Overview of DYMCAS, the Y-12 Material Control and Accountability System

This paper gives an overview of DYMCAS, the material control and accountability information system for the Y-12 National Security Complex. A common misconception, even within the DOE community, understates the nature and complexity of material control and accountability (MC&A) systems, likening them to parcel delivery systems tracking packages at various locations or bank systems accounting for money, down to the penny. A major point set forth in this paper is that MC&A systems such as DYMCAS can be and often are very complex. Given accountability reporting requirements and the critical and sensitive nature of the task, no MC&A system can be simple. The complexity of site-level accountability systems, however, varies dramatically depending on the amounts, kinds, and forms of nuclear materials and the kinds of processing performed at the site. Some accountability systems are tailored to unique and highly complex site-level materials and material processing and, consequently, are highly complex systems. Sites with less complexity require less complex accountability systems, and where processes and practices are the same or similar, sites on the mid-to-low end of the complexity scale can effectively utilize a standard accountability system. In addition to being complex, a unique feature of DYMCAS is its integration with the site production control and manufacturing system. This paper will review the advantages of such integration, as well as related challenges, and make the point that the effectiveness of complex MC&A systems can be significantly enhanced through appropriate systems integration.