E/Z MAS: AN EASY-TO-USE COMPUTERIZED MATERIALS CONTROL AND ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM*

Nuclear facilities that handle and process nuclear materials are required to track their nuclear holdings and to keep adequate records that manage and control the inventory of those holdings. The complexity of a system that does this job is directly proportional to the complexity of the facility’s operations. This paper describes an approach to computerized materials protection, control, and accountability (MPC&A) that was introduced by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the fall of 1997. This new system, E/Z MAS, is the latest addition to the LANL suite of computerized MPC&A tools, which also includes the CoreMAS system. E/Z MAS was initially designed to address the needs of those facilities that have small to modest MPC&A needs but has been expanded to provide full functionality for any facility. The system name, E/Z MAS, reflects the system’s easy-to-use characteristics, which include ease of installation and ease of software maintenance. Both CoreMAS and E/Z MAS have been provided to facilities in the Former Soviet Union to assist them in implementing a computerized MPC&A system that meets their needs. In this paper we will address the functionality of CoreMAS and E/Z MAS, and an argument in favor of intranet-based material control and accountability will be advanced.