DEO Workshops Transform Visions into Solutions

Improving readiness

By Sgt. Malcolm Pope 2nd Theater Signal Brigade

Article published on: April 1, 2025, in the Army Communicator Spring 2025 Edition

Read Time: < 2 mins

Sgt. Christian Van De Kamp, data officer, 2nd TSB, writes notes during a software development workshop Nov. 22, 2024. (Photo by Candy Knight, 2nd TSB)

The 2nd Theater Signal Brigade’s (TSB) Data Engineering Office’s (DEO) mission is to identify and implement innovative approaches to enhance one of the brigade’s essential tasks: data collection and strategic usage. A significant aspect of the DEO is Software Development. This team is at the forefront of the Army's efforts to create automated, data-driven processes and operations aimed at improving readiness through predictive analysis.

The team is currently developing applications for the brigade’s Resource Management Directorate's Invoice Project. The Invoice Project revolves around its configuration, accounting, integrity, reports, and security application. The Directorate's budget team expressed concerns and identified the need to transfer all financial responsibilities from CAIRS to a new platform to reduce costs and enhance overall performance. DEO members, along with Finance and Procurement team members, came together to accomplish this task. The DEO’s Software Development team aims for an application production date of May 2025. Implementing the application will save 2nd TSB an estimated $1.2 million annually.

The DEO hosts a Power Platform Workshop each Friday to aid with application and software development. The workshop provides a forum for data officers, software engineers, and developers within the European Theatre to collaborate and gain better insight into how they can use the Microsoft A365 Power Platform tools in their daily operations. The workshop allows attendees to gain experience and enhance their skills by testing ‘Power Tools’ such as Power BI, Power Apps, and Power Automate as part of these applications’ continuous development and enhancement. Each application enhances the users’ data collection and analysis abilities.

The 2nd TSB’s DEO team poses for a photo during a software development workshop. (Photo by Candy Knight, 2nd TSB)

Power Apps: Used to create applications for various processes and will serve as a foundation for the entire project. With the Invoice Project, Power Apps improve upon the existing CAIRS application and create a more responsive design that is more appealing and encourages an improved user experience.

Power Automate: Used to automate and streamline repetitive tasks to save time and optimize performance, reduce user error and improve employee satisfaction.

Power BI: Provides the opportunity to seamlessly connect to various data sources, allowing the Resource Management team to fully integrate all sources required to generate the most accurate reports. Power BI ensures real-time insights are accessible, with interactive visuals promoting improved user experience.

The 2nd TSB continues to seek out innovative initiatives that enable the brigade to deliver integrated and interoperable theater communications and cyber capabilities to enable decision dominance across all levels and phases of war in support of combat forces and mission partners in Europe and Africa.