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C@RD: Enabling enhanced materiel management

By Capt. Clarissa White and CASCOM Enterprise Systems DirectorateOctober 6, 2021

C@RD delivers materiel management support
(Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

Developed by the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command’s Enterprise Systems Directorate, Commander’s Actionable Readiness Dashboard, or C@RD, is a fielded suite of materiel management decision support tools geared toward the tactical level user. C@RD provides readiness to commanders, coordinating staffs and stakeholders through actionable information, granting users the ability to make data driven decisions and use time to solve problems – as opposed to identifying them.

Tactical Readiness

Army organizations are utilizing C@RD reporting objects to automate readiness reporting requirements. Users can save reports as favorites, export them into Microsoft Excel and schedule the reports for delivery via enterprise email, (on a recurring basis), helping to significantly reduce the time associated with traditional readiness reporting.

C@RD also delivers near-real time GCSS-Army data. GCSS-Army retrieves data when the report is executed or refreshed, so data in the C@RD is only as old as the last time a user refreshes it. The actionable aspect of the C@RD represents another valuable functionality. When a user clicks on hyperlinks within underlying reports, this allows them to transition to production GCSS-Army transactions and potentially correct issues.

Previously, C@RD only offered data views and visualizations, requiring users to navigate a business object to view the business intelligence report folder structure. With an updated landing page, C@RD users now have access to these BI reports, creating materiel management decision support tools that are readily accessible to users.

Another appeal for tactical-level users is that C@RD is not a role based system. C@RD accommodates non-GCSS-Army users allowing access through the AESIP Hub Army Enterprise Portal BI launch pad.

C@RD delivers materiel management support
C@RD dashboard (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

Training

Robust training resources compliment C@RD with multiple, detailed, user-friendly training objects. The training is continually improving to ensure users are up-to-date on the C@RD’s functionality. This also shows how C@RD can be leveraged to solve real-world Army problems.

C@RD Way Ahead

C@RD provides users with nine unique reporting objects across five different business areas: equipment readiness, shop stock, fleet management, ZPARK, obligation adjustment, equipment on hand, my material tracker, operational project stock and the equipment comparison tool. C@RD as it stands today is not complete, but several capabilities are in production.

Planned improvements for C@RD include a self-service feature. This capability will allow users to access existing C@RD reports and customize their own reports based on unit requirements or personal preference. As with all C@RD development, the aim is to allow data decision making, with a quality user experience.

The C@RD team collaborates closely with stakeholders to solve problems that today’s Army faces and ensure capabilities continue to evolve. As with all C@RD development, the intent is to allow data decision making, with a quality user experience.

For more information on C@RD, visit: gcss.army.mil/Training/c@rd/C@RD%20DASHBOARD/Launch%20Dashboard.html