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Enabling Business Transformation “On the Go”
By Dan DelGrosso and Mike Hernon
I
ncreasing the ability to conduct business on the go,
away from a traditional office or desktop environment,
can be a key enabler of the Department of the Navy’s
business transformation process. Arming DON personnel with
access to the department’s knowledge base regardless of their
location will improve effectiveness in any new or improved
business process.
A robust enterprise mobility capability can improve communications,
save money, enhance the ability to make decisions and
facilitate organizational restructuring — all of which are critical
business transformation rationales.
Leveraging the Cloud
Mobility and business transformation can each leverage ongoing
Department of Defense (DoD) IT initiatives such as cloud or
tablet-based computing. In a cloud environment, an organization’s
data and applications reside in centralized data centers
and are accessed via the Internet or an intranet such as the Navy
Marine Corps Intranet.
There are a number of advantages to this approach. Perhaps
the most obvious one from an end user perspective is that the
traditional desktop computer with its large disks to store applications
and data is replaced with zero- or thin-client devices, which
have no or minimal storage, respectively. This is particularly
well-suited for a more mobile workforce as mobile devices typically
do not have the processing power or storage capacity of a
desktop computer.
In this environment, a tablet may be more useful than a
standard desktop computer because it can have the same
application functionality but with the added benefit of removing
the tether from the wall jack. Tablets are especially useful
on the move in varied settings, such as a hangar deck or on the
flight line, whereas laptops are good for access from a remote,
but generally fixed location.
Organizational Transformation
Flattening organizations — reducing the levels of hierarchy
— is a common business transformation strategy. Flattened
organizational structures significantly increase decision agility by
cutting red tape and eliminating multiple review and approval
steps before taking action. Empowering employees to assess the
environment and make decisions at a lower level is often a goal
of organizational flattening.
The effectiveness of a flattened organization largely
depends on the ability to publish, share and discover information
in a timely fashion. Empowered employees must not only
have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the organization,
but must also have ready access to the same information
available to senior management to make good decisions.
A robust mobility capability is necessary to meet this requirement
for an increasingly mobile workforce.
Telework
Telework is one of the major business transformation initiatives
underway throughout the DoD. While telework is already an
active program, a major increase in the number of participating
personnel is expected once a new DON telework policy is
signed. This follows the signing into law of the Telework
Enhancement Act of 2010 (www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS­
111hr1722enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr1722enr.pdf ) and the DoD
Instruction 1035.01, Telework Policy of Oct. 21, 2010
(www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/103501p.pdf).
The new environment created by these policy changes
will transform the way business is conducted with telework
becoming a common practice, instead of one reserved for
special situations. Telework’s benefits include supporting
continuity of operations, cutting costs, promoting “green”
work practices and retaining qualified staff.
Without a viable mobility capability, a successful telework
program will be difficult to achieve. Remote and mobile communications
and access to information are basic requirements
for personnel to be effective when working from home or
other locations outside the office.
Is There an App for That
At this time, there is not a DoD app for that — yet. Typical
mobile access across the DoD today supports basic business
functionality — email, calendar, tools and address books. Portals
may also be accessed, primarily through laptops because
the browsing experience and ability to work on documents
on a smart phone-sized screen are limited. While this level
of functionality has proved beneficial, the department must
take it to the next level to more effectively support business
transformation.
Moving to the next level means the mobile environment
will provide the same functionality available at a traditional
workstation and, in many instances, even more. As in the commercial
sector, the key to reaching this level is the availability
of feature-rich apps that are easy to use and designed for the
mobile environment. As today’s applications are redesigned
to take advantage of the cloud and thin and zero clients, the
department must also ensure it will be mobile friendly. This
entails vetting and approving existing commercially available
apps for use in the DoD network environment.
“
Remote and mobile communications and
access to information are basic requirements for
personnel to be effective when working from
home or other locations outside the office.
“
Challenges and Mitigations
There are a variety of challenges in taking the department’s
mobility environment to the next level. For each challenge,
however, there are actions that can be taken to mitigate the
factors working against progress. The major challenges are:
» Information Assurance: IA remains the primary concern
for DoD IT platforms and is why the DoD is not on the
cutting-edge of adopting new technologies. IA can be
improved by cloud-based mobile computing because data
does not reside on the device. Consequently, a lost or stolen
tablet would not result in compromised information. Accelerating
the move to the cloud will help address IA concerns.
» Pace of Change: The processes to certify, accredit and
deploy devices that connect to DoD networks have not,
and will never, keep up with the pace that manufacturers
set. As a result, DoD is approving devices built on hardware
or operating systems that are either obsolete or no longer
commercially available. These devices have not proven to
be popular with the user base. As a result, the department
must streamline certification and accreditation and deployment
processes. Another approach the DoD is studying
is the bring-your-own-device model. With this approach,
ARABIAN SEA (April 29, 2011)
Aviation Electrician ’ s Mate 2nd
Class Amanda Mondino, assigned
to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA)
22, reads publications on a lap -
top as Aviation Electrician ’ s Mate
Airman Christopher Carter listens
in the cockpit of an F/A-18F
Super Hornet while performing
maintenance on the aircraft ’ s
tail-hook assembly aboard the
aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson
(CVN 70). U.S. Navy photo by
Mass Communication Specialist
3rd Class Travis K. Mendoza.
users buy their personal device with a supported operating
system and can connect to a DoD network. The government
data and apps would be accessed through a secure
“sandbox” that is segregated from personal data. Moving
to the cloud will also facilitate this approach.
» Backend Infrastructure: The prevalent IT architecture is
oriented toward the desktop computing environment of the
past 25 years as mainframe dumb terminals were replaced
by personal computers with ever-increasing memory, storage
and processing power. This is not conducive to either a
robust mobility model or a business transformation effort
because of the fragmentation and dispersal of enterprise
data. Adopting the cloud model as quickly as possible will
enable a more potent mobility capability to support business
transformation.
Moving Forward
Business transformation can be supported and significantly enhanced
by enterprise mobility. As the department’s IT model itself
is transformed toward cloud computing, the role mobility plays in
supporting new or modified business practices will only grow.
Dan DelGrosso is the director of naval networks and enterprise services,
Office of the Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer
Mike Hernon is the former chief information officer for the city of
Boston. He supports the DON CIO in telecommunications and wireless
strategy and policy.
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