Learning Center: UID & MIL-STD 130 Compliance
- What are IUID, UID and UII?
- How is the UII constructed?
- Which of my items require UID and which don't?
- How do I register the UID of my items?
- What is Wide Area Workflow (WAWF)?
From the website of the UID Program Office:
- How is the acquisition cost of an item valued?
- Does IUID require manufacturing drawings to be changed?
- Does the UII replace the NSN? Will the UII be used in place of part numbers in publications?
- Can a prime contractor direct its vendors to use its EID on items the vendor produces for the prime?
What are IUID, UID and UII?
Item Unique Identification (IUID) is DoD's global initiative to identify every item
it owns with a unique number in order to keep track of it throughout it's useful life.
This identification must last from the purchase of the item to its decommissioning.
It must withstand the same environmental tests and cleaning procedures as the item
to which it is attached. The identification mark, called Unique Identification (UID),
must be permanently affixed to the item as a label or directly marked on the item.
The UID must be in a specific machine readable format. This format is a high density
barcode symbol called a 2-D Data Matrix (ECC200) barcode.
The UID data encoded in the 2-D Data Matrix barcode is created by concatenating (i.e. stringing together) the manufacturer or enterprise identification code with a part number and/or a serial number. The UID must be unique to a specific item. The data must be encoded using a specific syntax. A set of data elements is called a Unique Item Identifier (UII) when it is marked on an item with the proper format and syntax and when it is globally unique and unambiguous. The regulations governing IUID, UID and UII are found in MIL-STD 130 and DFARS 252.211-7003. These can be downloaded at the DoD Regulations & Links page.
How is the UII constructed?
MIL-STD 130 and DFARS 252.211-7003 require DoD suppliers to select a Data Construct
and Encoding Format for their UII's. Data Construct # 1 and # 2 are the two
serialization schemes which the DoD has approved. The Encoding Format is a type
of identifier or data header. It separates the data fields of the concatenated
UII and tells the machines reading the UII which type of data they are reading.
For examples, see Construct & Format.
For further detail, see DoD
Guide to Uniquely Identifying Items (85 page pdf).
Which of my items require UID and which don't?
MIL-STD 130 requires UID for all contract items which:
- Have a unit acquisition cost of $5,000 or greater (or are leased assets of any value)
- Are sensitive or classified, mission essential or controlled inventory
- Are serially managed by DoD
- Are furnished to others (Government Furnished Property, GFP)
"Mark in accordance with MIL-STD-130" or similar language may be included in your contract. However, UID is not required unless the items of the contract fit the categories listed above or the contract language explicitly requires UID.
How do I register the UID of my items?
If you are the prime contractor, the supplier selling directly to and invoicing the DoD,
you must register the UID numbers for each contract at time of invoicing. UID data are
input (manually, via EDI or FTP) at your Receiving Report in Wide Area Workflow. The UID
data flows through WAWF to the UID Registry, the ultimate repository of all UID data.
In this way, the UID Registry is populated as new items are acquired. As of mid-2009,
WAWF has the capability to accept UID numbers and up to 50 UID 'children' for sub-components
or subsystems. Additional UID 'children' or legacy items assigned UID's must be input
directly to the UID Registry. The UID Registry is maintained by the Defense Logistics
Information Service (DLIS).
What is Wide Area Workflow (WAWF)?
Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) is the DoD's secure web-based system for electronic invoicing,
government inspection, receipt and acceptance. It enables electronic form submission,
processing and acceptance. It creates a virtual folder housing all contact-related
documents and sign-offs required to pay a vendor including the contract, invoice and
Receiving Report. Authorized DoD users are notified of pending actions by e-mail and
are presented with a collection of documents required to process a contracting or
financial action. WAWF has reduced the number of days it takes for DoD contractors
to get invoices approved and paid by. Resources can be found on the web at
http://www.wawftraining.com/
and https://wawf.eb.mil.
How is the acquisition cost of an item valued?
It is the policy of the Department of Defense that Contractors shall be required
to identify the Government's unit acquisition cost (as defined in DFARS 252.211-7003(a))
for all items delivered even if none of the criteria for placing a IUID mark applies.
- For fixed price type line, subline, or exhibit line items, the unit acquisition cost is the unit price identified in the contract at the time of delivery.
- For cost type contracts [or undefinitized] line, subline, or exhibit line items, the unit acquisition cost is the contractor's estimated fully burdened unit cost to the Government at the time the item is delivered.
- For items delivered under a time-and-materials contract, the unit acquisition cost is the contractor's estimated fully burdened unit cost to the Government at the time of delivery.
The Government's unit acquisition cost of subassemblies, components, and parts embedded in delivered items need not be [separately] identified.
An end item may be composed of embedded items, such as subassemblies, components and parts. The prime contractor will pass down appropriate specifications, including the IUID marking requirements, to the tiered vendors for subcontracted subassemblies, components and parts.
Spares may be purchased directly from the vendors or through the prime. IUID-qualifying spare items (subassemblies, components and parts) have to be marked appropriately with the IUID data elements. So, when the prime delivers the end item-that is one UII. The spares are delivered with their own UIIs. The Government has the option of asking the prime to deliver a list of all UIIs for IUID-qualifying embedded items in the end item.
Does IUID require manufacturing drawings to be changed?
Drawings will be changed in accordance with contract provisions, or in their absence,
contractor practice. Generally, any markings to be placed on an item are required to
be detailed in the technical documentation. The policy requires that IUID markings
comply with the provisions of MIL STD 130. The UID Policy Office has developed a guide
focused on the non-recurring engineering issues, accessible at
www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/Docs/uid/UIDEngDocGuidever4_120604.doc.
Does the UII replace the NSN? Will the UII be
used in place of part numbers in publications?
NO, the UII will not replace the NSN or part number. NSNs and part numbers reflect
more of the form, fit, and function of an item and remain somewhat static over time.
A UII is unique to the item, is used only for uniquely identifying that item among
other items, and does not reflect what the item's purpose is.
Can a prime contractor direct its vendors to use
its EID on items the vendor produces for the prime?
The prime contractor is responsible for ensuring uniqueness. The prime contractor
can direct their vendors to use the prime's EID. However, from a manufacturing process
perspective, this may not be the most efficient and effective way for their vendors
to mark parts. The prime will also have the added responsibility of ensuring uniqueness
of the sub-contractor's serial number within the prime's enterprise (Construct # 1) or
the sub-contractor's serial number within the sub-contractor's part number within the
prime's enterprise (Construct # 2).
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