PEO Perspective: Thanksgiving 2024

This last year was perhaps the most transformative year ever at PEO Enterprise. We just entered a new fiscal year, and we have a new name, so it seems a good time to talk “State of the PEO” and look at the road ahead. 

As we enter FY25, we’re not just “Enterprise,” we’re fully Agile. There’s no more destination anxiety -- we have arrived. The majority of our portfolio have turned the corner and are executing real agile, not just AINO (Agile in Name Only). 

The Army has complex problems, but it doesn’t need complex solutions. It needs quick and bold analysis and action, with easily deployable, soldier-driven solutions to meet the Army’s goal of fundamentally changing how the Army delivers value. It’s a seismic shift in operations and culture, and we’re already out in front with some of our recent accomplishments:  

AIE 2.0 

After initial delays, in the last six months we’ve seen the Accessions Information Environment (AIE) achieve rapid delivery and meet Minimum Viable Product (MVP) milestones early. AIE Product Lead Valarie Tran, Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A) Project Manager Col. Matt Paul and their teams have applied innovative Soldier-centered design and turned the program around to great success.  

I recently met with ASA(ALT) Principal Deputy Mr. Young Bang, who shared his excitement about AIE. We’re hitting all cylinders for his priority of digital modernization with a full reboot of the program and a fully Agile team.  

I couldn’t be prouder of this achievement — it’s the embodiment of what we’re trying to accomplish in our transformation journey.  

FMS-ACES 

Speaking of Soldier-centered design, after a five-month competitive prototype phase, PEO Enterprise’s Foreign Military Sales – Army Case Execution System (FMS-ACES) received authorization last month to move into the execution phase of the Software Acquisition Pathway.  

FMS-ACES Product Lead Kelly Rutherford and team have developed a commercial off-the-shelf, platform as a service solution focused on user experience, or UI/UX, that will position the program for development in the cloud-based Army operational environment.  

The execution phase has already begun, putting FMS-ACES on track for releasing a minimal viable capability release to end users in an operational environment within one year. By September 2025, FMS-ACES will regularly deliver valuable products incrementally, embodying the true spirit of Agile. 

PL INNOVATE 

Each initiative within PEO Enterprise is a coalition of the motivated, and CIO Mike Chappell will tell you that he is shot-out-of-a-cannon motivated. Under his leadership, we recently created a new product office called Product Lead (PL) Innovate, which effectively adds a product delivery arm across technical domains.  

PL Innovate will allow us to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies and deliver value to Soldiers through centralized, enterprise capabilities to enable programs to excel. Some of the initiatives in the pipeline include Neighborhood Watch, DevSecOps and the Army Data Mesh – each with a new assistant product manager. And this is just the beginning.  

We need to stop thinking of our programs in buckets, like Global Force Information Management (GFIM), Army Training Information System (ATIS), IPPS-A, and start thinking ENTERPRISE. 

PL Innovate is the connective tissue, taking the boulders out of the PM’s rucksacks and supporting their goals with a common set of services. The Department of Defense is watching and embracing innovation. This is the Way! 

 As our Deputy PEO, Brig. Gen. RJ Mikesh, says, the Army runs on what we deliver to them. It’s ingrained in their daily operations, integral to their missions. It’s a great honor to be a part of something that big and important. We have to keep moving forward. We can’t, and Soldiers can’t, afford for our programmatic approach to backslide in thought, action and policy.  

You heard Col. Mikesh foot-stomp this at TechNet and AUSA this year, and we dove into this further in the recent Forecast to Industry. If you weren't able to make it, slides from the event are up on our website, along with our latest Procurement Forecast, and you can watch the entire presentation on our YouTube page. 

For an even deeper dive, I hope you'll check out our new podcast series, which features thought leaders and doers from across the PEO talking Enterprise and Innovation. 

Podcast #3 features GFIM Product Director Rob Porter and Acquisition Innovation Director and Assistant PEO Aric Sherwood talking DevSecOps, a continued focus on SAFe Agile and expanding DSO capabilities, the great dividends of digital adoption and flexibility, and simplifying our path to delivery.  

Right now, the movement is powerful. We’re experiencing great leadership support and alignment, and there’s excitement about the future. It’s a time of adventure and creativity. We can’t wait to work with you to reach even greater heights.

From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving, and best wishes for a safe and joyful holiday!

Every Soldier, Every Day.  

Bill Hepworth, PEO