SAILOR’s goal is to provide a web-based, self-sufficiency tool which is easy to use, easy to access, and serves as the one-stop-shop for the fleet to find, download, and apply authoritative technical data for fleet-fielded systems. In addition to providing a multitude of capabilities for various Navy systems commands, SAILOR’s main functions include:

• Hosting logistics documents, technical manuals, training videos and other mission critical technical product data;
• Hosting software libraries to include security updates and device configuration files
• Providing system and platform baseline configuration matrices with approved documents;
• Providing a quick look of Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) and Navy 311 trouble tickets;
• Providing transfer services to move large public affairs imagery, media, and associated files from ship to shore to directly support the Public Affairs Enterprise, Chief of Information and Department of Navy Chief Information Officer;
• Providing message board technical forums for technicians to troubleshoot problems and provide recommendations to each other; and
• Deploying Aspera download manager to auto-resume interrupted downloads and improve “at-sea” download speeds up to five times faster on existing bandwidth.

“The new interface design is our team’s response to fleet feedback for faster, more streamlined access to technical content,” said Krista Thorn, SAILOR’s technical director for product data management. “We designed the SAILOR homepage to be tailored to the fleet user’s platform-specific configurations so they can navigate and download mission critical technical data within 1-3 clicks. This empowers the warfighter to get back to the job at hand with the necessary documentation for indispensable system guidance and support.”

The interface change was driven by two consistent pieces of feedback received from the fleet – the need for simplified navigation and improved searchability.

The homepage is an essential ‘hub’ for fleet users and was reorganized for rapid visual identification to access the latest technical manuals, software files, Fleet Advisory Messages, and other critical documentation and patches. Now, when a fleet customer logs on to the homepage, the user’s platform-specific systems display up front rather than having to perform additional steps to retrieve relevant documentation. This answered the demand signal for improved navigation.

“It was so much easier to navigate my different systems for my platform as well as look at items categorized by latest upload or latest update,” said an IT1 serving onboard USS Lake Champlain (CG 57).

To address the simplified search aspect of the redesign, fleet users can now click on the search tool in the SAILOR header to instantly select the type of information needed whether that is a document, a video, an ITSM ticket, or a certified parts list. Allowing the customer to select what type of information they are searching for will narrow down the relevant results which equates to less manual search time.

All contractors, federal employees, or Sailors will need an active SAILOR account to access the SAILOR Beta Site. To provide feedback, navigate to the current site at https://sailor.navy.mil. Upon login, select ‘Yes’ to the question asked in pop-up, ‘Do you have time to test our SAILOR beta site and provide feedback?’ SAILOR users will be granted almost immediate access to our SAILOR Beta Site.

“Users should conduct a self-guided walk through by navigating the new home page, checking out header and menu dropdowns, reviewing information on widgets, searching for ITSM tickets, and other relevant documents,” said Thorn.

Users should then select the yellow “Beta Test Survey” on the header bar at the top of the page to provide the SAILOR team feedback and comments. This soft launch and survey will be available until November 18, 2022.  The SAILOR team anticipates adjudicating user comments over the next month and then releasing the final design in late November.

A first-time user navigating the new SAILOR interface and subsequently providing a feedback survey will take approximately 10 minutes. These survey responses are crucial for final development and release of the new look and feel of SAILOR.

With an ongoing focus on Sailor self-sufficiency, NAVWAR continues to improve the SAILOR toolset by responding to customer demand, various lessons learned, and command direction.

About NAVWAR

NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space and through cyberspace. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 civilian, active duty and reserve professionals located around the world.