A mobile maintenance support system for U.S. Navy shipyards is to be developed by Accenture Federal Services to increase maintenance efficiency.

The contract for the system, which will feature mobile devices, has ceiling value of $16.3 million. Its base performance period is one year and there are two one-year options.

The system is the electronic technical work documents system, or eTWD, which re-engineers maintenance processes and will replace paper-based work instructions, reference materials, technical drawings and work control forms with an electronic work package.

The system will support the maintenance lifecycle, including the planning and scheduling of maintenance activities and managing maintenance activities.

The use of mobile devices is essential for the system to work, Accenture said. Tablets with up-to-date maintenance information and instructions will enable real-time collaboration between maintenance workers and supervisors, for example, and will promote non-stop execution of maintenance work on board ships.

The improved system will also standardize ship work processes at all four of the Navy's public shipyards: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

"Navy eTWD is a critical initiative for the Department of the Navy's Ship Depot Maintenance Program," said Vince Vlasho, who leads Accenture's work with the Navy. "It will dramatically improve the way maintenance is performed in the shipyards, and in turn, improve fleet readiness, making critical budget dollars available for other force structure and readiness initiatives."