8 Reasons Why Agile Data Solutions are Better for the U.S. Department of Defense

By Michael Ehrlich, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer

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FTI has provided targeted, fast-implemented and highly adaptive data-focused technology and solutions to the Department of Defense for more than three decades. As we have grown, FTI’s strong SBIR heritage has helped shape our evolution and the development of more strategic, agile data solutions for the warfighter, but our core tenets have remained the same:  

Mission-Driven Innovation:

Technology centered around the warfighter to deliver tangible and mission critical value.  

Speed to Solution:

Prioritize speed to meet the urgent operational needs of the warfighter.  

Agility and Responsiveness:

“Aim, Fire, Adjust” - we want to deliver not only rapidly but in a way that is flexible, scalable and capable of rapid deployment and iteration.  

Deliver Value:

High quality solutions can be delivered at lower costs without sacrificing performance, capabilities or reliability.

These core tenets are the foundation of why we at FTI believe that agile data solutions are more likely to benefit the U.S. warfighter, as opposed to the legacy monolithic approach. In a global landscape that is rapidly changing and laying more demands on our warfighters, speed to solution and speed to mission, the ability to quickly adapt to new and emerging threats, and the need to maximize the value generated from investments in innovation are more critical than ever.

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Here are eight specific reasons Agile solutions are better for the DoD:  

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1. Speed to Capability  

Agile means that solutions can be delivered to warfighters in weeks or months, rather than years, providing immediate impact to our warfighters. This is becoming increasingly important given the challenges in recruitment across all services and the need for rapid deployment of systems, solutions and technology.  

2. Responsiveness  

The agile approach to system design and development enables the ability to rapidly adapt to new and emerging threats. An agile solution approach allows for a continual iterative development loop, allowing for solutions to evolve to new and emerging threats versus the need for changes to monolithic solutions that can take years.  

3. Cost

An agile process can often deliver more cost-effective solutions, not only in terms of development but also in maintenance and modernization. These savings allow the DoD to reallocate funds to further expand warfighter capabilities, which may have been otherwise delayed. Additionally, the agile iterative feature delivery model helps ensure that each phase delivers value that can be captured while reducing the risk of the wasted investments that are often a byproduct of monolithic projects.  

4. Agility

Providing better support for integration across services and missions is extremely important – and an agile approach can provide opportunities to identify and deploy new technology faster, helping to enhance the mission. This agility allows for far more effective collaboration and improved interoperability across the DoD.  

5. Solution Effectiveness

Engaging warfighters, designers and other stakeholders early and often throughout the process is foundational to an agile approach – and this engagement model helps ensure the effectiveness of the solutions delivered and mission success.  

6. Enhanced Collaboration

While monolithic solutions are often designed within tightly organized teams, agile solution development lends itself to opening the aperture for a wider community of collaborators. This creates a better environment for solution development and often leads to solutions that are better aligned with current needs, and better prepared to adapt to projected new and emerging needs.

7. Scale

As the scope and scale of systems grow and evolve, the ability of systems to scale to meet the needs of the mission is critical. An agile approach provides the best path to responding to the expanded needs and requirements and enables scale at an enterprise level.  

8. Risk Reduction

The agile approach’s “release early and often” mentality offers more opportunities for systems and solutions to be tested and re-tested throughout the development cycle. Additionally, an agile approach emphasizes breaking efforts down into more manageable, but still interconnected, elements which provide a better environment for identifying and resolving issues faster and more effectively – significantly reducing the risk associated with large scale defects that can inject significant cost and schedule impacts.  

‍About FTI ‍

FTI provides deep data expertise, technology and services that enhance the ability of the DoD, Intelligence Community and other agencies of the Federal Government to make the best decisions possible. Drawing on nearly four decades of innovation, FTI’s extensive portfolio of intellectual property and operational technologies has been augmented by more than $200 million of U.S. government and FTI R&D investment, and FTI’s agile solutions can often be mission-ready in a matter of weeks. Headquartered in Beavercreek, Ohio, FTI operates in 34 states, works at all levels of classification and offers seven facilities of varying clearance levels nationwide. More at ftidefense.com.

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