FOR SOLDIERS BY SOLDIERS
system. To improve this time-consuming and error-prone process, Payne taught himself elementary programming skills and made a basic application for operators in his motor pool to digitize the maintenance process. His application proved useful for his Soldiers and also highlighted the benefits of having Soldiers— particularly those with hands-on experience working with a given system—participate directly in digital tool development processes.
When Payne joined the inaugural cohort of the Army Software Factory, he had the opportunity to apply his experience as part of a Software Factory application problem.
“Oftentimes, the people who make software don’t have experi- ence in the domain, which can result in software that doesn’t work or doesn’t meet the needs of the end user,” Payne shared in a conversation with Army Futures Command staff. He explained that his expertise in maintenance contributed to his team’s abil- ity to produce an effective app.
After problem submission from Army Materiel Command, Army Software Factory produced a preventive maintenance application that can provide Soldiers with the resources they need, such as technical manuals and maintenance records, to perform preven- tive maintenance on equipment. Te free app (available at https://
pmcs.swf.army.mil/) is accessible from any Army employee’s personal device and could improve unit readiness and enhance Soldier experiences across all components of the Army.
Te process illustrates how, for Soldiers like Payne, the Army Software Factory offers a new opportunity for growth within the Army. At the same time, for the Army, Soldiers like Payne represent the possibilities of the future, and how empowering Soldiers and DA civilians to solve problems using new technol- ogy can make for a stronger overall Army.
Te Army Software Factory’s focus on user-friendly apps signals new ways of thinking about and overcoming problems, as well as future new ways the Army can implement solutions at scale. Te Army Software Factory is helping ensure innovation is shared across the Army, instead of taking place in silos.
CONCLUSION Te Army Software Factory is imagining and executing what a future force design and associated talent development could look like, specifically in the realm of software development and opera- tions. Tis is noteworthy not only because the Army is exploring how to grow critical future skills from within, but also because
134 Army AL&T Magazine Fall 2022
it is exposing Soldiers and DA civilians to new, digital ways of thinking and problem-solving.
Te Army’s strategic investments in initiatives like the Army Soft- ware Factory illustrate how leap-ahead modernization requires more than identifying and incorporating external solutions to Army challenges. To modernize extensively and sustainably, we must nurture modern talent that can advance systems internally. Te beauty of this approach is that it focuses on maximizing the potential of our most valuable and most readily available resource—people—to further Army modernization aims. Tis creates a force structure that is fortified by a collective vision as well as individual empowerment.
Te Army Software Factory recognizes that in an Army that wants warriors, ensuring that warriors feel wanted is para- mount. Investing in new skills, encouraging critical thinking and empowering Soldiers to tackle Soldier-specific problems will help to build a future force that is as fulfilled as it is formidable.
Te Army Software Factory aligns with a fiscal year 2022 congres- sional mandate that DOD develop software competence in those who have the aptitude but lack formal education.
In addition to building a capability to design and produce soft- ware applications for Soldiers, the Army Software Factory serves as a champion for operationalizing cloud technology, Agile meth- odologies and development, security and operations (DevSecOps) simultaneously within the Army, as many Fortune 500 compa- nies have done to enable digital transformation.
To learn more about the work of the Army Software Factory, to submit a problem set or to apply for an upcoming cohort, go to
https://armyfuturescommand.com/software-factory/.
COL. VITO ERRICO is the director of the Army Software Factory. He holds an MBA from Yale University, a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University and a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
COL. JASON ZUNIGA is the chief operations officer of the Army Software Factory. He holds an MBA from Te Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in engineering industrial management from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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