Thank you, Tara Murphy Dougherty, for highlighting the potential of Advana. But your DefenseScoop article has several errors and continues to spread a false narrative about the program. (1) Advana is not vertically integrated; the Comptroller, then CDAO, defined a horizontal integration strategy to accommodate user preferences and drive increased competition at the user/workload level., (2) Advana is not bespoke; just ask Databricks, Palantir Technologies, C3 AI, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Qlik, Tableau, and the other commercial products that make-up the Advana platform. These products require workflows, mappings, and interfaces to be configured to solve actual mission problems (think of the products as illustratively providing 80% of the features out of the box, these configurations provide the remaining 20%). And, yes, Booz Allen Hamilton was competitively awarded a contract to purchase and configure these products for Advana. We are honored to do this work. Without it, Advana has great products, but solves no problems. (3) Lastly, I agree, the remit of Advana has increased dramatically from its origin. In many cases, there simply was no realistic, operational alternative. Too many data platform programs failed in their path to scaled operations, leaving a massive gap in capability across the Department. How do we learn from these programs instead of attempting to tear down Advana, that while far from perfect, has delivered scaled impact? I would be interested in that perspective. DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller / CFO
Love this
Well said
There is a narrative violation on a lot issues we are facing. The problem/solution set appear clear and simple…but often these programs exist for real reason.
Great insights on the critical role Advana plays in solving real mission problems at scale, Steven!
John O'Leary
1w
DataRobot is a proud AI vendor with active DoD Production customers in Advana. Each are producing amazing value for their services and missions. The aggregate vendor platform, combined with the Prime (and their subs) has accelerated the modernization of these customers x-fold. Our customers look forward to continuing this journey and we have a long list of those on the doorstep. Huge kudos to OSD/CDAO and BAH for making Advana a reality!
Submit as a Letter to the Editor for formal publication in Defense Scoop!
Well said Steve, hope all is well.
Dedicated Family Man | Innovative Entrepreneur | AI, Data & Cloud Solution Expert | Passionate Community Leader | Strategic Investor
1wThank you, Steven Escaravage, for shedding light on the real impact and architecture of the Advana platform. Having served as a Principal at Booz Allen and supported Advana as an Enterprise Architect and Technical Advisor, I’ve witnessed firsthand the platform’s critical role in driving data-driven decision-making across the DoD. Advana’s horizontal integration strategy, leveraging leading commercial products like Databricks, Palantir, AWS, and others, demonstrates its commitment to innovation and scalability. The platform’s success lies in its ability to bridge complex mission needs through tailored configurations — turning powerful tools into actionable insights. While no platform is perfect, Advana has delivered significant results where others have struggled. Let’s focus on learning from past challenges and building on Advana’s progress to continue driving impact for the warfighter. I am proud to have been part of this journey.