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United States Marine Corps Adds Appian to Its Arsenal of Low-Code Applications
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) adds Appian’s low-code automation platform to its platform as a Service (PaaS). Appian is a major Business Process Automation (BPM) vendor, with a focus on low-code environments. The PaaS is a library of applications which are offered to all departments across the USMC. The application library enables different teams to choose their own applications that are still under the purview of IT, rather than conforming to a single standard.
Appian will be used for two overarching USMC initiatives right out of the gate:
- Manpower – Appian will add an automation layer to a legacy recruiting system that has been in place since 2001. The system facilitates the recruitment and accession of approximately 40,000 Marines each year.
- Logistics – Appian will enable the automation of ground equipment management. The application will also automate the distribution of the USMC’s technical publications.
For other organizations and vendors looking to join the USMC PaaS, it is important to note that Appian had to meet a variety of security requirements including impact level 4 (IL4) compliance, FedRAMP certification for the Department of Defense (DoD).
Source: Appian BPM Software, 2020
Our Take
The Marine Corp’s approach to embracing business-led software selection (also known as shadow IT) is very much aligned with Info-Tech’s 2020 Applications Priorities. According to the USMC, standardizing the PaaS offerings authorized and used within the Marine Corps is “key to ensuring operational effectiveness, cybersecurity, and investment management of Marine Corps resources.”
Info-Tech’s 2020 Applications Priorities Report notes that as it becomes easier for the business to purchase its own applications, it will be critical for IT to embrace this form of user empowerment (which the USMC has already done). However, with a diminished focus on vendor selection, IT will drive the most value by directing its energy toward data and integration governance.