Recommendations to Commander, Naval Surface Forces for achieving a strategic approach to the acquisition of information systems and services

Historically, Commander, Naval Surface Forces (CNSF), has awarded multiple service contracts ranging between $7 million to $8 million dollars, which have resulted in outflow of funds to maintain disparate systems that produce nonintegrated data structures. The command requires a method to maintain or improve their capability while reducing their operating costs. The contracts meet CNSF major automaton needs for training, Websites, and reporting tools. However, CNSF desires an enterprise level integration plan for acquiring information systems (IS), and an \architecture plan that will align all systems and metrics. This change will increase efficiency, reduce redundancy, and establish an enterprise framework. CNSF traditional decision making has resulted in several disparate programs that require separate contracts and limited integration. This structure has fueled excessive service fees, stovepipe systems, and the organization is stuck paying to maintain the operation. This study will assist in identifying the current traditional behaviors and introduce a more strategic approach to decision making. Additionally, our goal is to evolve the current IS acquisition decision making from its current state to one of a more strategic-based concept The focus of this thesis is on reengineering the CNSF decision-making process for acquiring IS capabilities.http://archive.org/details/recommendationst109455178US Army (USA) authorApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited