Defense Business Transformation Dod Should Improve Its Planning With And Performance Monitoring Of The Military Departments Report To Congressional Addressees

" While DOD maintains military forces with unparalleled capabilities, it continues to confront management weaknesses related to its business functions that support these forces. GAO designated DOD's approach to business transformation as high risk in 2005 because DOD had not taken steps to achieve business reform on a strategic, department-wide basis. This report (1) describes the roles and responsibilities established by DOD and the military departments for overseeing business transformation and the continuity of leadership in senior business transformation positions, (2) assesses the extent to which DOD has coordinated with the military departments to align strategic planning efforts for business transformation, and (3) evaluates the extent to which the DOD DCMO has used the Defense Business Council to effectively monitor department-wide performance. GAO reviewed documentation, including summaries from Defense Business Council meetings, and interviewed cognizant officials. "

"While DOD maintains military forces with unparalleled capabilities, it continues to confront management weaknesses related to its business functions that support these forces. GAO designated DOD's approach to business transformation as high risk in 2005 because DOD had not taken steps to achieve business reform on a strategic, department-wide basis. This report (1) describes the roles and responsibilities established by DOD and the military departments for overseeing business transformation and the continuity of leadership in senior business transformation positions, (2) assesses the extent to which DOD has coordinated with the military departments to align strategic planning efforts for business transformation, and (3) evaluates the extent to which the DOD DCMO has used the Defense Business Council to effectively monitor department-wide performance. GAO reviewed documentation, including summaries from Defense Business Council meetings, and interviewed cognizant officials"--Preliminary page.

"While DOD maintains military forces with unparalleled capabilities, it continues to confront management weaknesses related to its business functions that support these forces. GAO designated DOD's approach to business transformation as high risk in 2005 because DOD had not taken steps to achieve business reform on a strategic, department-wide basis. This report (1) describes the roles and responsibilities established by DOD and the military departments for overseeing business transformation and the continuity of leadership in senior business transformation positions, (2) assesses the extent to which DOD has coordinated with the military departments to align strategic planning efforts for business transformation, and (3) evaluates the extent to which the DOD DCMO has used the Defense Business Council to effectively monitor department-wide performance. GAO reviewed documentation, including summaries from Defense Business Council meetings, and interviewed cognizant officials"--Preliminary page.

The DoD spends billions of dollars each year to maintain key business operations, including systems and processes related to the management of contracts, finances, the supply chain, support infrastructure, and weapon systems acquisition. A number of these areas are vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse, and mis-management and because of opportunities to achieve greater efficiencies and free up resources for higher-priority needs. This study assessed the extent to which DoD has taken steps to: (1) implement management frameworks for business transformation; and (2) develop business transformation plans, supported by a strategic planning process, that enable them to align goals and planning efforts and measure progress. A print on demand report.

The Department of Defense (DOD) spends billions of dollars each year to maintain key business operations intended to support the warfighter, including systems and processes related to the management of contracts, finances, the supply chain, support infrastructure, and weapon systems acquisition. We have designated a number of these areas as high risk because of their vulnerability to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement and because of opportunities to achieve greater efficiencies and free up resources for higher-priority needs. In 2005, we identified DOD's approach to business transformation as a high-risk area because (1) DOD had not established clear and specific management responsibility, accountability and control over business transformation-related activities and applicable resources; and (2) DOD lacked a clear strategic and integrated plan for business transformation with specific goals, measures and accountability mechanisms to monitor progress. Because of the complexity and magnitude of the challenges facing DOD in improving business operations, we have reported the need for a chief management officer (CMO) with significant authority and experience to focus the necessary attention and sustain progress. Both DOD and Congress have taken actions to address DOD's management of business transformation efforts. For example, DOD designated the Deputy Secretary of Defense as the CMO for DOD in May 2007. In the National Defense Authorization Acts for Fiscal Year 2008 and Fiscal Year 2009, Congress took steps that included: (1) designating the Deputy Secretary of Defense as the CMO for DOD; (2) creating a deputy chief management officer (DCMO) position; (3) requiring the secretaries of the military departments to designate the department under secretaries as CMOs; (4) requiring DOD to develop a strategic management plan (SMP); and (5) requiring the secretary of each military department to establish a business transformation office and to develop business transformation plans. Since we last reported, a DCMO has been confirmed by the Senate, DOD has updated its SMP, and DOD and the military departments have continued to refine their management approach to business transformation. This report addresses their progress since January 2009. We performed this review under the authority of the Comptroller General to conduct evaluations on his own initiative. Our objectives were to assess the extent to which DOD and the military departments have taken additional steps to (1) implement management frameworks for business transformation and (2) develop business transformation plans, supported by a strategic planning process, that enable them to align goals and planning efforts and to measure progress.

This report transmits findings on the status of the Department of Defense's efforts to develop a management approach to guide business transformation. January 2009 Update. Illustrations.

The Department of Defense (DOD) invests billions of dollars annually to modernize its business systems, which have been on GAO's high-risk list since 1995. DOD is in the process of implementing nine enterprise resource planning (ERP) efforts which perform business-related tasks such as general ledger accounting and supply chain management. These efforts are essential to transforming DOD's business operations. GAO was asked to (1) provide the status of the ERPs as of December 31, 2009; (2) determine whether selected ERPs followed schedule and cost best practices; and (3) determine if DOD has defined the performance measures to assess whether the ERPs will meet their intended business capabilities. To accomplish these objectives, GAO reviewed data on the status of each ERP from the program management officers and interviewed the DOD and military departments' chief management officers.

"DOD spends billions of dollars eachyear to maintain key businessoperations intended to support thewarfighter. In 2005, GAO identifiedDOD's approach to businesstransformation as high-risk becauseDOD had not established managementresponsibility, accountability, andcontrol over business transformationrelatedactivities and resources, and itlacked a plan with specific goals,measures, and mechanisms to monitorprogress. GAO previously reported thatDOD has taken steps to develop amanagement approach. This reportaddresses DOD's progress in (1)incorporating key strategic planningelements into its transformation plan;and (2) developing and implementingan approach for assessing DOD-wideprogress toward business goals. GAOanalyzed relevant DOD documents,reviewed prior and ongoing GAO work;and interviewed DOD officials."

Since 2005, we have reported periodically on DOD's progress in implementing its management approach and developing a strategic plan for business transformation. For example, in January 2011, we reported that DOD had taken positive steps, including filling key positions, such as the DCMO and military department CMOs, and establishing governance structures, but had made limited progress in its strategic planning efforts. Specifically, in its 2009 update, DOD improved its initial SMP issued in 2008, by identifying business priorities, but the plan still lacked several key elements such as including some measurable goals and funding priorities.