Efficiency Leader
Q& A
Managing Procurement for Business, War Fighting and the Enterprise Douglas K. Wiltsie Program Executive Officer Enterprise Information Systems U.S. Army Douglas K. Wiltsie assumed command of the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) on October 5, 2011. His responsibilities include program management of more than 60 Department of Defense and Army acquisition programs across the business, war fighting and enterprise information environment mission areas. These systems support Army and DoD-wide communications, logistics, medical, finance, personnel, biometrics, training and procurement operations. He also has responsibility for five major enterprise resource planning efforts representing a projected Army investment of $8 billion over their life cycles. The PEO EIS organization consists of approximately 2,650 military, civilian and contractor staff around the world, and executes approximately $4 billion per year. Prior to his assignment as PEO EIS, Wiltsie was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in June 2008 and served as the deputy program executive officer for intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors until October 2011. In this position, he was responsible for the development, acquisition, fielding and life cycle support of the Army’s portfolio of intelligence, electronic warfare and target acquisition programs. Previously, Wiltsie served as the assistant deputy for acquisition and systems management in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology from 2004 to 2008. He also has held a wide range of acquisition and technology positions in ISR and other fields. Wiltsie holds an M.S. in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech. Wiltsie was interviewed by MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly. Q: How would you describe your overall approach to your new position in light of expected budget restrictions? A: First, PEO EIS has been the leading organization providing the Army with enterprise-level capability for a long time. The team continues to lead Army technology modernization by developing and delivering integrated, net-centric capabilities to meet the needs of the nation, with recognition of and planning for a new and changing environment. The team has done a remarkable job, so my first objective is to not significantly change the way we execute our business. With an anticipated reduction in funding, we need to ensure that we execute the mission that Army has entrusted us to do in the most efficient way. Using a system-of-systems portfolio approach forces us to look at the various alternatives available to execute an integrated solution for the required capability. That may mean modifying an existing program instead of starting a new system or negotiating a lower requirement. The Army will achieve significant efficiencies from the programs under development and/or in production within EIS. The business www.MIT-kmi.com
systems that we develop and field help the Army to better manage installations, pay systems, equipment accountability, communications and computer infrastructure. The reality, however, is that the department will face significant reductions in funding. While the specifics of the funding reductions will be made public when the budget request is presented to Congress, we are working to ensure that the innovative capabilities promised to our warfighters are delivered on time and within budget, regardless of changes in the fiscal environment. Other initiatives we are implementing as we go forward are Better Buying Power, aligning our priorities with the priorities that are emerging from the capability portfolio reviews, and challenging requirements to get 80 percent capability in the field sooner through incremental deliveries. One of PEO EIS’ major strengths is in leveraging government and industry partnerships to successfully shape the Army’s technology evolution, ensuring readiness today and preparedness for tomorrow. PEO EIS leads the Army in transforming technology efficiently and effectively, managing close to 35 percent of the Army’s IT budget. We continue to deliver innovative, leading-edge capabilities with a commitment to responsible management of taxpayer dollars. Q: What is your strategy for achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness in PEO EIS operations? MIT 16.2 | 17