The integration of Computer Based Training (CBT) products, Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software products, and training software applications, such as the Aviation Maintenance Training Continuum System Software Module (ASM), into a completely operational training system is complicated enough without the additional burden of having to integrate a unique Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) tool for each CBT product. When CMI tools work only with particular authoring systems, and CBT products are developed on multiple authoring systems, the task of integrating training system components becomes more complex. In addition, the role of system configuration management is intensified by the need to keep track of which CBT product will run with which CMI tool. To address this problem, the Aviation Industry CBT Committee (AICC) developed CMI and CBT "Guidelines and Recommendations" to promote the interoperability of CMI systems. In this context, interoperability means the ability of a given CMI system to manage CBT lessons from different origins and the ability for a given CBT lesson to exchange data with different CMI systems.

In the case of the Aviation Maintenance Training Continuum System (AMTCS) Program, over a period of eight years, multiple courseware vendors will be developing CBT for various aircraft platforms. Portability of courseware between training devices, maintenance of courseware, and collection and management of training data are some of the issues faced by the AMTCS Program. To alleviate these problems the Naval Aviation Maintenance Training community adopted the AICC guidelines for CMI and CBT products developed and deployed by the AMTCS Program. CBT products developed for the AMTCS Program are required to be compliant with AICC guidelines. CMI products used in AMTCS Training Devices (ATDs) also require compliance. This policy has allowed seamless integration of courseware with CMI into ATDs. The process of implementing AICC guidelines into the AMTCS Program occurred in four stages: Definition of Requirements, Implementation of Requirements, Verification of Compliance, and Formal Integration into ATDs. This paper describes the events involved in each stage of initial implementation of the guidelines. This paper also presents lessons learned along the implementation highway and perspectives on a broader implementation of AICC guidelines in the future of the AMTCS Program.