Safety Research Corporation of America (SRCA) was asked to develop an online catalog for a customer. In this particular instance, the person ordering the item was actually requesting to borrow an item that might have been located in one of a dozen warehouses and controlled by one of over 100 owners. Therefore the person borrowing the item had to receive the owner's permission and the item had to be both available and obtained from the most cost effective location.

The program being used was called The Virtual Intelligence Projection Equipment Reserve (VIPER) and is used within the Army Intelligence and Security Command equipment library system (commonly referred to as a loan closet), where authorized users can borrow or supply several thousand pieces of equipment through a centralized management program. The inventory is distributed worldwide from the provider locations and it is simply pledged to the VIPER Program, creating a virtual warehouse of equipment.

SRCA was tasked to modify and automate all of the processes involved with the VIPER program via a website. The VIPER website was created in a modular fashion, allowing basic functionality to be developed with future modules envisioned to enhance the current functionality in the future.

The VIPER website was designed, developed, and deployed as a multi-tier, multi-user, and eCommerce web application. Users will have an experience similar to shopping at an online commercial website.

In addition to VIPERs dynamic front-end online shopping look and feel, the website also has an administrative console that allows users to view and edit information based on their authorization level.

Program Attributes

• The web-based application supports a virtual warehouse for the acquisition, storage, issue, accountability, recovery, disposition, and maintenance of standard and non-standard intelligence equipment and associated support items used by the Government to quickly respond to unforeseen intelligence missions.
• The program utilizes a multi-level security architecture that handles user authentication and stores login names and passwords securely in the database.
• The program provides automated email notifications when new accounts are created or equipment is ordered.
• The customized interface creates an online shopping atmosphere to handle browsing, navigation, and users' requests with ease.
• The tracking features allow the system's users to view the status of a request during the request and approval process.