program managers: spend your time executing your program … · 2020. 1. 20. · discovery...

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Program Managers: Spend your Time Executing your Program Instead of Managing the Data Discovery Informatics for Acquisition Programs

By: Donald M. Styer | Director of Innovation Email: [email protected] | Phone: 703.448.6081 ext. 837 Paul R. McMullen | Discovery Informatics Product Manager Email: [email protected] | Phone: 703.448.6081 ext. 181

Discovery Informatics for Acquisition Programs

2 | Whitney, Bradley & Brown, Inc. www.wbbinc.com

Program Managers Are Drowning In Data but Starving for Knowledge

Now, more than ever before, Government acquisitions programs are under incredible pressure. Stakeholders, from the general public to government legislators and executives, are demanding that programs be more transparent and more innovative, which adds layers of complexity to the management of these programs. At the same time, these programs are expected to be delivered on time and within budget and scope. Over the last decade, new processes and controls have been put into place to establish monthly program reviews that summarize program and project cost, schedule, performance, and risk. Walk the halls of any Program Executive Office and you will see paper performance charts posted everywhere.

These new controls have helped but this only represents the tip of the data iceberg. Program Managers need access to the wealth of data below the waterline to enable them to: 1) gain new insights faster and 2) turn those insights into effective decision making. Program analysts and managers need rapid access to quality information to make timely and informed decisions based on accurate and integrated data, as opposed to spending an inordinate amount of time trying to simply uncover the data.

I Need Actionable Insight. Effective program execution is the result of timely and effective decision making and resource allocation. Doing this requires knowledge. If the data to generate the knowledge exists within the organization, but is not properly processed or readily available to the program manager, then the data is not effectively contributing to improved execution. Program data is exploding and it is housed in functional and project silos.

Figure 1 Data Value

Today, leaders and key personnel need to be empowered to explore and discover insights from the data.

Program Managers need access to the wealth of data below the waterline to enable them to: 1) gain new insights faster and 2) turn those insights into effective decision-making.



Insight means connecting and integrating data across federated data sources. The inability of the analyst to explore and obtain answers of integrated data leads to frustration and does not effectively support a dynamic decision-making process. Ultimately, they do not inform the user (ex: “how do I spend this last dollar?”). Today, leaders and key personnel need to be empowered to explore and discover actionable insights from the data and ultimately make informed decisions in a dynamic environment.

I need to do more with what I have. As budgetary and environmental pressures increase, government organizations are being forced to change the way they operate. The challenge for program managers is to maintain performance with fewer resources, while continuing to deliver on program mission goals and objectives. This requires innovative ways to allow analysts to work smarter using leading technology, yet still enable their curiosity such that they can obtain insight to the data and provide near real-time analysis.

I Need to Respond Quickly. In their role as Lead System Integrators, program offices are overwhelmed with reams of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cost, schedule, staff, and performance data. As one PM explained, he did not have the tools, staff, or time to make sense of all of the data available to them. Much of the analysis is performed in spreadsheets and disseminated via briefs.

Spreadsheet analysis and decision models are not scalable, time-consuming to update, and require significant skill to analyze. This presents a significant challenge for the curious analyst since their primary analytical tool requires them to spend more time overcoming the data than actually asking and answering questions about it. Furthermore, the requirement for manual input and integration leads to errors that can result in devastating consequences to the program.

We have observed that without access to integrated data and advanced visual analytical tools, the decisions made are infused with ambiguity, uncertainty, and complexity, which have resulted in future risk to mission success. These alternatives leave decision makers no choice but to use their best judgment and roll the dice (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Without complete and reliable data decision makers are forced to use intuition and “roll the dice.”



WBB’s Approach: Discovery Informatics for Acquisition Program Offices

WBB has leveraged 30+ years of acquisition program management, business analysis, data analytics, modeling and simulation, and decision management expertise to develop a Discovery Informatics Solution. WBB employs a scientific, evidence-based decision making (EbDM) framework, leverages a powerful business discovery platform, and is implemented using a lean start-up approach to provide pervasive advanced analytical capabilities for program management organizations.

WBB’s EbDM is outlined in (Figure 3) by a practical five-step process.

1) Framing the objective: Defining the goal and information needs: In order to find critical insights from a wealth of data, we must start with the end in mind. WBB works closely with our clients to clearly articulate the objectives of the analysis and the resulting decisions that are required. This puts the analytics within context to ensure that they are relevant and informative (not just interesting). In today’s turbulent environment, it is essential to link the data that organizations collect to the most important drivers of value and performance. By doing so, we ensure that the analytics we generate are relevant to the organization’s decision needs.

2) Finding the evidence: Collecting and integrating the data: An EbDM approach demands an organization use evidence to guide decision-making. Our approach helps us to determine the appropriate data to use as evidence. WBB uses the evidence gathered to validate the established hypothesis generated during framing. Collecting and integrating relevant data is not just limited to quantitative data (numerical data) but also qualitative data (judgment information that provides context). The collection and mapping of critical data to the decision process will provide new insights about the organization or process that can be operationalized.

3) Analyze: Discover, explore, and transform the data: This step in WBB’s EbDM process focuses on the transformation of critical data into actionable knowledge. Many organizations are forced to spend inordinate time on the collection and distribution of data leaving little time for meaningful analysis. The key to Discovery Informatics is the ability to rapidly provide an analytical delivery mechanism enabling a whole new level of analysis, insight, and value to existing data stores with user interfaces that are clean, simple, and straightforward. Using a business discovery platform simplifies the analysis

Figure 3. EbDM Process



by utilizing a variety of user driven interactive and intuitive presentations. The dashboard becomes the enabler to conducting descriptive, diagnostic, prescriptive, and predictive analysis.

Figure 4. Find the Evidence and Analyze

4) Visualize: Present the information in a meaningful way: When analyzing data it is crucial to keep the target audiences and their specific needs in mind. DI is only fully effective when the right information is delivered to the right people at the right time. During development, we incorporate narratives and headlines based on KPIs and user feedback. A narrative puts context around a graph and provides it with meaning. Using a bar graph to analyze financial data over time is informative to review trends but a narrative can explain why the trend is as it is. Narratives can be in the form of text, colors, or graphical indicators that answer the “So what” question. Headlines summarize the meaning of the evidence.

5) Take Action: Clarity in Decision Making: Adopting an EbDM approach is meaningless without taking action. Adoption of EbDM enabled by a business discovery application will provide widespread analytical capabilities across your organization, allowing it take advantage of fleeting opportunities in a budget-constrained environment. Examples of changes to the decision process include:

■ Implementing tools that promote a collaborative and shared analytical environment across the organization.

■ Rewarding sharing of information across functional stovepipes.

■ Rewarding a culture of analytic curiosity – always testing and questioning the data.



■ Using real-time analytics from a business discovery application in the course of briefings and working sessions to collectively ask and answer questions of the data.

■ Removing unnecessary steps from the staffing process to significantly shorten the decision cycle time.

Business Discovery

We leverage powerful Business Discovery technology to enable a user-driven experience that provides immediate value, while reducing risks during implementation and organizational adoption. To increase the speed of obtaining decision quality evidence, improve analytical value, and ensure data accuracy, WBB has partnered with Qlik to provide business discovery solutions for our clients to gain visibility into operations and processes, as well as to reduce the time and cost to improve agency performance. Qlik’s powerful business discovery platform, QlikView, is a user-driven business intelligence application that helps leaders make decisions based on multiple sources of insight, data, personnel, and the environment. Users can create and share knowledge and analysis in groups across organizations.

Lean Implementation

In contrast to traditional approaches to solution implementation, in which each stage occurs in linear order and can last months, our approach is based on an Agile Lean start up methodology to rapidly deliver EbDM in short, repeated cycles or sprints (Figure 5). The intent is to capture inputs early by starting small, incorporating user collaboration and then building incremental capability. Each sprint produces a “viable prototype” containing only the features that are relevant and validated by organizational experts. We work closely with users, stakeholders, and decision makers to discover, validate, improve, and pivot (if necessary) throughout each iteration. This delivers immediate value and provides stakeholders with control over the outcome.

Figure 5 Lean Process



Conclusion

Using a Lean start up approach to implement EbDM enables your organization to rapidly achieve a cross functional advanced analytic capability. WBB works closely with our clients to align the data collection to the strategic value drivers (make big data small), and collect the best available evidence then using this evidence to extract valuable knowledge and sharing analytics in a way that allows all users to act on those insights. This approach:

■ Provides evidence-based business discovery that allows the ability to ask questions of data, thus rapidly gaining actionable insight with fewer resources from relevant data

■ Enables rapid access to multiple federated data sources to: Monitor – Measure – Manage operational performance, resources, requirements, and project status, as well as the relationships and dependencies within context

■ Provides the analytical tools that support curious analysts and gives them the ability to quickly discover and assess shortfalls in required data, support tradeoff decisions, and assess risk in near real-time

■ Quickly collaborate across the organizations by sharing content and filtered data, annotating elements, sharing snapshots of their data set, or sharing their session and enabling guests to actively make selections

WBB applies its experience and expertise in operations analysis, organizational psychology, knowledge management, and change management to bring an added level of authentication to the EbDM process.

Visit our website for more information www.wbbinc.com or call one of our offices: Corporate Office Reston, VA 703.448.6081 • Washington, DC 202.310.5000 • Hampton, VA 757.896.2390

Virginia Beach, VA 757.213.8170 • Patuxent River, MD 301.737.0358 • Dayton, OH 937.320.9904

About the Author

Donald M. Styer Mr. Styer is a recognized thought leader, results oriented industry expert, and sought after speaker with demonstrated experience in the areas of Innovation, Organizational Design, Business Discovery, Strategic Planning, Resource Planning, Executive Coaching, Decision Support, and Logistics Supply Chain Management. Mr. Styer is retired United States Naval Supply Corps Officer who, throughout his distinguished career, served in a variety of sea and shore assignments directly resourcing operational requirements and improving service delivery to contracting supply chain management, financial management, acquisition, retail sales, and food service operations. He is the principle solution architect of WBB’s Resource Planning and Management (RPM) solution and brings years of experience helping dozens of large global organizations navigate major transformations, realignments, and strategic resource staffing plans.

Paul R. McMullen Mr. McMullen is a senior program manager and consultant with over 20 years of experience in the defense industry delivering executive level solutions for major platform, weapon, and system operational concepts, assessments, analysis, data visualization and training products. Prior to joining WBB, Mr. McMullen served in the United States Navy as a Naval Flight Officer in the F‐14D Tomcat. He is now retired from the Navy Reserves.

About WBB

WBB is a leading government and public sector solutions provider, dedicated to the enduring success of our clients. We focus on value creation through customer collaboration, domain expertise, tailored methodologies, and innovative solutions. Our goal is simple: establish clients for life through passion, integrity, innovation and quality. We are honored to serve Defense, Intelligence, Homeland Security, Health, Commercial, and Civilian agencies.

program managers: spend your time executing your program … · 2020. 1. 20. · discovery...

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