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Office of Business Transformation

Transforming the Business of the Army The Office of Business Transformation develops business strategy and policy, enables governance, and promotes best-in-class business practices to improve efficiency and facilitate innovative solutions and improvements across the Army. SPOTLIGHT: DS&IA Tech Talk - 25 January 2023 - Deep Green 2022-23 Phase I Discussion on Computer Vision Call for Deep Green - Phase II Competition Participants (09 January to 01 March (2023) 2022 LEAP Nomination Window Now Open (01 January to 15 February 2023) For even more business transformation resources and information, visit our OBT Portal, or contact us to sign up for our mailing list (usarmy.pentagon.hqda-osa-obt.mbx.webmaster@mail.mil)

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Data Science & Intelligent Automation COI Tech Talk

When: 25 January 2023 (1500 to 1600 EDT) Title: Deep Green Data Science and AI Competition (Phase 1: Computer Vision) Opening Speaker: Mr. Bakari Dale, Director of the Office of Enterprise Data Analytics (HQDA-OBT) COI Speaker: Mr. Matthew Banta, AFC DEVCOM DAC (Phase 1 Winner) Description: Informative discussion on Phase I of the 2022-23 Deep Green Competition and the challenges in producing a Computer Vision Deep Learning Model for Semantic Image Segmentation. TEAMS Link Learn more about how to participate in this opportunity by visiting the OBT Portal

2022-2023 Army Deep Green - Phase II Registration (09 January to 01 March 2023)

With Phase 1 complete as of September 30, 2022, this Call for Participants pertains to the next iteration of the competition. This Deep Green DS & AI Challenge Phase II is planned to run from January 9 to July 28, 2023, using multiple tracks for the Computer Vision and LiDAR models.  Phase II will give competitors the option to use either the CV data, LiDAR data, or both datasets to build a model. The highest scoring model created from this challenge will be used as a baseline performance prototype for further development on Army autonomous vehicle systems. The AIMM ERP will evaluate models based on quantitative metrics. Non-monetary awards have been authorized for the winning teams. The 2022-23 Deep Green DS & AI Competition will be open to individuals and teams who are interested in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, and autonomous systems. This competition will aid in improving the competitor’s ability in scientific research and development of autonomous systems. Eligible individuals who can join the competition include current Government civilian or military personnel or a representative of a Non-Federal Entity (NFE) with an existing Government relationship. A team signup sheet will be hosted by OBT to support individuals to form teams to work collaboratively. Each team will have a single point of contact designated as the Team Captain that must be identified with OBT. All participants are required to be US citizens. There are no restrictions/requirements for Government only teams for participation. For NFE teams, the team captain/liaison must be a Government employee, military or civilian, and is responsible for ensuring there is an existing, valid legal authority supporting the involvement of the NFE representative. Point of contact for DEVCOM ARL is Mr. Philip Osteen, commercial (410) 278-2057 or e-mail: philip.r.osteen.civ@army.mil. Point of contact for OBT EDA is Dr. Matthew Millar, e-mail: matthew.c.millar3.civ@army.mil. For further competition signup instructions, please see the OBT EDA website at: https://www.obtportal.army.mil/EDA/DeepGreen/

Upcoming - Business Process Reengineering Intermediate Course

Future courses will be held on 6-9 February and 17-20 April (2023) Click Here: To find out more information on how to register for the course.

2022 LSS Excellence Award Program Accepting Nominations

In order to be considered for an award, all business process improvement work needs to have been completed between October 2020 and September 2022 (FY21 and FY22). Nomination packets will be accepted up-and-until close of business on 15 February 2023 Nominations will be accepted from 01 January to 15 February 2023. For more information on how to nominate a project or organization, please visit: https://www.milsuite.mil/book/community/spaces/orion/obt/armybpi/armycpi  or https://www.obtportal.army.mil/Discover/Army-LSS/LEAP
  • Mr. Robin Swan Director, Office of Business Transformation Mr. Robin Swan
  • Mr. Bakari Dale Director, Office of Enterprise Data Analytics Mr. Bakari Dale
  • Mr. Daniel C. Jensen Executive Director, Army Analytics Group Mr. Daniel C. Jensen
  • Dr. Charles Brandon Director, Business Process Improvement Dr. Charles Brandon
  • Mr. Chris Craft Manager, Business Training & Education Manager Mr. Chris Craft
  • Mr. Marco Temaner Chief Architect, Enterprise Architecture and Strategic Management System Mr. Marco Temaner
  • Mr. Paul Shigeta Legislative Strategist Mr. Paul Shigeta
  • Ms. Audrey Smith Chief, Business Systems Governance Ms. Audrey Smith
  • Ms. Linda Kotulan Chief, Reform Management Office Ms. Linda Kotulan

OBT

  • Congressional efforts to drive business transformation within DoD began as financial management reform in the 1980s and 1990s. Initially, efforts were viewed as an issue for the Department’s Comptroller, but this view evolved to be recognized as an enterprise issue due to the cross functional nature of data, processes, and systems. Congress established CMO positions at the Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary levels to facilitate enterprise level efforts and cultural change. Congress then established service-level offices to support the CMOs, so with the NDAA ‘09, Sec 908, OBT was born!
  • OBT supports the Chief Management Officer (Under Secretary of the Army) in driving business transformation initiatives, performing army business system portfolio management, achieving an integrated management system, developing enterprise architecture, and ensuring continual business process reengineering (NDAA ‘10, Sec 1072). Army Business Transformation focuses specifically on improving the business processes and information technology that drives the Institutional Army. The Institutional Army generates the trained and ready land forces that fulfill a broad array of defense missions. The magnitude and scope of the Army’s business transformation effort makes it one of the most complex projects ever attempted. The interdependencies between functions and processes defy simply, directed solutions. With the unpredictability of future missions and fiscal challenges, neither the Army nor the Nation can risk mission failure. In addition to improving the way we generate forces, we must properly manage the demands we place on our ecosystems, environment, electromagnetic spectrum and supplies of energy and water. The Army’s multi-faceted approach enables the Army to preserve readiness and fulfill commitments within lower budgets. In preparation for this responsibility, the institutional Army must perform its activities faster, smarter and cheaper to provide trained and ready forces at best value for the Nation today and in the future.

Army Analytics Group (AAG)

  • Mission: Provide analytical services for the Army’s senior leadership and innovative data and application integration and architecture consulting across the Department of Army Enterprise.
  • Broadly, AAG provides three key services to support Army-wide data integration and analysis. Problem solving that requires enterprise data integration and analysis, applying the most advanced statistical analysis and information technology (IT) solutions. This includes development of special purpose tools and configuring emerging software applications for rapid test and evaluation. Management and improvement of secure remote access IT environments research and analysis. AAG’s development of the Person-event Data Environment (PDE) is the foremost example of its efforts to integrate data which can be accessed and analyzed remotely. Research and analysis facilitation for other Army organizations. AAG provides access to a wide range of data and research expertise, e.g., from universities, to assist other Army organizations.

Business Planning and Assessment (BPA)

  • The Business Planning and Assessment Office works with leaders in the Army, industry, and academia to develop, test, and implement innovative ideas. The office also enables Army Business Mission Area performance management, supports the development, review, and update of Army business strategies, and conducts annual Business Strategy assessments.
  • Develop, refine and promulgate Department of the Army strategy, policy and guidance in support of Army business operations and business transformation to provide ready forces in the most efficient and fiscally responsible way to the Nation.
  • AI2 supports the Army Innovation Strategy by collecting innovative ideas from across the force and presenting them to experts for consideration and implementation.
  • The Balanced Scorecard is an enterprise performance tool that aggregates key performance indicators from multiple functional domains in order to better inform resource allocation decisions.
  • The IMS initiative advances IMS concepts and practices across the business enterprise through advocacy, education, and incorporation into Army doctrine.

Business Process Improvement (BPI)

  • The Business Process Improvement Office develops and implements strategies for shifting resources to high-value activities. It develops and implements reforms to eliminate unnecessary or obsolete compliance requirements and reduces the cost of mission-support operations.
  • The Army Contracting Efficiencies (ACE) Course is designed to equip a cadre of Army soldiers and civilians with the skills to increase efficiency of the requirements-to-procurement process. The course will empower participants with the approaches and mindsets to drive efficiencies across the Army, to improve the timeliness and efficacy of requirements, and to ensure best practices are applied across the acquisition process. The course is an immersive, 10-day, in-person “Boot Camp” followed by a ~12- week Capstone project. The Boot Camp will impart leading technical and execution best practices. Technical modules include discussions on ways to identify efficiencies in requirements generation, supply market analysis, total cost of ownership evaluation, and contracting. The execution skills will provide in-depth problem solving and communications training designed to help shape “how” participants think – not “what” they think. The Capstone project will serve three primary purposes. First, the Capstone will provide the Army tangible benefit in terms of efficiencies and cost reductions achieved. Second, organizations will be able to have this newly developed expertise deployed against their toughest challenges. Finally, participants will be able to apply the lessons and skills developed in the in-person phase thereby deeply ingraining the new way of working. While the topic for Capstones may vary across participants, Capstone projects will serve a mission-critical need that may identify solutions that may be employed more widely. The course is designed for soldiers and civilians with a current position focused on and expertise in requirements generation, contracting, acquisition, and/or category management. Participants should have sufficient time remaining at their current organization to enable skill and knowledge transfer and radiation across the organization. An ideal participant should be comfortable using Excel to manipulate and analyze data. There are no grade or rank requirements.
  • The CPI program trains and enables practitioners across the Army to improve the performance of Army business operations. The programmatic approach is a synthesis of scientific management systems thinking, systems dynamics, and Army performance improvement methodologies.
  • BPR is a logical approach for assessing process weaknesses, identifying capability gaps, and implementing innovation and optimization opportunities to achieve breakthrough improvements in operational performance. The approach goes beyond traditional process improvement by focusing on the holistic environment including the people, process, policy, technology, and information affecting the current and future states. BPR focuses on end-to-end business processes rather than functional silos, producing new process outcomes and maximizing the use of commercial best practices in enabling technology. BPR milBook
  • The EBM course is designed to help students become familiar with principles of business management within the business mission area. The course enables students to maximize reform opportunities, develop the civilian workforce, and increase operational readiness IAW AR 5-1 Management of Army Business Operations.
  • Lean Six Sigma is a team-focused managerial approach that seeks to improve performance by eliminating waste and defects. It combines Six Sigma methods and tools and the lean manufacturing/lean enterprise philosophy, striving to eliminate waste of physical resources, time, effort and talent while assuring quality in production and organizational processes. LSS milBook

Business Systems Governance

  • The Business Systems Governance Office is responsible for Business Mission Area governance, validation of business system requirements, conducting portfolio management and certification of funds.
  • The EBS project ensures industry best-practices are incorporated by organizations supporting the Army Business Mission Area. This transformation enables the Army to leverage commercial-of-the-shelf and best of breed solutions, modernizes back-bone business systems, and increases readiness from the headquarters level to the tactical edge.

Business Training and Education

  • The Business Training and Education Office is focused on transforming the Army’s educational culture and structure by incorporating business best-practices into Army course curricula (ILE, CES, Advanced Course, and SSC, GO and SES).
  • Army regulation 5-1 , Management of Army Business Operations, prescribes policies and responsibilities for managing business operations supporting the Army's execution of its primary functions (organize, man, train, equip, and sustain force) under U.S. Code: Title 10.

Enterprise Architecture

  • The Army Enterprise Architecture office manages the evolution, development and maintenance of the Army Business Enterprise Architecture (ABEA), maintains the Enterprise Knowledge Repository (EKR), assists with the execution of the annual Organizational Execution Plan (OEP)/Portfolio Review (PfR) processes, assists with DBS Acquisition process (BCAC), and provides Architecture-based analytics to inform Portfolio Management.
  • ABEA captures functional domain, subject matter expert, and policy EA information in order to model and document Army Enterprise Architecture directly in the Enterprise Knowledge Repository. Interactive workshops and training are conducted on a regular basis to assist the Army architecture community in providing and developing their respective portions of the ABEA.
  • The Solutions Architecture team leads the Business Solution Integration Practice Area, which works to sustain current levels of efficiency and effectiveness while simultaneously pivoting to meet strategic objectives best enabled by modern technologies. This team incorporates six enterprise-level activities: decision analytics, transition strategy, capital planning and investment control, demand management, data management, and ERP integration.
  • The Strategic Management System (SMS) is the Army Enterprise Program of Record for Performance Management that aggregates key performance indicators from multiple functional domains and provides a strategically focused representation to the Army's Senior Leadership. SMS provides executive dashboards with SUCCESSFUL (green), PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL (amber), or UNSUCCESSFUL (red) ratings with metric data, while providing a dynamically updated briefing capability with live data, embedded email, alerts, and interactive comments.

Enterprise Data Analytics

  • EDA manages an enterprise-wide scalable data analytics capability that enables both analysts and their leaders to predict and solve problems, optimize resourcing decisions, and deliver enhanced readiness.
  • The Army's Community of Interest (COI) for Data Science and Intelligent Automation is a collaboration and learning forum for communication addressing Data Science & Intelligent Automation related issues with respect to knowledge about and access to platforms, tools, experts, and events, etc. within the Army Analytic Mission Areas. The forum aid in the Advanced analytic community meeting the evolving demand for enterprise-level data analytics solutions by leveraging descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, prescriptive, and cognitive analytics and intelligent decision-support.
  • Deep Green is an emerging collaboration capability designed to leverage the spirit of competition, bringing together cross-functional teams and executive sponsors to solve the Army’s acute business and analytics problems.
  • HAL, or the Army's Analytics Center of Excellence (ACE), is focused on leveraging analytics to address enterprise-level questions, developing and deploying strategic direction throughout the Army, and maturing the broader data analytics community.

Reform Management

  • The Reform Management Office, in support of Army strategic priorities, facilitates the implementation of Army reform initiatives that free up time, money, and manpower for investment into higher priority efforts (readiness and modernization), and empower commands to make more efficient, timely, and effective data-driven decisions.
  • ARI 2.0 focuses on driving reforms to improve processes, procedures, and structure at the Army enterprise level. Commanders and Staff Principals are empowered to conduct internal reforms that result in efficiency gains and enable timely data-driven decisions at the lowest possible level.
  • Army category management (CM) is the business practice of buying common goods and services as an enterprise to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiency, deliver more value and identify savings which can be reinvested into higher Army priorities. CM uses a structured approach to manage strategic requirements, maintain oversight of acquisition and cost management processes to enable elimination of redundancies, increase efficiency and effectiveness, and improve end-user satisfaction.
OBT Social Media OBT Home Page https://www.army.mil/obt OBT Transformation Portal https://www.obtportal.army.mil OBT Army Public SharePoint Site https://armyeitaas.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/HQDA-OBT Facebook www.Facebook.com/usarmyobt Twitter www.Twitter.com/usarmyobt DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE AR 5-1 Management of Army Business Operations Army Business Management Plan 2021-2025 (Hi Res) Army Business Management Plan 2021-2025 (Lo Res) Use of People Analytics Data/Data Omnibus MILSUITE LOCATIONS Office of Business Transformation Business Process Improvement Business Process Reengineering Strategic Management Systems Lean Six Sigma CONTACT Direct Lean Six Sigma training and certification questions to: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-osa-obt.mbx.lss-training@army.mil Email: usarmy.pentagon.hqda-osa-obt.mbx.webmaster@army.mil