PACS - Pacific Area Cataloguing Seminar

WHAT IS PACS ?

The Pacific Area Cataloguing Seminar (PACS) is a forum of PASOLS member nations that is committed to working together to improve their understanding and use of the NATO Codification System (NCS) a disciplined and standardised system for materiel classification and identification.

Participation in PACS will allow PASOLS nations, not already operating in the NCS, to achieve the benefits of a standardised codification system through progressing to sponsored NCS status.

Specifically the benefits include reduction in :-

Inventory Proliferation
Inventory Duplication
Logistics Response times

And an increase in ability to -

identify substitute items
cross reference repairable spare parts
promote interoperability
communicate technically with other nations
provide competitive procurement by not being locked in to one supplier

NOTE: PACS was originally called the "Pacific Area Cataloguing System"

WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF PACS ?

The prime objectives of PACS are to ensure:

the use of one unique Stock Number for the same item of supply in all participating countries
that the system maintains consistency with the NATO Codification System to the extent that the basis for classification and item identification is identical in the two systems
that standard data elements are used to facilitate the exchange of cataloguing data between participating nations without the necessity for further translation

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF PACS ?

The concept of a Pacific Area Cataloguing Seminar (PACS) was presented by Canada at the Pacific Area Senior Officer Logistics Seminar (PASOLS) [XXIII - 1994]. The substance of the Canadian proposal, and the continuing raison d'être for PACS, are:
"To foster co-operative logistics within the Pacific Region by promoting the use of a common materiel identification language based upon the principles and procedures of NATO codification".

PACS was approved as a PASOLS initiative, with the proviso that it be modelled on the NATO Codification System (NCS). A working group was convened to define the concept and develop an implementation strategy for PACS. PACS WG1 was held in SEOUL, February 1995 and PACS WG2 in Singapore, September 1995.

PASOLS XXIV endorsed the PACS concept and the implementation strategy. The short term plan required four implementation group meetings to be held at six monthly intervals for two years. Progress in producing the protocols for establishing PACS was such that only three meetings were necessary; WG3 in Melbourne, February 1996, WG4 in Bali, September 1996, and WG5 in Wellington, March 1997.

PACS WG5 agreed that the implementation phase was complete and that an adequate framework for PACS had been successfully established. It was proposed that the Working Group be replaced by the PACS Forum, with meetings on an annual basis. Mr Paul Kenworthy (Australia) was elected as the new PACS Forum Chairman. PASOLS XXVI - 1997 approved the formation of the PACS Forum.

WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF PACS ?

The membership of PACS is open to all PASOLS nations. The active nation members of PACS and their NCS status is shown below: Australia (TIER2), Brunei Darussalam, Canada (NATO), China, Fiji, India, Indonesia (TIER1), Japan, Republic of Korea (TIER2), Malaysia (TIER1), New Zealand (TIER2), Papua New Guinea (TIER1), Philippines (TIER1), Russia (TIER1), Singapore (TIER2), Thailand (TIER1), Tonga (TIER1), USA (NATO)