ACCELERATING THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION


3. Developed the first of three phases of the Unified Data Reference Architecture to reduce complexity, enable our products to easily share data and eliminate vendor lock; with phases two and three planned for this fiscal year. Tereafter, programs will be able to include the final reference architecture in their RFPs.


4. Led the way in obtaining senior leader decisions to no longer transition software to sustain- ment, paving the way for us to implement continuous integra- tion and continuous delivery of software, which helps to ensure Soldiers get critically needed capability quickly to counter near-peer adversaries in real time.


DECISION DOMINANCE Our aim is decision dominance for joint warfighters so they can act before the enemy. Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth has made ensuring that the Army becomes more data centric and able to conduct operations in contested envi- ronments one of her top objectives. We have a ton of data, but getting secure, reli- able and relevant intelligence to the point of need is a challenge. Te ASA(ALT) Unified Data Reference Architecture addresses this challenge by defining a data mesh, which shifts data to a feder- ated, decentralized approach and enables domains to process and package their raw data into a data product containing the specific information needed for command decisions. (See related article “Quarter- backing Digital Transformation,” Page 30.) Sharing these decision-focused data products instead of centralizing raw data will enable rapid decision-making. Tis type of data decentralization is revolution- izing the way that industry operates, and we need to take the data innovations in industry and apply them to not only how we fight, but how we do business.


6 Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2023


SHIFTING GEARS


The Unified Data Reference Architecture is expected to unify data mesh and data fabric principles and efforts, according to a 2022 request for information by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering and Software. (Image by Getty Images)


Tere are other ways we are accelerating digital transformation. The Army acquisition community is taking advantage of all acquisition pathways and authorities provided in the last few years by Congress. One of the most promising is the software acquisition pathway, which is designed to provide rapid and iterative delivery of software capability to the joint warfighter. Currently, nine Army programs are using this pathway. To be successful, we must ensure that all associated processes are being tailored to improve the speed and quality of software delivery. Four programs are in the execution phase and planning software deliveries that meet the annual delivery timeframes. We’re hoping to learn from these efforts.


TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION Te Army is also building new software tools to help our contracting profession- als do more work, more accurately. We


are getting them an entirely new contract writing system. We are also developing “bots” to help them do market research more quickly and effectively. And we are working on providing them with training tools that use virtual reality to simulate contract negotiations.


Let me also highlight the importance of the modular open-systems approach (MOSA) in achieving digital transfor- mation. MOSA uses an architecture that enables major system components to be incrementally added, removed or replaced throughout the system life cycle,


to


enhance competition and innovation. For example, the Army integrated MOSA into its requirements and sustainment strate- gies for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).


Over the last two years, the FLRAA Project Office, along with the PEO for Aviation, invited industry, government partners and


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