Like the Army, Army Materiel Command, and other major subordinate commands, the Joint Munitions Command, headquartered at the Rock Island Arsenal, is focused on incorporating data and analytics principles into its decision-making processes.
JMC’s aim is to create tools that optimize time management, boost precision, and deliver enhanced clarity for its leadership.
“By utilizing cutting-edge analytical tools, we are able to identify insights and trends that may remain hidden without such resources,” said Brig. Gen. Ronnie Anderson Jr., JMC’s commander. “This functionality not only boosts productivity but also empowers us to foresee upcoming requirements and adapt our strategies as needed.”
Understanding data is critical to enable enhanced, more accurate, and timely decision- making. The inability to aggregate, compare, and truly understand data adversely affects the ability to react and respond, and many members of JMC’s workforce have embarked on a journey to enhance and improve their data literacy.
Jay Carr, the executive director for ammunition and the deputy to the commander for JMC, is pleased with the increased use of data and analytics within the command.
“JMC is leading the way in data and analytics,” Carr said. “With the use of data and analytics, we have strengthened our capabilities and paved the way for even greater achievements.
“Our workforce is setting the standard for data-driven transformation and agile project management,” Carr added. “The unwavering dedication and innovative mindsets of our people are a testament to the power of self-development.”
Several of JMC’s employees have collaborated with others both inside and outside their respective directorates and divisions to self-develop data and analytics tools. Some examples are SCOUT, R2B, an awards application, a supervisory suite, and an engagement dashboard.
SCOUT
JMC is continuously seeking individuals to fill job openings, and the command is actively working to reduce hiring timelines. To help achieve this, JMC is using a data-centric based scouting for talent recruitment tool called SCOUT.
SCOUT is being utilized to streamline the hiring process and reduce the time to hire by providing a searchable database for hiring managers; build a pipeline of talent through focused enterprise recruitment efforts; increase the use of Direct Hire Authority; and inform data-driven recruitment decisions and strategies.
SCOUT tracks job candidates, interviews, and job offers, and it also drives focused enterprise recruitment based on data and analytics generated from the recruitment process.
“SCOUT helps us not only reduce time-to-hire but also ensures that the best talent is identified and engaged effectively,” said Michelle Timmerman, JMC's deputy chief of staff - human resources (G1). “Ultimately, SCOUT represents a significant step forward in modernizing JMC’s recruitment practices.”
The resource and requirements board tool, dubbed R2B, improves the ability to submit, review, approve and track recruitment and placement actions.
“Every time a manager has a vacancy, the request goes into R2B, if approved for action, the hiring manager then links the specific career opportunity to the pipeline of talent maintained in SCOUT,” said Jen Mehmert, a supervisory program specialist for JMC’s Human Resources Directorate. “These tools linked together help JMC improve the talent acquisition process.”
Awards application
The awards application tool, which ties into JMC’s strategic line of effort to retain its top talent, was developed to give Anderson a one-stop shop to see how the JMC enterprise is honoring and recognizing its employees.
In the past, he had no oversight for what awards were being submitted, as Anderson only knew about the ones that crossed his desk. Prior to the application tool, the approval process for potential awardees would get hung up in the routing process for up to eight business days, and that figure has decreased drastically.
“The streamlined awards process not only enhances transparency but also fosters a culture of appreciation within JMC. By making recognition more accessible, employees feel more valued and motivated to excel in their roles,” Anderson said. “Ultimately, this tool serves as a vital component in JMC's commitment to nurturing a supportive and engaging workplace environment.”
Supervisory suite
The supervisory suite serves as a centralized platform for supervisors, enabling them to efficiently manage various aspects of their team's performance. This includes tracking vacancies and hiring actions, over-hire posture, retirement planning, intern/career ladder progress, overtime/compensatory hours, upcoming leave, and the Department of Defense Performance Management and Appraisal Program. By consolidating these functions, the supervisory suite not only streamlines administrative tasks, but also empowers supervisors to focus on leadership and team development.
Category management training portal
In June, the category management training portal was launched, and it eases the process of identifying individuals for required training. The portal has links for the specific training courses and allows users to upload certificates.
Training coordinators across the Organic Industrial Base can view and download a list of training status’ among employees at their respective installations. The portal will also send out automated emails to individuals who are 30 days away from their refresher training dates and when they are past due on their training dates.
The portal, which utilizes Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, SharePoint Lists, and PowerBi, has saved numerous hours of manual work. Prior to its release, JMC relied on email chains among hundreds of JMC employees and manually saving training certificates to an online folder.
Engagement dashboard
Last May, JMC launched an engagement dashboard, which streamlines the process of tracking, analyzing, and reporting all its engagements each month.
Prior to the development of the dashboard, old-school techniques were used to track, analyze, and report all engagements, which proved to be time-consuming, ineffective, and incomplete.
The dashboard allows all JMC's employees to input their own engagements with accurate and complete information.
“Engagements give us many opportunities to talk about the JMC mission and priorities to internal and external audiences, as well as highlighting the people behind those efforts,” said Justine Barati, Chief of JMC’s Public and Congressional Affairs Office. “The dashboard ensures data integrity and provides us with an accurate view of our engagements.”
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