THINK DATA: Jennifer Swanson, DASA-DES, left, and Brig. Gen. Robert (RJ) Mikesh, deputy program executive officer for Program Executive Office Enterprise, right, highlight implementing data mesh across the portfolio as the office of primary responsibility during an AUSA panel in October 2024 in Washington. (Photo by Laura Edwards, PEO Enterprise)
ASA(ALT) focuses on the foundations and prioritization of digital transformation at AUSA.
by Claudia Flisi
A standing-room only crowd greeted Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology ASA(ALT) and Jennifer Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software as they addressed the topic of accelerating Army digital transformation during the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition on October 16, 2024, in Washington.
Bang summarized the Army’s focus on digital transformation as, “Acquisition at speed, production at scale. We are elevating our game in all things and all ways.”
For the last two-and-a-half years, ASA(ALT) has been prioritizing digital capabilities to enhance performance and improve security, including cybersecurity, while keeping an eye on costs, Bang explained. He emphasized the importance of rigor and discipline as well as innovation. In that context, he urged suppliers to experiment but with respect for costs.
Swanson noted changes brought about by the Army’s latest software directive. One immediate impact was in streamlining. “It used to take four months for approvals of software. Now the process is streamlined and approvals can take a week or even a day,” she said.
This directive has taken software out of the black box, according to Swanson. Today there is more transparency and at the same time cybersecurity has improved. She sees coordination across the Army enterprise, from the Office of the Secretary of Defense on down, including vendors and commercial partners.
AREAS OF INTEREST
- The Modular Open Systems Approach, or MOSA, is a technical and business strategy that encourages more flexible, adaptable and cost-effective systems. It reduces vendor lock-in by using standardized interfaces and modular components.
- Mesh communications networks grant connectivity to devices, much like Wi-Fi or Long Term Evolution routers, known as LTE. These avoid hub-and-spoke configurations, making them safer, more flexible, and more reliable.
- Unified Data Reference Architecture, or UDRA, is used by the Army to guide the implementation of data sharing across its acquisition programs, creating a common framework for data storage, access and sharing. This helps to define terms so everyone speaks the same language.
Going forward, training, cybersecurity issues and increased use of artificial intelligence are areas of concentration. In closing, Bang emphasized to the senior leadership audience, “We don’t want problems, we want solutions.”
CLAUDIA FLISI provides contract support to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as a contributing writer and editor for Army AL&T magazine and TMGL, LLC through JANSON Communications. She contributed to the International New York Times, Newsweek, Fortune and many other publications when living in Europe. She holds an M.A. in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in international relations from Mount Holyoke College.
