The Need for the Army Net-Centric Data Strategy (ANCDS)

In today's Army, as in today's world, data is produced and provided at an astounding rate. It is gathered on a myriad of subjects, produced in multiple formats by numerous sources, and delivered via different methods at phenomenal speeds. With so much data out there, how does one make sense of it? Where and how does one begin to search for the information that one needs? If one is lucky enough to find the data needed, how is access to it gained? Once the data is obtained, is it understandable? If not, how does one go about understanding or translating it? Once understood, is it useable? Is the data current and from a reliable source? It is one thing to produce and transmit data at a rapid pace, and it is another to acquire the data when needed, make sense of it, put it to real use, and make it available for others who also require it. Issues such as these must be resolved to ensure that the Army not only achieves compliance with Department of Defense (DoD) Directive, 8320.2, but also to ensure that all its warfighting mission and business requirements are met as well.

In a large distributed environment such as that of the Army enterprise, there are many organizations, applications and data sources. These systems are designed and built with specific requirements and constraints in place that allow the organization to meet its mission needs and perform its business functions. These systems, specifically ones that are Programs of Record, have been fulfilling their missions and tasks. However, as the DoD and Army move towards a net-centric environment, the ability to integrate and share data across the Army and the DoD will be critical. Data visibility and understandability will ultimately enable better decision support for a more agile Army enterprise.