Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) has taken the plunge into an innovative suite of online communication, collaboration, social media tools. Managed by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), the suite is for employees across Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) enterprise, providing a united system to promote efficient workflow, learning, and knowledge sharing. 

The suite, named iNFUSION, is a collection of tools including Fusion (similar to Facebook), Jira (project management and tracking system), Chat (similar to Facebook messenger), Confluence or Wiki pages (similar to SharePoint), and more used across the Navy.

“It’s an easy-to-use system that has brought us together as community across the enterprise ready to share knowledge,” said Code 100PI Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Mike Terrell, NNSY global administrator. Global administrators have control of the major settings in Jira. “We are able to build projects, create forms, and track everyone’s progress in the work they do within the system. We are also able to converse and establish those links that in the past were hard to create due to being at separate locations within the enterprise. Everything can be entered instantly into the system by the users and all stakeholders can follow the progress of the projects and provide their input as needed.” 

Code 100PI Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Project Administrator Bill Welch added, “this system helps us align under the One Shipyard Concept in a way that hasn’t been done before.” At this time, NNSY has seven project administrators trained from a variety of areas including the Code 200I Technology and Innovation Lab (NNSY T&I Lab), Code 900P Rapid Prototype Center (RPC), Code 100PI and the Code 2320 Nuclear Innovation Group. 

Terrell and his team of project administrators have trained in the iNFUSION suite and have worked to build the Norfolk Innovation Project to capture efforts pursued by the NNSY workforce.  Jira is being used to collect and share a portfolio of innovation efforts across the entire NAVSEA corporation. The team is currently focused on using these tools to support corporate innovation efforts; however, in the future there are opportunities to expand to other knowledge sharing communities. 

Jira, as noted on the iNFUSION website, is an issue management platform that can be used to track workflow, both simple and complex, and provide access to information to all stakeholders. 

“Jira provides more visibility than we’ve ever had before on what work is being done,” said Terrell. “We are able to break down each project into categories, including timelines, personnel assigned, and individual changes and notes made throughout the project’s lifespan. In addition, we can add attachments such as photographs or drawings. We are able to house the framework of what we do and involve everyone who has a part in it. And it also shares those projects with the other shipyards so we can all align in what everyone’s doing. If we’ve worked to make an innovative tool that can be used at the other shipyards, we’re able to share everything with them through the system with ease.” 

Welch is a huge advocate for the various systems in the suite. “It’s provided us a way to connect in a modern era. Just like social media, we’re able to chat together throughout the enterprise and build off of each other’s knowledge and experiences. We have Jira, which is the project management and tracking portion of the suite. We also have the Fusion and Chat which allow us to share information, have private and group conversations, to improve open dialogue with others throughout NAVSEA. We also have the Wiki pages, or Confluence, which is similar to SharePoint in that it allows teams to collaborate, create and share files such as ideas, minutes, mockups, and more with one another. It’s a system that has everything we need to come together to learn and collaborate as one unit and build our Navy into something greater than ever before.”

The iNFUSION suite is available to all NMCI users with CAC access.  Those with a desire to share, collaborate and learn from users performing similar functions at other Naval activities are encouraged to request an account at https://fusion.navsea.navy.mil/.

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