TrackerBot, the Toolset Empowering Defence's Material Procurement Systems (MPS)

As of 2024, there have been updates to the TrackerBot Toolset that enhance its capabilities. These latest improvements build upon the toolset’s foundation established in 2023. Check out the updates here!

MPS To Date 

In a 6-year engagement with the Australian Federal Government's Department of Defence, WorkingMouse has modernised the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) procurement systems. This transformation has consolidated various legacy systems into a single material procurement platform, earning an internal innovation award and enabling real-time control over procurement budgets. This initiative aligns perfectly with the Department's ICT Strategy, focusing on efficiency, resilience, and modernisation. For a comprehensive understanding of this project, please refer to our full case study. 

TrackerBot 

Presented on 26th August 2023, this article outlines the next evolutionary step in Material Procurement Systems (MPS) development within the Department of Defence from WorkingMouse and Codebots. Building on our previous successes, the Codebots, TrackerBot aims to further revolutionise procurement efficiency and effectiveness. 

Future-Ready 

The Commercial Tracker, our initial offering, was a robust but dated system. While it served its purpose, the technological advancements in Java and React, complemented by Chakra UI, have paved the way for TrackerBot. This new system is not just an upgrade; it's a paradigm shift that aligns with the government's focus on phasing out legacy technology and embracing modern, agile solutions. 

The old Commercial Track UI 

The New Commercial Tracker UI 

Models 

TrackerBot introduces innovative models that serve as first class artefacts that can be configured by the project stakeholders. All models are now cross model reference enabled. This is a first for Cloud and DevOps Model-Driven Engineering Systems. Here's some of the models and what they do: 

Entity Model: A visually intuitive interface that will soon be modularised for even greater flexibility and controls the application data stucture that can be called from the UI Table Model.UI Model: Allows the MPS team to configure and control pages and tables directly from the model itself and configure the tables from the entity model.Requirements Model: Integrated with Jira, this model serves as a transparent bridge between project management and application development. The Model means surety from project management to testing.Meta Model: A meta model on Codebots is a high-level representation that defines the structure, relationships, and constraints of the components within a software application. It's the model behind the model.MDE-CI/CD: All Models run on Codebots pipelines to produce the target application. Also, these are linked to CI/CD on GitLab for quality checks and testing to ensure we're green across the board via Gitlab.

These models empower the Department of Defence to have complete control over the system, from the UI to the backend, all configured directly from the model. This is a game-changer that will set the standard for years to come. 

The Value

TrackerBot is not just an upgrade; it's a revolution to the way software is built, check out Jidoka to learn out breadth first approach that delivers: 

Operational Excellence The new tech stack and models significantly reduce operational bottlenecks. The use of Jidoka enables consistent architecture with low technical debt and high test coverage, including User Acceptance Tests (UATs). This contributes to decreased costs over the entire project lifecycle and fosters a healthier team culture and momentum. 

User-Centric Design The new UI and entity models offer an unparalleled user experience. Jidoka ensures up-to-date user and developer documentation, reducing the time spent on manual updates and decreasing knowledge loss and turnover. This leads to increased cross-team collaboration and a more user-focused approach. 

Future-Proof Architecture Designed for scalability, TrackerBot is a long-term solution for MPS. Jidoka's automation capabilities set coarse-grained milestones, making organisational changes smoother and less disruptive. This aligns with the ICT Strategy's emphasis on agility, modernisation, and phasing out legacy technology, thereby increasing the Return on Investment (ROI) for modernisation portfolios. 

By incorporating Jidoka into TrackerBot, we're elevating the system to new heights of efficiency, effectiveness, and user satisfaction, setting the stage for a more streamlined and agile operation in the Department of Defence's material procurement processes. 

What's Next? 

While TrackerBot is still in its infant stage, its roadmap is filled with promise. The future will see more customisation options in both the UI model and other model and configurations.