ARCHITECTURE & INTEGRATION MANAGEMENT

By Michael Wright

The JANUS Research Group team worked with the Army Futures Command (AFC) and Futures and Concept Center (FCC) to improve product engagement and message retention for complex and high-level operational architecture views (OV-1) for the Maneuver Support Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate (MS-CDID).

Customer Challenge

DoD Operational Architecture products, and overview architecture products in particular, often suffer from ever-increasing levels of operational complexity, while taking the form of static and highly complicated graphics. In many cases, these graphics are difficult to comprehend without supplemental information and, perhaps more concerning, they are often unengaging due to their cumbersome presentation. As the Army continues to modernize its capabilities and forces, the FCC needed an improved method for communicating highly complex future force operations and future capability integrations across the Army's Cross Functional Teams (CFTs), Centers of Excellence (CoEs), Capability Development Integration Directorates (CDIDs), and the broader Army Modernization Enterprise (AME).

The JANUS Approach

JANUS hit the ground running by rapidly staffing and executing the Architecture Integration Management Division's (AIMD), Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) operational architecture support requirements in nine CDIDS, at nine different geographic locations, all focused on different programs of Army modernization. Our team included experts in the JCIDS process, the DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF), architecture development tools and systems, and the architecture Community of Interest including CDIDs and Army Capability Managers (ACMs), and the integration of complex current and future Army capabilities in support of future operations. JANUS' operational architects identified an opportunity to improve OV-1 product engagement and message retention. Our team then took the initiative to collaborate with JANUS' virtual training, cinematic, and serious gaming development teams to develop and deliver a compelling and engaging animated OV-1 that meets requirements while pushing the state-of-the-art forward. This breakthrough, which successfully passed through the AFC-FCC Entry Gate process the first time, combined 3D graphics, Computer Aided Design (CAD) modeling, and motion design with established concept/capability and architecture development expertise to provide a powerful tool for conveying emerging and complex concepts.

This JANUS innovation:

Provided FCC a powerful medium that conveys emerging and complex concepts that mirror modern theatrical and gaming environments;

Supported FCC's and the Army's efforts to develop "All Domain Protection" against future, multi-domain, near peer competitors; and

Provided FCC (AIMD) a tool that allows rapid updates as capabilities continue to evolve.

Customer Benefits & Feedback

This innovative operational architecture product received considerable praise by the Maneuver Support CDID (MS-CDID), and we are currently exploring more ways to advance the application of these operational architectures in support of the CDIDs by linking capability development data to better inform POM, SPAR, and CSA Night Court decisions. The chief of the MS-CDID Concepts Division had this to say of JANUS' efforts and end product:

"From script development and graphics/video editing to project supervision, this has been a very complicated process. I am aware that this was a new effort for all parties involved and I want you to know that we at MS-CDID are ecstatic with the final result. So much so that we are hopeful we can move onto the next vignette and use what we have learned to keep this ball moving. Fantastic product, great people, professional support, and an end result that is best described as stunning and epic."

JANUS' next cinematic architecture product, already in development for MS-CDID in support of AIMD, is titled "Set the Theater" and focuses on how future Maneuver Support capabilities will contribute to setting the conditions for Theater Opening during a campaign.