The Marine Corps saved $500,000 over two years by improving how they managed their contractors, performance and resources. Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) Headquarters, Marine Corps Washington, D.C. C4 oversees information technology for the U.S. Marine Corps. How C4 Saved: By using an earned value management (EVM) system to define project goals, C4 saved $500,000 over two years while significantly increasing the quality of their products and their efficiency. Tools Used: Deltek Cobra software for calculating project data, Microsoft Project for scheduling. To Read more on this topic, see How the Marine Corps Matched Spending to Performance Time Frame: C4 identified the need for a better way to manage their contractors, performance and resources in 2004. The organization began implementing its EVM system in 2006. The rollout took two years. Never Stop Improving Even though the project has been fully rolled out, the team still makes adjustments to better use the EVM system, says Col. Ronald Zich. They are working on defining the best ratio of planned to ad hoc assignments, taking into account flexibility to respond to unforeseen needs. Organizations typically target a rate of 85 percent for dedicated assignments, compared to C4’s 92 percent. All or Nothing An EVM initiative must be led from the top down or it won’t succeed, says Zich. At C4, all the division leaders, high ranking officers and executive leaders could see the benefits EVM would bring and jumped on board, so the implementation went well. “If you have resistance from any of your leaders, it just doesn’t work,” he says. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP What goes well with Viña Concha y Toro wines? Meat, fish, poultry, and SAP Viña Concha y Toro, a wine producer that distributes to more than 140 countries worldwide, paired its operation with the SAP Business Technology Platform to enhance its operation and product. By Tom Caldecott, SAP Contributor Dec 04, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Azul How to maximize ROI by choosing the right Java partner for your organization Choosing the right Java provider is a critical decision that can have a significant impact on your organization’s success. By asking the right questions and considering the total cost of ownership, you can ensure that you choose the best Java p By Scott Sellers Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Application Management brandpost Sponsored by DataStax Ask yourself: How can genAI put your content to work? Generative AI applications can readily be built against the documents, emails, meeting transcripts, and other content that knowledge workers produce as a matter of course. By Bryan Kirschner Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence feature The CIO’s new role: Orchestrator-in-chief CIOs have unique insight into everything that happens in a company. Some are using that insight to take on a more strategic role. By Minda Zetlin Dec 04, 2023 12 mins CIO C-Suite Business IT Alignment Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe