Jerry Petersen
The Department of Defense must undergo a cultural shift in order to overcome its struggles in software acquisition and development and ensure that the resulting application is impactful and mission-relevant, according to Matt Jones, president and CEO of technology company Sigma Defense Systems.
Hindrances to Software Success
Jones said in a column published Tuesday that to achieve software success, the DOD must overcome 4 issues, namely: bureaucratic procedures that slow processes down; having to manage legacy systems that ought to be retired; competing priorities resulting in conflicting demands and scope creep; and overly complex security requirements that stifle development.
Redefining Software Success
To overcome these problems, Sigma Defense’s CEO’ said the DOD first rethink its definition of software success. The agency should not be preoccupied with “lines of code, commits, sprint velocity,” which Jones characterized as “vanity metrics.” For the chief executive, “[if] the goal is to dominate through software, then the only metric that matters is mission impact.”
Under this perspective, the DOD should evaluate software in terms of whether it accelerates decision-making, improves operational efficiency, is adaptable to changing battlefield needs, and is actually being used by warfighters.
Culture Change in the DOD
Jones also recommends that the DOD adopt Agile methodologies and DevOps. The agency should also work to foster innovation through rapid prototyping and experimentation, streamline the acquisition process and reduce bureaucracy, promote feedback loops involving end users, and invest in continuous training for development teams.
“In a world where battles are fought as much in cyberspace as on the ground, software isn’t just support—it’s a weapon. Winning isn’t just about better hardware or more soldiers, it’s about deploying software that saves lives, shortens conflicts, and gives our forces the edge in an increasingly digital warzone,” Jones said.
