence, BAeHAL, Marine Electricals, Idea Forge, Raphe mPHibr, Navcon, Zen technologies, Kirloske, Avision, Alterra, Jyoti Ltd, Data patterns, DESMI, Man Energy and Defense labs and production agencies and shipyards such as DRDL, RCI, ASL, BDL, ECIL, BEL, HSL, and many OEMs.

We have worked in association with the Naval Technical Group of the Navy and also with the eMMS team of the Indian Air Force and MAG (DRDL) of the Indian Army. Having vast experience, we assure you that we will be your trusted technology partner in delivering IETMs.

Article written by

G.Gopi Krishna
Code and Pixels
IETM R&D team