AIE’s digital transformation yields real results

FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- The Army’s journey to modernize recruiting business processes hit a key benchmark in November when Program Executive Office Enterprise’s Accessions Information Environment (AIE) provided an initial software solution to early adopters at the Ohio National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion.

Leveraging a Salesforce software-as-a-service platform, AIE will enable recruiters to generate and manage leads in a mobile app, connect with potential recruits, streamline enlistment-process paperwork, replace trainees’ paper check-ins with electronic check-ins and much more. 

AIE developed a platform in November 2023 that consolidated several disparate systems Army recruiters currently use to enlist Soldiers. Built using a waterfall approach, the platform was saddled with customizations that created technical debt. Had the platform been deployed, it would have been costly to maintain and unable to integrate future commercial software upgrades.

Instead of fielding its initial solution, AIE changed direction and outlined a new roadmap in April 2024. The fresh start included a pivot to Agile software development,the maximization of Salesforce commercial-out-of-the-box capabilities and a modular contracting strategy. 

Following the new roadmap, AIE developed working software in about six months. Under the waterfall method, it took two-and-a-half years to build the same capability. 

Recent Army software acquisition reforms, including Army Directive 2024-02 championed by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Training) Young Bang and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Data, Engineering and Software) Jennifer Swanson, empowered AIE to embrace modern software development practices. 

“I have seen more software acquisition reform in the Army in the last 18 months than the past 18 years,” said Col. Matthew Paul, project manager for Integrated Personnel and Pay System — Army (IPPS-A), which manages AIE. “It is truly an exciting time to be in this business.”

“Teamwork has been key to our success,” said Valarie Tran, AIE’s product lead. “We develop software in a badgeless environment. Everyone, regardless of title, shares responsibility for solving problems.” 

Continuous user feedback is a critical component of the Agile methodology implemented by the entire AIE team. 

“Early adopters inside the Ohio National Guard understand the science and art of recruiting,” said Master Sgt. Nicholas Vinson, a former recruiter and current AIE product owner at the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC). “Early adopters’ insights help AIE’s development teams identify and prioritize capabilities to make the initial product go from good to great.”