ARMY DATA: FROM THE FOXHOLE TO THE PENTAGON
Every program has reams of data. Yet it has never been collected and managed at the enterprise level in any automated or systemic way.
the way the organization uses data. His involvement ensures that the acquisition data domain initiative will receive the resources and advocacy necessary for making a large organi- zational change. Previous efforts did not have this continued senior leader involvement.
Learning from successful transitions. ASA(ALT) can bene- fit greatly by learning from commercial companies that have made large-scale, successful transitions. Recently ASA(ALT) hired McKinsey & Co., an international consulting firm, to develop a road map for building an ASA(ALT) data team and a detailed plan for realizing the acquisition domain. McKinsey has successfully completed similar projects with leading finan- cial and telecommunication companies.
Technology advances. Over the last decade, there have been significant capability advances in cloud computing and software for managing data. Te previous efforts created tools that were clunky and operated unacceptably slowly on the network. Tools today have slick user interfaces, and their capabilities continue to increase.
ASA(ALT) lessons learned. ASA(ALT) has a wealth of institu- tional knowledge on previous data transformation attempts. Te current data team is reviewing the earlier efforts to learn what was effective and what was ineffective. As a result, ASA(ALT) is taking steps to mitigate the known risks and leverage the experi- ence of those who worked on the previous data transformations.
DEMOCRATIZATION OF DATA Currently, the acquisition community collects and presents data for decision-makers only at key milestones. However, the develop- ment of an automated system will allow users at all levels to begin leveraging data throughout the acquisition enterprise to conduct
their jobs more effectively. Tis concept, known as democratiza- tion of data, is practiced in parts of industry.
Tere will be appropriate limitations on who can access and edit data, based on roles within the organization, but there won’t be limits on access to the tools themselves. Once users see how these tools can help them complete their jobs, they will become more invested in maintaining and learning how to use them. With sufficient tools, the Army could optimize its investments and programs to maximize lethality over the next decade.
Companies like Amazon and Google maintain a sizable advantage over their competitors by collecting and leveraging data better than their peers. Everyone within a company has access to the data they need, when they need it—in other words, it’s democ- ratized. Industry has seen the benefits of data management, and continues to invest billions every year in information technol- ogy systems and analytical tools that identify opportunities to increase revenue and reduce risk.
Many of these organizations are migrating legacy systems to fast and efficient cloud-computing centers such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services. Once the data is centralized, companies are able to visualize it and apply analytical tools, allowing better, more efficient decisions. Tese companies have demonstrated that leveraging data is essential for competing and winning in today’s marketplace; the same will be true on tomorrow’s battlefields.
CONCLUSION It has become apparent that the acquisition community needs to invest in better tools and systems in order to effectively coordi- nate modernization of the Army. Now is the time for ASA(ALT) to radically change how the culture manages the data and deci- sions that allow the Army to optimize modernization.
For more information, contact the author at
mario.m.iglesias.mil@
mail.mil or 703-697-4320.
MAJ. MARIO IGLESIAS is the strategic data team lead in ASA(ALT)’s Strategic Initiatives Group at the Pentagon. He holds an MBA from Yale University and a B.S.
in economics from
the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is Level III certified in program management and Level II certified in contracting, and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps.
https://asc.ar my.mil
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