Innovation: Lack of information at center level motivates NCO to create ‘Victory Atlas’
March 26, 2014
By Sgt. 1st Class Jeffery Crane, 1st Recruiting Brigade S2
Like many of my peers, I used the Graphical Accessions Mapping Analysis Tool (GAMAT) as a briefing tool more than a planning tool. I felt the information was relevant for an after action review (AAR), but not an indicator of what the potential existed. I wanted to adhere to the phrase, “Work to the market’s potential;” however, when I asked how to calculate that potential, I did not get a helpful answer.
Shortly before my arrival to the 1st Recruiting Brigade, I was introduced to the Segmentation Analysis and Market Assessment (SAMA) tool in Report Management Zone which calculates and displays market potential by ZIP code. I wondered why the information provided by SAMA was not included in GAMAT. When I arrived, Robert Lentz, the SAMA creator and S2 Chief, mentored me.
As I learned about the wealth of targeting data that mission/marketing analysts have at their disposal, I realized that custom maps with some of this information were available to higher echelon commanders, but not at the center. I made it a personal mission to find a way to provide this information to the people who need it most, the field force.
Under the direction of Lentz and the help of the Victory Brigade staff, I gained approval from the U.S. Army Recruiting Command G6 to create the Victory Atlas, a secure, interactive map that can be viewed at any time, on any device equipped with an Internet browser. The Victory Atlas reduces dependency on the Recruiter Workstation and simplifies information access in the field by reducing downtime associated with pulling reports from the system.
The atlas provides a common operating picture from the brigade commander to the recruiter and can be refined through existing systems and the Accessions Targeting Board (ATB) process. It capitalizes on the familiarity that NCOs already have with similar tools, setting the conditions for better understanding of their market, and increased efficiency across the formation.
The Atlas currently displays physical locations and contact information of all 1st Brigade facilities, ROTC partners, and Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS). It displays battalion, company and center boundaries as well as color-coded must-win, must-keep market of opportunity ZIP codes from the SAMA report, and critical market information about those ZIP codes including market share, population, demographics and four-year weighted production averages for both components.
It displays Army Reserve centers and vacancies within the center listed by Troop Program Unit, military occupation specialty (MOS), number of vacancies, and available training seats. The Atlas provides access to outside data such as U.S. News National STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) high school rankings, and Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data.
Finally, it displays weather patterns, storm warnings, and other safety information to show how it could negatively affect operations across the brigade. The map features enhanced turn-by-turn navigation when used on a mobile device to all facilities within the brigade footprint, eliminating the need for computer direction printouts. The map layers data update weekly.
We have received great feedback from the field. Baltimore was the preliminary test battalion for the Victory Atlas. Company Leadership Teams have utilized the perspective that the Atlas offers to conduct In-Process Reviews (IPR) with their centers and conduct more-efficient targeting sessions during company training. Feedback shows that center commanders and recruiters are more aware of the potential pockets in their market due to their ability to visualize their SAMA data through green, yellow, and red ZIP codes.
Recruiters report having Army Reserve unit vacancies readily available increases their awareness of their local vacancies and helps in talking to potential applicants about Reserve options. As this tool continues to develop, and demand grows, there is no question that the Victory Atlas will have a large impact on how recruiters use, process, and share data to execute their missions.
To see more information, download the "Victory Atlas" User Guide here.
Crane won the Innovator Award for 1st Recruiting Brigade at this year’s Annual Leadership Training Conference for his “Victory Atlas” innovation.
March 26, 2014
By Sgt. 1st Class Jeffery Crane, 1st Recruiting Brigade S2
Like many of my peers, I used the Graphical Accessions Mapping Analysis Tool (GAMAT) as a briefing tool more than a planning tool. I felt the information was relevant for an after action review (AAR), but not an indicator of what the potential existed. I wanted to adhere to the phrase, “Work to the market’s potential;” however, when I asked how to calculate that potential, I did not get a helpful answer.
Shortly before my arrival to the 1st Recruiting Brigade, I was introduced to the Segmentation Analysis and Market Assessment (SAMA) tool in Report Management Zone which calculates and displays market potential by ZIP code. I wondered why the information provided by SAMA was not included in GAMAT. When I arrived, Robert Lentz, the SAMA creator and S2 Chief, mentored me.
As I learned about the wealth of targeting data that mission/marketing analysts have at their disposal, I realized that custom maps with some of this information were available to higher echelon commanders, but not at the center. I made it a personal mission to find a way to provide this information to the people who need it most, the field force.
Under the direction of Lentz and the help of the Victory Brigade staff, I gained approval from the U.S. Army Recruiting Command G6 to create the Victory Atlas, a secure, interactive map that can be viewed at any time, on any device equipped with an Internet browser. The Victory Atlas reduces dependency on the Recruiter Workstation and simplifies information access in the field by reducing downtime associated with pulling reports from the system.
The atlas provides a common operating picture from the brigade commander to the recruiter and can be refined through existing systems and the Accessions Targeting Board (ATB) process. It capitalizes on the familiarity that NCOs already have with similar tools, setting the conditions for better understanding of their market, and increased efficiency across the formation.
The Atlas currently displays physical locations and contact information of all 1st Brigade facilities, ROTC partners, and Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS). It displays battalion, company and center boundaries as well as color-coded must-win, must-keep market of opportunity ZIP codes from the SAMA report, and critical market information about those ZIP codes including market share, population, demographics and four-year weighted production averages for both components.
It displays Army Reserve centers and vacancies within the center listed by Troop Program Unit, military occupation specialty (MOS), number of vacancies, and available training seats. The Atlas provides access to outside data such as U.S. News National STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) high school rankings, and Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data.
Finally, it displays weather patterns, storm warnings, and other safety information to show how it could negatively affect operations across the brigade. The map features enhanced turn-by-turn navigation when used on a mobile device to all facilities within the brigade footprint, eliminating the need for computer direction printouts. The map layers data update weekly.
We have received great feedback from the field. Baltimore was the preliminary test battalion for the Victory Atlas. Company Leadership Teams have utilized the perspective that the Atlas offers to conduct In-Process Reviews (IPR) with their centers and conduct more-efficient targeting sessions during company training. Feedback shows that center commanders and recruiters are more aware of the potential pockets in their market due to their ability to visualize their SAMA data through green, yellow, and red ZIP codes.
Recruiters report having Army Reserve unit vacancies readily available increases their awareness of their local vacancies and helps in talking to potential applicants about Reserve options. As this tool continues to develop, and demand grows, there is no question that the Victory Atlas will have a large impact on how recruiters use, process, and share data to execute their missions.
To see more information, download the "Victory Atlas" User Guide here.
Crane won the Innovator Award for 1st Recruiting Brigade at this year’s Annual Leadership Training Conference for his “Victory Atlas” innovation.