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Transforming defense decision-making with Advana

Headquarters
United States
Employees
10,000+
Industry
Government
Customer since
2020

Advana was born out of necessity. The Department of Defense (DoD) recognized the need for a centralized platform that could modernize their financial management system and strengthen financial reporting, with a potential capability to conduct a Department-wide audit. As a result, the Offices of the Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller (OUSD(C)), and Chief Financial Officer, stood up a solution called the Universe of Transactions (UoT) – a data and analytics platform that would standardize data points that could be traced, tracked, and verified across systems.

UoT proved to be highly effective for OUSD(C). It helped the CFO’s office track spending and carry out audits more effectively – something that senior DoD leaders did not think was possible before UoT’s existence. With an effective use case in hand, decisionmakers realized the same framework could be applied to all types of data across DoD – not just financial.

In 2018, UoT rebranded as Advana with the intent to become “the shared service data platform for all common enterprise data.” The platform now contains data from across the enterprise including personnel, logistics, supply chain, readiness metrics, and more. Likewise it now serves all military services and the Joint Staff, in addition to the Office of the Secretary Defense.

Goal

Addressing the challenge to become data-driven

Recognizing that challenge, Greg Little, Director, CFO Data Transformation Office, partnered with Collibra to launch their Advana (Advancing Analytics) Data Catalog to create a centralized platform for data and analytics across the organization.

Utilizing the technology provided by Collibra, the Advana program directly responded to the need for users and stakeholders across the OSD to find, understand and trust their data, ultimately empowering and enabling better decision-making.

Little saw the Advana program as a strategic initiative with a focus on eventually expanding the program to encompass numerous use cases across the OSD. Little chose Collibra Data Catalog as the technical solution because of its enterprise capabilities and flexibility.

However, the value of the Advana program wasn’t realized overnight. It’s an ongoing process that began with a targeted implementation and internal champions with experience to help drive the program’s success.

Solution

Providing a “Single source of truth” for DoD – Partnering with Collibra to create the Data Catalog

In 2021, DoD announced the formation of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO). Their mission: accelerate the adoption of data, analytics, and AI across the Department. To turn that vision into a reality, the enterprise needed a solution that would centralize all data into one platform. Collibra delivered that solution with the Data Catalog – a tool that provides the user a complete view of data that has been ingested, cleaned, and logged in Advana.

With the Data Catalog, the DoD has clarity, governance, and the accessibility required to manage complex datasets and expand to a broader user base. This enables CDAO to work with stakeholders with varying levels of data maturity. Ingesting datasets into the Data Catalog is not a one size fits all exercise. Provided with new data expertise and experience, CDAO has been able to work with diverse stakeholders to understand their data challenges so they too could benefit from connecting their data to Advana’s Data Catalog. As a result, Advana now has a wide range of datasets beyond financial management.

In addition to the Data Catalog, a Data Marketplace has also been put in place, allowing users of Advana to easily find the data they need. This highly curated and secure Marketplace ensures self-service and security, only allowing users access to data they have permission to see and use.

“The Advana catalog has truly enabled the DoD to turn data into a strategic asset. Time and again, when I am asked for an example of who is a visionary in this space, I hold Advana as the North Star for a mature data-first program,” said Toan Do, General Manager Collibra Public Sector.

Results

Results: Measuring impact and scaling success

The Advana program is still relatively new, but it has already made significant strides in its mission with the team tracking key performance indicators to ensure they remain on the right path and measure progress. The program now has more than 80,000 registered users, 10 community spaces, serves 55+ DoD organizations, 5 accredited networks, and 3,000 NIPR sources, all of whom can access the Data Catalog and Data Marketplace. The team is crafting a data quality framework that not only aims to gauge levels of data quality but also makes that information transparent to data consumers and helps drive improvements. This metric is crucial to DoD, as it is important for users to know their data is high quality, trustworthy, and accurate.

In the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy, U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) Operations Center utilized Advana’s AI and Data Accelerator (ADA) team's Vessel Tracking tool to assess the situation and determine the effects on ongoing Department of Defense (DoD) shipping operations. By leveraging the Vessel Tracking tool, the operations team gained immediate situational awareness, enabling them to quickly disseminate alternative plans and minimize the volume of inquiries and information requests. ​

Results

Looking ahead: The broader mission

The Advana program’s Data Catalog and Data Marketplace now spans the Department of Defense. It is a cornerstone of the platform’s architecture, enabling users to discover, understand, and trust the data they use. By making data assets visible, searchable, and interoperable, the catalog reinforces transparency and compliance across the platform and Department alike.

To advance data modernization goals, CDAO is partnering closely with stakeholders across the DoD who share a commitment to data transparency, interoperability, and governance. Together, they are working to integrate efforts around identifying and connecting data assets, with the goal of building a robust and scalable federated data catalog. This unified approach enables DoD to align strategies, promote data discoverability, and allow for the continued joint development of a strong Data Catalog and data management strategy across the entire DoD.

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