AGILE TAKING ALL THE WAY
Reserve Component Automation Systems’ Agile Solution Factory derives maximum benefit from sof tware development methodology to modernize ef fectively, fast and securely.
by Mr. Stephen P. O’Brian and Ms. Angela D. Green-Mack T
he term agile in software development has become another
information technology buzzword, realize all the targeted benefits?
Agile is a software development methodology and culture designed to anticipate the need for flexibility and apply a degree of practicality to delivery of the finished product. It focuses on delivering discrete pieces or parts of the software rather than an all-or-nothing solution, in much the same way that software giants deliver updates continually rather than making custom- ers wait for them to release a whole new version of their software suites. For instance, Apple releases multiple small updates that support security and functionality for its iPhone iOS operating system, rather than one or two updates per year. Agile allows for fast and efficient delivery of user capability, enabling access to what the user considers their “minimally viable solution.”
For the Reserve Component Automation Systems (RCAS), which is part of the Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS), it wasn’t enough to simply transition to Agile. Rather, the focus has been on optimizing the performance of Agile software development at an enterprise scale by applying a production factory mentality. In Septem- ber 2013, RCAS made a headlong leap into Agile, executing a
monumental transition from waterfall software development. like
cloud. Many programs say they are doing Agile, but are they? What does it mean to be Agile enough to
From this leap came the Agile Solution Factory, the operative word in the name being “factory”—a term that can be defined as “any place producing a uniform product without concern for individuality.” In developing the concept of the Agile Solution Factory, consistency of approach remained a driving factor for all RCAS software development processes, tools and products. In a close partnership with the prime integrator, the Agile Solution Factory established itself as a case study of a large government program successfully transforming to Agile and then optimiz- ing performance at an enterprise scale. For the Agile Solution Factory, that journey has never stopped.
Te result? Te Agile Solution Factory significantly improved the speed at which the user receives software that addresses their missions. As the software became markedly more exten- sible, modular and secure, RCAS saw customer satisfaction go up dramatically. Te Agile Solution Factory’s use of advanced automation frameworks like development, security and opera- tions—using
the method known as DevSecOps—drives
efficiencies and performance gains. Since 2013, RCAS has increased software development productivity by almost 60 per- cent, reduced implementation costs by more than 50 percent and reduced time to market by more than 70 percent. Soft- ware quality has averaged 99 percent defect-free releases. RCAS
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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