The Joint Munitions Command is focused on becoming the front-runner as a data-driven command in the Army.
And JMC's engagement dashboard, which was launched at the beginning of May, is a vital tool that helps make data work for the command.
The dashboard was developed to streamline the process of tracking, analyzing, and reporting all JMC's engagements each month. It was created in reaction to an operational directive from the Army Materiel Command, which was issued in December 2021 and required the reporting of all types of engagements and their corresponding lines of effort. This was done to maintain a clear view of all engagements across the AMC enterprise and guarantee that each engagement incorporates strategic messaging to accomplish the desired communication objectives.
Prior to the development of JMC's engagement dashboard, old-school techniques were used to track, analyze, and report all engagements. JMC's Public and Congressional Affairs team used spreadsheets, email, and Microsoft's PowerPoint to monitor and track the engagements. It proved to be time-consuming, ineffective, and incomplete. To align with JMC 2030, the dashboard was developed, and it allows all JMC's employees to input their own engagements with accurate and complete information.
"It's not only important that we track and report all JMC engagements, but this helps us plan our strategic engagements going forward," said Col. Ronnie Anderson Jr., JMC's commander. "The dashboard also helps our senior leaders know where to hone in our focus and provide guidance or support.
"Overall, the dashboard has enhanced precision, decreased labor hours, and furnished crucial information to the entire enterprise," Anderson added.
In June, the PCA team within JMC hosted training sessions, both in-person and virtually, to introduce the engagement dashboard to JMC's workforce. The training sessions featured a live demonstration, information on the AMC OPORD, guidance on data input following business rules, and instructions on the categorization of each engagement by type and line-of-effort.
In August, JMC began using the dashboard to provide Anderson, Jay Carr, JMC's executive director for ammunition and the deputy to the commander, along with other senior leaders, with details about upcoming strategic engagements across its installations.
"This has modernized the way JMC does business," said Jim McGrath, the Chief of JMC's Operations Center. "Using the live dashboard means we don't have to task the installation commanders to develop slides and our employees at headquarters aren't spending time consolidating and coordinating a slide deck every other week in preparation for our command and staff meetings. Everyone is seeing real-time data at the same time.”
Since going live, JMC's engagement dashboard has evolved to also include reporting of Army recruiting efforts and has eliminated another old-school spreadsheet tracker.
“We are focused on data here at JMC,” Carr said. “The engagement dashboard pulls together all engagements in one spot, allowing us to report accurately, in a timely fashion to AMC. It also helps us get after the right engagements that support the JMC munitions mission.”
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