Material Accounting System Transformation at Y-12 National Security Complex

As the needs and requirements of nuclear material accounting change at a nuclear facility and as computing technologies evolve, it is imperative that the accounting systems evolve and transform as well. This paper will describe the ongoing efforts to address the transformation of the material accountability system at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The current system is a custom software solution developed and maintained by Y-12 Information Technology staff. It has been in operation for over 15 years and has continued to be modified extensively over this time. Other related computing systems are undergoing significant transformations at Y-12 which impact the material accountability system. Aging computing environments in use at the facility are also in need of upgrades and are additional drivers for system transformation. Nuclear manufacturing facilities and processes are undergoing radical changes which will put new and different demands on the material accountability system. The paper will cover transformation activities performed over the past year, summarize accomplishments to date, identify challenges encountered and outline future plans and activities. Lessons learned will be presented as will the impact on the organizations involved. Transformation of NNSA’s nuclear security enterprise in general and Y-12 specifically, is well underway and is accelerating. As part of the overall transformation process, support systems such as nuclear material accountability systems may need to undergo significant modifications to provide adequate service for these facilities. This paper will provide information and strategies that can assist other sites which are planning or undergoing similar transformations. This paper presents the challenges and magnitude of the effort to transform the nuclear material accountability system at a large manufacturing facility where thousands of accountability transactions occur daily. INMM members undergoing similar transformations can learn from experiences of others and reduce the cost and complexity of their efforts.