The client is a US military command and a vital partner in critical operations, with over 10,000 personnel dispersed over 180 locations worldwide and many major subordinate commands as well as a range of smaller units. Its internal operations ran on an outdated, largely manual system. i3solutions, drawing from over 27 years of expertise and its proven collaborative approach, gathered requirements with the input of numerous stakeholders and users within 50 different Major Subordinate Commands (MSCs), then modernized those processes through custom application development: SharePoint Online Power Apps and Power Flows built inside the IL4 and IL6 Government hosted environments to replace the command’s outdated MS Access databases, Excel Spreadsheets, custom applications, and manual procedures. The engagement also covered the systems integration and data management work behind those workflows, including JSON and REST API data exchange between disparate systems, Nintex Forms for data collection, a centralized Dynamic Query Tool for all MSCs, and a formal Software Development Lifecycle and Software Development Methodology that is now used across all of the command’s SharePoint and custom application development projects.
Modernizing Internal Operations Processes With Digital Transformation
Case Study
Streamlining Internal Operations
Processes with Digital Transformation
The Customer
And Their Challenge
Life or death decisions. Such choices are, quite literally, what the client, a US military command, must make every day as a vital partner in critical operations. Because of this, it is essential that the command maintain leading-edge technology on which to perform its internal functions, but developing and maintaining such a system can be daunting. The command oversees many major subordinate commands as well as a range of smaller units. With over 10,000 personnel dispersed over 180 locations worldwide, the command’s outdated, largely manual system was extremely inadequate for the sheer size and diversity of its operations.
Stuck with muddled internal processes, outmoded technology, and no formal Software Development methodology, the command needed expert level consulting assistance. The command chose i3solutions as its Digital Transformation partner charged with creating a permanent solution that would be powerful, scalable, and integrated to ensure its mission would be carried out successfully.
The Solution
Digital Transformation and Support
The command turned to i3solutions, recognizing their innovative prowess as the key to unlocking a sustainable solution. Drawing from over 27 years of expertise, i3solutions used its proven collaborative approach to create a system that would transform the way the command functions. The goal was to streamline its internal operations processes through automation and the creation of workflows. To accomplish this, i3solutions needed to identify the issues and understand specifically what the command needed in order to perform its critical mission. With the input of numerous stakeholders and users within 50 different Major Subordinate Commands (MSCs), requirements for the new system were determined and enhancements to existing solutions were identified.
Data gleaned from comprehensive discussions was paired with i3solutions’ formal documentation standards, to capture and track requirements and requested changes. The result was a more formal Software Development Lifecycle and a Software Development Methodology that is now used across all of the command’s SharePoint and custom application development projects.
In addition, i3solutions developed process maps and wireframe diagram standards to document the systems and processes to be automated and modernized. i3solutions’ highly skilled consultants led the digital transformation of multiple workflow solutions to centralize and streamline the command’s internal processes. i3solutions developed custom SharePoint Online Power Apps and Power Flows within the IL4 and IL6 Government hosted environments to modernize the command’s outdated MS Access databases, Excel Spreadsheets, custom applications, and manual procedures. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology allows for creating, managing, analyzing, mapping, and sharing all types of data, ensuring the command can visualize and interpret complex datasets with greater efficiency and precision. These innovative workflow systems were designed to enhance HR and Personnel protocols, streamline awards processes, and ensure compliance with regulations.
The new workflow methodology also strengthened other internal processes such as Security and vetting, deployment and leave tracking, auditing, personnel hiring, authorizations, contracts management, task orders, obligations and payment data.
Technologies
Used in the Solution
Serving as the cornerstone of collaboration and information management, SharePoint Online provides a robust platform for the command’s internal operations. Its versatile features facilitates document management, team collaboration, and workflow automation, enabling the command to streamline its processes effectively. These solutions are built on the IL4 and IL6 certified enclaves hosted in the Microsoft Cloud environment.
As an integral component of the solution, Nintex Forms empoweres the command to create intuitive, user-friendly forms for data collection and process automation. With its drag-and-drop interface and advanced functionality, Nintex Forms enables the command to design custom forms tailored to its unique requirements, enhancing user experience and efficiency.
Leveraging the power of JavaScript, i3solutions enhanced the user experience within the command’s SharePoint environments. JavaScript facilitated dynamic and interactive functionalities, enabling the command to create dynamic web elements, validate user input, and enhance overall usability.
By leveraging JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and REST APIs (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces), i3solutions facilitated seamless integration and data exchange between disparate systems. JSON provides a lightweight, easy-to-parse data interchange format, while REST APIs enables the command to interact with external systems and services, ensuring smooth communication and interoperability.
Empowering the command with advanced analytics, custom application development, and workflow automation capabilities, Microsoft Power Platform revolutionizes the operational processes. PowerBI offers powerful data visualization and analytics capabilities, enabling the command to gain valuable insights from its data. Power Apps facilitates the rapid development of custom applications tailored to the command’s specific needs, while PowerAutomate enables the automation of repetitive tasks and business processes, improving efficiency and productivity across the organization. The Government recognized significant cost savings by not purchasing and maintaining large data centers. Instead, the Government leveraged Microsoft’s IL4 and IL6 Certified Government Cloud environments to provide better performance, up time, and redundancy for all online applications.
Measurable Benefits
and Business Impact
i3solutions’ transformative intervention delivered tangible benefits and catalyzed profound business impact across the command’s operations, setting the stage for sustained success and operational excellence:
Enhanced
Efficiency and
Productivity
The development and implementation of custom workflow solutions using Nintex and SharePoint ushered in a new era of efficiency and productivity for the command. By automating manual and repetitive tasks, these workflow solutions save hundreds of hours previously spent by personnel, freeing up valuable time and resources to focus on higher-value activities. This dramatic reduction in manual workload not only improved operational efficiency but also bolstered employee satisfaction and morale, enhancing overall productivity within the organization.
Improved
Documentation
Standards
i3solutions’ introduction of new documentation standards revolutionized communication and collaboration across the command’s Major Subordinate Commands (MSCs). By establishing clear and comprehensive documentation protocols, i3solutions mitigated confusion and ambiguity, significantly reducing the incidence of change orders and project delays due to missing or inadequate requirements documentation. This enhanced clarity and transparency fosteres stronger collaboration and alignment among stakeholders, facilitating smoother project execution and driving operational excellence.
Streamlined
Information
Retrieval
The implementation of a centralized Dynamic Query Tool empowers all MSCs within the command to search and query information captured and consolidated by various systems with unprecedented ease and efficiency. By eliminating the need for time-consuming manual searches, this innovative tool streamlines information retrieval processes, enabling personnel to access critical data quickly and make informed decisions in real time. This enhanced decision-making capability improved the command’s operational agility and responsiveness, enabling the organization to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances and emerging threats.
Enhanced Application
Development
Methodology
i3solutions’ development of a formal Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) Methodology for the command’s SharePoint and custom application development projects marks a significant milestone in the organization’s journey towards digital transformation. This standardized approach to application development ensures consistency, repeatability, and quality across all projects, resulting in faster implementation timelines and significantly fewer issues and changes from users. By streamlining the development process and enhancing project management capabilities, this methodology enables the command to realize greater agility, flexibility, and scalability in its application development efforts, laying the foundation for sustained innovation and growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What scale of operation does the modernized system serve?
The command has over 10,000 personnel dispersed over 180 locations worldwide, and it oversees many major subordinate commands as well as a range of smaller units. The workflow solutions i3solutions built centralize and streamline the command’s internal processes across that footprint.
How were requirements gathered across so many commands?
With the input of numerous stakeholders and users within 50 different Major Subordinate Commands (MSCs). Those discussions determined requirements for the new system and identified enhancements to existing solutions, and the data was paired with i3solutions’ formal documentation standards to capture and track requirements and requested changes.
What did the new system replace?
An outdated, largely manual system that was extremely inadequate for the sheer size and diversity of the command’s operations, together with outdated MS Access databases, Excel Spreadsheets, custom applications, and manual procedures. i3solutions replaced them with custom SharePoint Online Power Apps and Power Flows in the IL4 and IL6 Government hosted environments.
Does the solution run in a government cloud environment?
Yes. The solutions are built on the IL4 and IL6 certified enclaves hosted in the Microsoft Cloud environment. The Government recognized significant cost savings by not purchasing and maintaining large data centers, and the certified Government Cloud environments provide better performance, up time, and redundancy for all online applications.
If a mission-critical process still runs on spreadsheets, aging databases, and manual handoffs, the tooling has usually outgrown the job long before anyone gets funding to replace it. It gets harder when the stakeholders are spread across many commands or offices and each one runs its own version of the process. A first conversation covers which processes cost you the most manual hours, who has to agree on the requirements, and what your hosting environment allows, including whether the work belongs in an IL4 or IL6 Government hosted environment. You leave with a specific read on scope and sequencing, not a sales deck. Start the conversation
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