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...major drivers total ownership costs." This article describes an Information Technology (IT) Modernization Strategic Driver Model, applies it to the modernization efforts of Army National Guard (ARNG) Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) Wide Area Network (WAN), and analyzes the model's impact on accomplishing defense acquisition system policy objectives. The article establishes and supports that a properly developed strategic model permits decision makers to align acquisition program and technical planning to strategic drivers.
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"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
--Albert Einstein
Acquisition and modernization of information technology systems is an uneasy balance for mission support personnel. Those responsible are challenged by the quickened pace of change and dwindling resources for implementation and maintenance. These same rapid technological advancements almost overtook the Reserve Component Automation System (RCAS) program before it was fully implemented and now have stretched the RCAS-deployed IT systems beyond the operational design capabilities (Brady, 1998). This reinforces the need for military networks to undergo a period of revolutionary or even disruptive rather than evolutionary change, that is, a Transformation. Strategic planning for the modernization of the JFHQ WAN would be a vital aspect of the ARNG military network transformation.
The American soldier is empowered in war by new technology, just as information technology has empowered consumers (Vandergiff, 2002). The G6 applications of Information Management (IM) and IT concepts are leading the military's transformation of its networks to increased responsiveness in mission support. These officials are responsible for integrating policy, process, and technology through the initiation, validation, and enforcement of business process re-engineering. However, many well-intended officials do not apply the engineering principles associated with rapidly changing technology. Often, their validations focus on one or two core factors, such as New Technology or Governance, without also considering the second-order effects of other core factors, such as Legacy Systems or Funding. The same holds true for third-order effects that involve Support or Services of the variety of models. This article describes an IT Modernization Strategic Driver Model, as shown in Figure 1, and applies it to the modernization efforts of ARNG JFHQ. This model shows that IT operational core factors' actions can align with the strategic objectives. Decision makers often don't visualize the effects of their network-change decisions from a strategic model viewpoint, nor are they fully aware of the best methodology to achieve strategic IT objectives. This limited perspective results in new stovepipe, stand-alone IT platforms and networks, rather than the more robust enterprise network solutions that are truly capable of providing new communication essential Services.
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To ensure a comprehensive knowledge of more constructive ways to achieve WAN modernizations, we begin with a discussion of the main IT modernization drivers, transformation axioms, and strategy influences. Next, we examine a strategic decision model and offer an Information Technology Modernization Model to balance limited resources among conflicting interests within a strategic IT decision-making framework. We then describe recent practices that highlight the need for a better application of the engineering laws to align decisions and actions with strategic IT objectives. Finally, we suggest how personnel at the operational level, who deal with these core factors of network modernization, can exploit technology changes to achieve their strategic IT objectives.
CORE FACTORS
MISSION
The Army National Guard, along with the Active Army and the Army Reserve, are partners in fulfilling the nation's military needs. Due to the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) and other requirements, the 54 JFHQ WANs of the Guard (one per state/territory) need upgrades and more robust networks to support the essential services to satisfy the command and control, administrative, health, and welfare needs of soldiers both here and abroad. On a broader scale, to effectively engage in the GWOT these ARNG state-level WANs need improved connectivity with other DoD commands and federal government agencies.
SERVICE AND SUPPORT
Clayton M. Christensen, author of The Innovator's Dilemma, examined the reasons why many good organizations (companies) fail to remain atop of their industries when confronted with a disruptive market and technological change (Christensen, 1997). Christensen discovered these organizations achieved their leadership when both company officials and their customers became heavily focused on the same objectives. However, Christensen also found businesses tended to optimize and localize current capabilities to obtain short-term gains, rather than take on the challenges of new systems that would yield a more widespread benefit influencing future operations and profitability (Fastabend & Simpson, 2004).
Within most organizations, the role of information technologies and networks has changed and grown; therefore, technology and WAN investments should undergo a similar change. In the past, IT organizations ran effectively as local support functions. However, most new IT applications now span the entire organizational enterprise, and...
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