Adobe JELA Streamlines DoD Software Acquisition, Enables Digital Modernization

The Department of Defense (DoD) faces an immense task with delivering functional, scalable, sustainable and secure digital experiences to millions of warfighters, contractors and civilians across the world. A big part of this challenge stems from having to manage complex content workflows all while making sure the user experience matches the needs of a diverse user population across digital channels.

Whether it is military enrolling in eligibility programs, recruiters onboarding new personnel or officers managing case work, digital-first experiences enable services to be delivered from any location, on any channel or device, in any environment, and during any threat condition.

There are a multitude of factors driving the need for an intuitive, adaptive user experience, including mandates like the 21^st Century IDEA, the Fulcrum IT Advancement Strategy and the Software Modernization Strategy. Couple those requirements with accessibility challenges and manually intensive processes that place undue administrative burden on the military and the hurdles get even higher.

Accessibility and Compliance Needs Met

On the accessibility front, about 27% of U.S. adults earning less than $30,000 a year — about the salary of a private first class (E3) — are smartphone-only users. That means they need mobile-friendly websites and documents and more broadly underscores the need for the DoD to provide easily accessible content.

This will be no easy task. The federal government currently generates 9,858 unique forms and processes more than 106 billion forms each year, many of which are generated by the DoD.

Those using digital document workflows are already seeing results with 76% of government decision makers reporting that digital signatures increased their organization’s customer experience. Beyond that, 64% of government CIOs said digital workflows enable higher-value work.

There are solutions out there to help the Pentagon and its components manage this important, but daunting process. At Adobe, products like AEM Forms, Acrobat and Acrobat Sign have shown incredible value internally and for the end user across both the public and private sectors. This includes:

• 57% less time for employees to complete signature-required forms
• 58% less time for customers to complete signature-required forms
• 56% lower abandonment rate for forms
• 79% faster to update existing forms

These kinds of challenges demand more than just plug and play products. They require a larger plan that integrates and scales multiple solutions to meet the unique needs of each DoD component.

A Common Contract

In the idiosyncratic world of defense contracting, finding those solutions is only half the battle; purchasing them can be just as challenging. This is where the Joint Enterprise License Agreement (JELA) — a multi-year contract that leverages the buying power of DoD personnel – comes in.

By consolidating software and licensing on a common contract vehicle, the Adobe JELA saves the DoD money while driving collaboration and improving interoperability — helping the Pentagon modernize its document workflows and streamline its business processes.

Prior to the Adobe JELA, DoD IT staff had to manage and support thousands of individual software licenses. Moving to a common vehicle leverages economies of scale for IT management and creates a better experience for end users, while giving DoD teams ready access to a suite of digital-first force capabilities.

Enabling Efficiency and Accessibility

Under the JELA, DoD has instant access to vast capabilities for creating, editing, sharing, and signing digital forms; automating workflows; collecting form data; and more — all with the right balance of speed, security and compliance.

Some components, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and several Fourth Estate agencies are already realizing the benefits of the Adobe JELA offering, including:

• Digitize document workflows. Fill, sign and route digital forms easily and securely, with end-to-end visibility to the entire workflow.
• Create adaptive forms for any device. Easily create responsive forms on kiosks, websites, apps, or mobile devices, and allow users to fill and submit forms on any browser or device.
• Automate document workflows. Quickly build and deploy custom workflows for routine tasks — saving time and reducing errors. 
• See and manage workflows at every step. Always know a form’s status at any point in the workflow with process tracking and reporting tools.
• Enhance and simplify data capture. Pre-populate forms with data from your backend systems. As forms are received, securely capture and integrate new form field data into your designated database.
• Centralize and locate approved forms. Create and customize a forms portal that allows you to centralize and easily locate approved forms.  

Adobe provides the DoD with the tools to truly modernize its digital document workflows. From creation to completion, and every step in between, users have more control over their experience and access to forms and documents they need. For everything from health and medical services to operational and mission critical forms.

Digital document workflows will also free the Pentagon from cumbersome, paper-based processes and ultimately improve user experiences, increase productivity, expand accessibility and secure data and privacy for critical government services. Adobe has always made it easier to manage digital documents. Now we’ve made it easier for the DoD to access and implement that technology.

Learn more about the Adobe JELA benefits already available across DoD.