MAXWELL AFB-GUNTER ANNEX, Ala. -- In mid-July 2023, the Services Management Division (GBQ) awarded a $630,000 contract to August Schell Enterprises, Inc. for Atlassian licenses and related plug-ins for the Business and Enterprise Systems Atlassian Toolset (BAT).
The BAT, which serves over 6,100 licensed users, is still growing, prompting action to be taken before the user ceiling was reached. The awarded renewal ensured tier upgrades in anticipation of the growth expected in the coming months. In addition, the contract was awarded ahead of schedule, and granted the team additional time to run security and implementation tests, reducing the possibility for a lapse of service.
Presently, 70 programs use the BAT in their software development lifecycle, employing 498 project spaces in the BAT environment.
The BAT offers four components for agile software development: Jira (project workflow management tool); Jira Service Management (service desk services); Confluence, (collaborative workspaces); and BitBucket (source code repository). The plug-ins expand on the base functionality of these components, allowing users to make Microsoft Excel-like tables, run test scripts, and make effortless copies of issues.
These functions provide programs with vital capabilities including team and strategy management, cost and schedule monitoring, release planning, and forecasting, which allows teams to maximize developmental efficiency.
Altogether, the BAT supports the Air Force Materiel Command’s digital transformation goal of creating an integrated digital ecosystem which provides access to the data individuals need to develop, test, field, deploy, and maintain U.S. Air Force and Space Force business systems. By leveraging the Atlassian digital capabilities, BES teams can decrease the time it takes to move a system from a concept to the hands of a warfighter.