PEO EIS’ digital transformation progress shines at TechNet Augusta 2024

Hosted by AFCEA International, TechNet Augusta wrapped up on Aug. 22, 2024. The multiday event was held at the Augusta Marriott’s Convention Center in Augusta, Georgia. 

TechNet brought together Army leaders, cyber experts and industry partners with the intention of opening lines of communication and initiating networking opportunities in the cyber domain. The Army’s digital transformation journey was a key point of discussion throughout the conference sessions.  

PEO EIS was well-represented at the conference, with Bill Hepworth, program executive officer; Brig. Gen. RJ Mikesh Jr., deputy program executive officer; Michael Chappell, chief information officer (CIO); Michael Gormley, deputy project manager, Enterprise Business Systems – Convergence (EBS-C); and Sergio Alvarez, deputy project director, Enterprise Services, all having speaking roles. 

On Aug. 20, Leonel Garciga — CIO, U.S. Department of the Army — opened the day with a keynote address. One of his discussion points was the Army’s digital transformation — including the Army’s journey to the cloud. When the journey began several years ago, the Army had around 700 defense business systems. Today, that number is down to 382, Garciga said. He praised PEO EIS’ EBS-C and its modernization and digital transformation efforts to simplify and standardize business operations, noting EBS-C’s efforts are a “big deal.”  

“When I first came to the Army, the amount of business systems across the Army was kind of ridiculous,” Garciga said. “But we’re watching that shrink, and it’s happening organically.” EBS-C plays an important part in that. 

Garciga also discussed data accessibility and how it is one of the Army’s fastest growing areas. He referenced PEO EIS’ Army Data Platform (ADP), noting that users are leveraging ADP’s application programming interface to access other tools — such as visualizations, workflow engines and analytic engines. Garciga called this development “really interesting to watch.” 

Following Garciga’s address, PEO EIS’ Hepworth joined leaders from other Army program executive offices on a panel to discuss all things digital transformation, highlighting PEO EIS’ Logistics Modernization Program and General Fund Enterprise Business System as key platforms in the digital transformation sphere.  

“Digital transformation is essential to us,” Hepworth said. “It’s really critical to everything we do.” He added that the faster and more affordably PEO EIS can deliver capabilities to the Army, the more resources that can be freed up to build additional capabilities. A dedication to digital transformation helps PEO EIS do just that, said Hepworth, adding that it is PEO EIS’ “lifeblood.” 

Highlighting some of PEO EIS’ successes over the last two years, Hepworth credited the organization’s dedication to Agile. Making the commitment to embrace Agile methodologies was most challenging, he said. Once the PEO unified around the Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®), it gave everyone a common language, and PEO EIS was off and running in its digital transformation journey. 

Despite initial challenges in transitioning from waterfall to Agile, PEO EIS has systemically enforced SAFe principles across its programs, and most programs are now fully Agile.  

“We are working and collaborating with our functional partners now, and they’re joining the journey,” Hepworth said. “That is one of the big keys because if your functionals aren’t on board, you’re going to have a really tough process ahead.”  

As for the organization’s goals for the upcoming year, Hepworth said that going further down the path of DevSecOps — including automated builds, testing and deployments — is a big push that should become standard across the PEO in coming months. 

“We’re not done,” Hepworth said about PEO EIS’ digital transformation journey. “We’re still going to push forward for the next year and are still transforming.”  

As evidence of the acquisition organization’s continued transformation, PEO EIS’ CIO and two portfolio leaders provided examples of new initiatives they are pursuing in alignment with the Army’s digital transformation priorities.  

During a panel discussion led by Deputy PEO Mikesh, Chappell told audience members about the planned upgrade of the CIO office into a matrixed organization. By creating a new product office called Product Lead (PL) Innovate — which effectively adds a product delivery arm across technical domains — PEO EIS will be able to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies to deliver value to Soldiers through more efficient and effective enterprise technology.  

Some of the digital transformation initiatives currently in the PL Innovate pipeline, said Chappell, are Neighborhood Watch, DevSecOps and the Army Data Mesh. Each of those will have a dedicated assistant product manager.  

“Those are the first three out of the gate,” said Chappell, adding that other initiatives will be coming. 

Following Chappell’s presentation, Alvarez from PEO EIS’ Enterprise Services teased what is coming to change up how Army and DOD customers purchase hardware, software and services. 

PEO EIS soon will be launching Digital Market — the Army’s and DOD’s preferred source for commercial off-the-shelf information technology products and services, said Alvarez. The offering, which will provide customers with a catalog and self-service tools on a new concierge-supported “Digital Marketplace” website, will help buyers more readily find needed capabilities, see associated costs and make purchases faster. 

“What we’re really trying to do is make that seamless,” said Alvarez. “Part of our challenge and what we’re working through right now is exactly that — build a digital marketplace that’s literally a marketplace where you can come in, place your orders, get in, get out and then be able to track that towards processes of when you’re going to receive it.” 

Finally, EBS-C’s Gormley briefed TechNet attendees on the latest developments with the Army’s business and modernization effort. He specifically focused on the EBS-C system’s innovative acquisition process, which uses the DOD 5000.87 Software Acquisition Pathway.  

Human-centered design has been an important element of the acquisition process, said Gormley, adding that they will hold design-thinking sessions with Soldiers to get after “what right should look like.” 

“We have a pretty tall order,” said Gormley. “We want to make the system intuitive and enable the warfighter, versus creating another item that takes three or four months just to become trained on it.” 

The slide deck from the deputies’ and CIO’s panel discussion is available on the PEO EIS website.