Advanced Neutron Source project information management: A model for the future

The Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) is a proposed new research facility that will provide steady-state beams of neutrons for experiments by more than 1,000 researchers per year in the fields of materials science and engineering, biology, chemistry, materials analysis, and nuclear science. The facility will also include irradiation capabilities to produce radioisotopes for medical applications, research, industry, and materials testing. This paper discusses the architecture and data flow used by the project, some quantitative examinations of potential cost savings and return on investment, and software applications used to generate and manage data across IBM-compatible personal computers, Macintosh, and Unix-based workstations. Personnel management aspects addressed include providing paper copy to users only when needed for adequate technical review, using graded approaches to providing support for numerous user-needed software applications, and implementing a phased approach to compliance with computer-aided acquisition and logistic support (CALS) standards that allows sufficient user flexibility for performing technical tasks while providing needed data sharing and integration