text:
CIOs are under pressure to support fast-evolving digital business scenarios but are finding traditional project and development methods unsuitable, according to Gartner, Inc. Enterprises are increasingly turning to agile development to speed up projects and illustrate their value ...
In APMdigest's exclusive interview, Will Cappelli, Gartner Research VP in Enterprise Management, talks about his latest report: Will IT Operations Analytics Platforms Replace APM Suites?
APM: In your December report - Will IT Operations Analytics Platforms Replace APM Suites? - you say the importance of analytics to APM will grow over the next five years. How do you see that importance expanding?
WC: In one sense, non-analytic APM tools will continue to generate more and more data. As more and more applications are monitored, as the applications being monitored become more and more complex and interconnected, the quantity of data that is being generated by the tools grows. In order to understand what is going on in the application, deeper and deeper analysis capabilities are required.
The other sense is that there are a number of tasks that are carried out by the non-analytic tools, that will increasingly be taken up by some of the analytic tools. So, for example, there is a lot of root cause analysis, which is now not really done with analytics tools, it is done by looking at the topology map. As the application topologies become a lot more complex, you are not going to be able to just look at a map on the screen and find the root cause. You are going to have to apply some sort of automated algorithm that will identify what could be the cause. So these analytics tools will take over some of the function that has been traditionally performed by the non-analytics tools.
There is a third sense, as well. In general, predictive issues are becoming more important. Until now most of the burden of the application performance monitoring tools has been in the area of retroactive determination of the root cause of the problem. We are seeing, with the people we talk to, more and more focus on getting out ahead of problems before they occur. And in order to do that kind of predictive action, you need some kind of analytics tools.
APM: Do you see this driving any evolution in Gartner's 5-dimension APM model?
WC: The model was never meant to be a dogmatic statement of what constitutes APM. It describes the conceptual model that buyers and vendors have when they come to the APM market. So it is really not "prescriptive" as much as it is "descriptive".
It can evolve, and ought to evolve. At Gartner, we have had the sense that it was going this way. If you look at APM portfolios in the next couple of years, the end-user experience will continue to grow in importance. Analytics will continue to grow in importance. And those three central areas – the architecture discovery, transaction profiling, and deep dive component monitoring – are not going to be as important as the end-user experience in monitoring and the analytics applied to the application performance.
APM: Are you seeing a lot more interest in APM-related analytics in the last year, not just from analysts and vendors but also from the users?
WC: Oh yes definitely. A lot of users call me up and ask about analytics in various forms. I think that some of the market evidence – if you look at the unquestionable success of a vendor like Splunk in the last year particularly, and other vendors that make up the overall analytics area, like Netuitive or Prelert – a lot of their activity has been in the application performance space.
To date the majority of use cases that we have seen for analytics have been in the application performance space. In fact, one of the interesting trajectories is that application performance monitoring initiates the interest in analytics. Analytics within IT seems to be a outgrowth of APM, and then extends to other areas of the stack, whether it's the virtual fabric or the network.
And now I'm beginning to see it move, although in the very early days, into the configuration and change space. I'm beginning to get some calls from end-users looking at the CMDBs or asset management databases or trouble ticketing systems, and asking if they can use analytics in these areas as well. That is a new development that takes us beyond performance and availability.
This interest in analytics is also tied into the general interest across IT and across business as well as in Big Data. And certainly once again Splunk is an important character in the story, at least for now. The Splunk IPO was built around the narrative of Splunk as the Big Data company. One of the interesting side effects of that was a big hype wave in 2012 that has shown a very favorable light on IT operations performance and availability as a great proof case for Big Data analytics.
The question is: can the Big Data analytics move beyond IT operations? That is the open question that I think a lot of users have. Right now, I would say that IT operations is the epicenter of the actual application of Big Data analytics technology. Where you see genuine Big Data technology actually deployed today in real life enterprises is around the IT operations.
APM: Your report seems to imply that in 2013 many organizations plan to spend less on the monitoring side of APM and more on the analytics.
WC: I'm not saying they're going to strictly spend less. I am saying the growth of APM, in terms of spending, will not be at the rates we've seen since around 2000 or so.
APM: Are the companies actually taking the budget that was designated for APM and now spending it on analytics?
WC: I think that is a good analysis. It does seem to me, based upon the people that I've talked to, when they look at what they're going to spend in 2013, they don't say "We're not going to spend on the APM stuff anymore." But it is the same people that would've bought or expanded their APM investment that are talking enthusiastically about buying analytics technology or analytics services. That is why I was saying earlier that the analytics investment going on right now has a strong application performance and general performance and availability flavor to it, although now they are beginning to expand into other ITIL process areas.
I think there is some causal relationship between the acceleration of the growth and spend on analytics, and the deceleration of the growth of APM. I also think there are a couple of other factors that lead to the deceleration of APM growth that are not directly tied to analytics, but that is certainly one of the factors behind it.
But one can over-dramatize the changing fortunes of APM. It's a transformation from being the hot growth spot in the overall enterprise management space to more like some of the other submarkets in the enterprise management space.
APM: Are the organizations actually telling you that they believe analytics, in their minds, is going to replace traditional APM?
WC: Very few people will say that specifically. But what I do hear is rather than buying some deep dive component monitoring technology, they will invest in Splunk, Netuitive or BMC Proactivenet technology.
It is usually not put as someone saying: "We don't like APM anymore – we are going to buy this other stuff." It is more: "This analytics technology seems to answer a very pressing need. I am going to buy analytics this year and I may not expand my APM or NPM investment."
But we are not talking about a decline or contraction of the APM market. We are talking about a deceleration in growth.
Click here to read Part Two of APMdigest's Q&A with Gartner's Will Cappelli: Analytics vs. APM
Related Links:
Gartner Report: Will IT Operations Analytics Platforms Replace APM Suites?
Gartner Analyst Profile: Will Cappelli
The Latest
European organizations with the strongest Operational Intelligence capability are most likely to conquer the complexity of the fastest growing IT concerns, according to a new report titled Masters of Machines II, from analyst firm Quocirca ...
In a Catchpoint study from March, news sites were found to have a significantly higher percentage of their site content – as well as their speed bottlenecks – coming from third parties than sites from the eCommerce, banking, and travel industries. And in a more recent survey of the top 50 news sites across both desktop and mobile, it's easy to see why ...
While nearly half (45%) of service desks are interested in technology integration, 75% do not have the ability to calculate return on investment, according to new research by LANDESK in partnership with the Service Desk Institute (SDI) ...
ManageEngine recently released the findings of its inaugural ITSM survey of organizations using service desk software. The survey reveals the high level of first-time IT help desk adoption as well as the high number of IT help desk implementations beyond IT ...
Given the extent to which companies are contracting out their IT organization to other parties, outsourcing appears to be making a comeback. But migrating your IT infrastructure and management to the cloud or another party remains a hot topic. In the outsourcing procedure you lay down your criteria for the quality to be delivered by the other party. We have to do this, because otherwise the supplier will rest on his laurels, which is the last thing we want. So, we've got our criteria, but who's going to monitor them and how transparent are the figures? ...
For decades IT operations has been viewed as something of a back-office technology function; the IT engine room. That's not wrong since the applications under control have generally been large monolithic systems of record designed to automate internal business processes. These systems have been inherently complex and tightly-coupled, so changing them has been difficult, time consuming and costly. As such, our operational mindset has remained firmly focused on maintaining reliability and avoiding risk at all costs – even if that means holding back releases and ticking off our colleagues in development. Not anymore ...
The "point of delivery", which is where users access composite apps, is the only perspective from which user experience should be evaluated. Thus, the most relevant metric for IT teams is not about infrastructure utilization. Instead, it is at what point of utilization the user experience begins to degrade. This means transaction completion. If transactions do not complete, user experience suffers as does business performance ...
When gathering performance data it is important to note that correlation does not prove causality ...
According to a new survey by Kaseya, 89 percent of IT groups in mid-sized companies are still in the early stages of IT management maturity and focus on day-to-day IT management tasks that are often time-consuming and manual. The remaining 11 percent have achieved higher levels of maturity and are reaping benefits in important ways for the business ...


text:
Now Playing
Loading stream...
Podcasts & RSS Feeds
|Jim Kent
|All Content
|View all podcasts & RSS feeds
Connect with Us
KVNF Staff
Program Director
Membership Director
Senior Reporter
News Producer
Music Director
Morning News Host
Operations Manager
Jim Kent
Jim Kent is originally from Brooklyn, N.Y. A freelance writer and radio journalist who currently lives in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Jim can be heard on a variety of radio programs including National Public Radio, South Dakota Public Radio, and National Native News Radio. He is also a columnist for the Rapid City Journal and a guest columnist for the Lakota Country Times.
Former editor of The New Lakota Times, and a correspondent with a variety of Native American newspapers, Jimâ

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Aida - Vocal Archives Vol. 8
Beniamino Gigli, Orchestra E Coro Del Teatro Dell'opera Di Roma & Tullio Serafin
Ouvrez iTunes pour écouter des extraits, acheter et télécharger de la musique.
|44 morceaux
Né(e) : 20 mars 1890 à Recanati, Italy
Genre : Classique
Années d'activité : '00s, '10s, '20s, '30s, '40s
Beniamino Gigli was the foremost Italian tenor of the 1920s through the 1940s, possessed of a smooth, lush voice with a lyric sweetness often described as "honeyed." He became a Metropolitan Opera star, singing 28 roles there, and was a legitimate heir to the tenor Enrico Caruso, who had died at the beginning of the 1920s. No one person could fill Caruso's shoes, but it was widely conceded that Gigli inherited his lyrical and romantic parts, while Giovanni Martinelli took over the more heroic roles....Biographie complète
Classement albums et morceaux de : Beniamino Gigli
D'autres ont aussi acheté
Afficher sur iTunes


text:
Watermelon with Za'atar
If you like it, save it!
Save and organize all of the stuff you love in one place.Got it!
If you like something…
Click the heart, it's called favoriting. Favorite the stuff you like.Got it!
Author Notes: For those who are adventurous, this combination of flavors is really delicious! The sweet watermelon goes perfectly with the salty and tangy flavor of za'atar. You can find za'atar at any mediterranean market or you can always make your own. —Justforlicks
Serves 6-8
- 1 Watermelon, cut to serve
- 1/4 cup sumac
- 2 tablespoons thyme
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, roasted
- 2 tablespoons marjoram
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- In a pan, lightly roast sesame seeds until they are light brown.
- To a mortar, add all spices including sesame seeds and salt and grind them down with a pestle. The consistency should be slightly grainy, not powdery.
- Sprinkle on the watermelon and serve.
Tags: breakfast, dessert, fruit, sumac, watermelon, zatar
No Laffy Matter
How to make peanut butter salt water taffy
How to make salt water taffy.
No-bake desserts are cool.
Free shipping! Use code FIREWORKS.
The freedom to snack.
We're obsessed: wooden everything.
Comments (3) Questions (0)
almost 4 years ago Justforlicks
Thank you drbabs & Sagegreen. I appreciate your comments!
almost 4 years ago
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
I love this, too! I put za'atar on just about everything, but I never thought of watermelon!
almost 4 years ago Sagegreen
Love this! Thanks for the suggestion.


text: A Channel Just for Your Dogs; A Taxi That Saves You Money When it Brakes & More Published on April 16, 2013. A cool, refreshing swig of Creativity. Subscribe to the Creativity Top 5 podcast in iTunes. In this article: Top 5 Most Creative Ads Ad Age LookBook Weekly Feature Even Small Businesses Are Ready for Marketing Automation Learn more Advertisement Comments (0)


text:
Pixelmetrix, manufacturer of the DVStation for MPEG transport stream monitoring, has announced a new line of modules that adds ASI output to the demodulated transport stream.
The company, based in Singapore, also announced expanded support for third-party routers for both ASI and RF round robin monitoring. Added to the support roster is the Model 4430 8x1 ASI Router by Ensemble Designs and the Model CGRF 200 4x1 RF Router by Robit.
Pixelmetrix also introduced DVD-RW burner functionality that allows transport stream files to be recorded to DVD for archive, troubleshooting, or vendor compliant/continuous loop playback of a recorded transport stream segment; and copy or upload any arbitrary TS files to the DVStor for accurate playout from the ASI port.
For more information, visit www.pixelmetrix.com.
Back to the top
An Inside Look at Four Virtual Reality Start-Ups
What Moves the Social TV Needle?
Mark Kudsi Directs 'Art of Patron Virtual Reality Experience'
BT Renews Intelsat Deal
Top Twitter TV Shows for 2014-15 Season Unveiled
comScore Introduces MobiLens Plus
North Korean Propoganda Art Inspires the Credits of 'The Interview'
Imaginary Forces Creates Kaleidoscopic Titles for 'Bosch'
Filmmaker Embraces Short Documentary Format with Oscar-Nominated 'Crisis Hotline'
North Metro Television Goes Wireless with Comrex LiveShot
Spectra Logic and HauteSpot Networks Introduce Body-Worn Camera Video Surveillance Solution
Huge Ultra HD Display Lights Up Times Square


text:
Thanks for redeeming.{{else}}
Success! Thanks for repurchasing.{{/if}} {{else}} {{#if Expired}}
Increase my visibility!{{else}} {{#if IsMultiPack}}
{{#if HasMultiPack}} You have {{MultiPackCount}} top spot(s) left. Now loading you into the search listings... {{else}} You have used all top spots. Now loading you into the search listings... {{/if}}{{else}}
We are loading you into the search listing pages...{{/if}} {{/if}} {{/if}} {{/if}}
{{Current}} just saw you!{{/if}} {{#if LastTopSpotPurchaseIsMulti }} {{#if HasAnyTopSpot}}
{{#if HasFreeTopSpot }} {{ UnclaimedTopSpotFree }} Free {{/if}} {{#if HasPaidTopSpot }} {{#if HasFreeTopSpot }} & {{/if}} {{ MultiPackCount }} {{/if}} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{else}}
0 Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{/if}} {{else}} {{#if HasFreeTopSpot }}
{{ UnclaimedTopSpotFree }} Top Spot{{#if Plural}}s{{/if}} Left{{/if}} {{/if}} {{else}} {{#if HasResults}}
{{Current}} see you now!{{else}} {{/if}} {{/if}}
You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
35 year old man | Tustin, CA, USA | Seeking women 25-34 in United States
My subscription expired:(( Best of luck to you!!!
On my days off I am either outside hiking, riding my bike, at the beach, or at the gym. I am looking for an outgoing positive woman. My ideal woman is one that loves to laugh and is physically active. I am also looking for a grounded woman who is focused on living life to its fullest. If I just described you, send me an email.
Camping , Cooking , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Playing sports , Travel/Sightseeing , Volunteering , Watching sports , Wine tasting
Aerobics, Baseball, Basketball, Cycling, Dancing, Martial arts, Other types of exercise, Swimming, VolleyBall, Weights / Machines, Yoga
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
Don't display my sign
I like Dogs
Middle of the Road
Hawaii, Cancun, Arizona, Wisconsin
The Office, Southland, 60 Minutes,
Rock Climbing, Bike Riding, Going to the gym, Surfing, Snorkeling, Sporting events, Wine tasting, Football, Baseball
The Return of the Kettlebell
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What he is looking for
|6'1" (185cms)
|5'5" (165cms) to 5'8" (172cms)
|Body type:
|About average
|Athletic and toned
|Blue, Brown, Green, Hazel
|Light brown
|Black, Light brown, Dark brown
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker
|Self-Employed / Entrepreneur
|Administrative / Secretarial, Financial / Accounting / Real Estate, Legal, Medical / Dental / Veterinary / Fitness, Political / Govt / Civil Service / Military, Travel / Hospitality / Transportation, Law enforcement / Security / Military, Fashion / Model / Beauty
I am a certified Personal Trainer and work with Animals.
|I'll tell you later
|No preference
|Never Married
|Never Married
|Have kids:
|Wants kids:
|Definitely, Someday
|White / Caucasian
|No preference
|Christian / Other
|No preference
|English, Spanish
|English, Spanish
|Bachelors degree
|Bachelors degree


text:
Report an Issue
Please select one of the below issues
If you would like to write a review for this shop, pleaseclick here
If you would like to write a review for this shop, pleaseclick here
Shops Photo
Local Map
Tiretown Auto Sales Services
Auto Repair
About Tiretown Auto Sales
Tiretown Auto Sales located at 1105 S Lee Hwy in Cleveland, TN services vehicles for Auto Repair. Call (423) 479-2742 to book an appointment or to hear more about the services of Tiretown Auto Sales.
Business Information
Business Name: Tiretown Auto Sales
Address: 1105 S Lee Hwy
Phone Number: (423) 479-2742
Email: not listed
Related Shops
© 2015 MechanicAdvisor.com | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy


text:
FAU's Chuck Lobe works to make Owls stronger, fulfill Charlie Partridge's vision
The man entrusted with helping strengthen Florida Atlantic's football team wakes up before sunrise. He spends his days in a modest weight room. He arrived at FAU three years ago with a mustache and a buzz cut. Now, he has a beard and long, black hair.


text:
Yup. I'm sure we all know exactly what she's talking about.
I realize that January is rapidly approaching its end, but I would be remiss if I did not at least officially say, Happy New Year! I have been writing quite a lot, but falling short of posting it on my blog. Every time I polish up a piece to publish, at the last minute I think… meh. Who cares? And then I just don't publish it. But rest assured, I have been happily writing away.
Anyhowz, my trip to Ecuador was great and resplendent with sloth. I read so many books, took long hikes up steep hillsides, and spent more hours asleep than awake. Now I am back to the Polar vortex, sew sew sewing away. It actually feels good to be sewing again.
Tonight we had a crazy marathon photoshoot – the first of the year. Mason and I photographed 45 hoodies and dresses. Uggggghh. The photoshoots are always so difficult for me. I am not a good model. I never make it though without tears. It always makes me feel deranged and stressed, which causes me to look even crappier than usual, and sets off this self-fulfilling prophesy of deterioration. When you look at the photos in order, it is like a flip book of my downward spiral. By the end my eyes are so squinty with allergies, and my already messy hair has revolted in painful, unflattering ways.
Here is a stop motion video we made last year of a photoshoot, so you can watch me fall apart:
The only thing that kept me together in the photoshoot was the fact that I was listening to the Grateful Dead. For me, the Dead always have the ability to transport me to a happy place.
Apparently listening to twelve straight hours of the Dead does not have the same effect on Mason. The instant the last photo was taken, he lunged toward the stereo with uncharacteristic speed and turned the power off with a gasp of relief. As though he had just patiently suffered through some irrational character defect of mine. I was like, "What? You can't make it til the end of Shakedown Street??" Gah! I guess some people don't have the Grateful Dead gene.
Joke: What did the Deadhead say when he ran out of Drugs?
Answer: "Whoa, they were right. This music really does suck"
Not everyone speaks Grateful Dead… But I bet some of you do, right? I think of it kind of like Esperanto, but without William Shatner. Speaking Deadhead is a skill that is basically inapplicable to any other field of life, but when you recognize a fellow speaker, you are flooded with a sense of understanding that is so lovely that you are willing to shrug off the fact most people will never really get it. In Malcolm Gladwell terms, I must be a Grateful Dead Genius by now.
Just in case you are from another country and unfamiliar with the whole Grateful Dead phenomenon – they are a band from the 60's counter culture that became a carnivalesque phenomenon for decades. Thousands of people followed them around the country like gypsies. If I really tried to explain, it would take way too long. Then I would just give up and delete everything I wrote. Just imagine a giant, traveling festival party with a lot of colorful mayhem, drugs and music. Wow, that description sucks.
Did you ever feel like this too? I went to my first Deadshow at age 15, and couldn't get enough. It was the first time in my little freak life that I ever felt like I found my tribe. I was basically exactly like the chubby little bumblebee girl in the Blind Melon video.
By the time Jerry Garcia, the lead singer, died in 1995 I had been to about 200 shows and crossed the United States more times that I can count. Dead Tour was my marvelous coming of age. I know that we Deadheads catch a lot of flack for several well deserved stereotypes, mostly involving poor hygiene (Where do you hide money from a Deadhead? Under the soap!) and excessive drug use (What do you call a Deadhead in a suit? A defendant!) (I'll be here all week folks!) Please let me stand as evidence that we weren't all on drugs! Til this day I have still never even smoked pot… Sometimes I find that people want to discredit Deadheads as a bunch of druggies, and I always feel compelled to point out that the drugs had nothing to do with it for many of us. (And even if it did, who are you to judge?) Never the less, we are easy, cheesy targets.
These days I run with a crowd of artists and indie rock snobs that are far too cool to give the Dead any props. When I tell people I followed the Dead, it is the same sort of confession as showing them a yearbook photo from the 80s if you had massive sprayed out hair and shoulder pads. But I will always stick up for my roots! My time following the Dead made me who I am, and I will always be proud of those years on the road and all that it taught me about magic and community.
Over the years lot of folks have asked why I didn't name a collection of coats after Grateful Dead songs. I always hesitated to do that for a couple of reason. First of all, it makes me roll me eyes, because Deadheads name everything after Dead songs. It's too easy. I live near the town of New Paltz, NY and I swear – you drive down the main street and literally half the stores are names after Dead tunes. As if when you become a Deadhead, them make you sign some sort of contract that you can no longer think up your own original names for stuff. Gah… (Oh my god, how many of you have I just offended because your Etsy shops are named after Dead lyrics? Haha. Woopsy. I love you!)
The other reason I never wanted to name stuff after Dead tunes is because they are so damn personal. Almost every song is so embroidered with anecdotes that I hesitated to toss them about casually. In fact, all of this is hard to write about because I have to hold so much back or risk being completely incontinent with my nostalgia. The songs have too much of a spell on me to be careless with them. Plus, I know someday I would need the names to come to me rescue in a pinch.


text:
Fuel economy:21 cty/29 hwy
What's New for 2014 The 2014 Subaru Legacy receives minor equipment changes. The six-cylinder engine is now offered on a single 3.6R Limited model. Heated seats and mirrors are now standard on the 2.5i Premium, and a navigation system is now an option on most trims.
Fuel economy:26 cty/36 hwy
What's New for 2015 The 2015 Subaru Legacy is redesigned. Highlights include subtle exterior changes, upgraded interior materials and improved fuel economy.
Fuel economy:26 cty/36 hwy


text:
Defense Budget:
Independent Review Is Needed to Ensure DOD's Use of Cost Estimating Tool for Contingency Operations Follows Best Practices
GAO-08-982: Published: Sep 15, 2008. Publicly Released: Sep 15, 2008.
Additional Materials:
- Highlights Page:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
(202) 512-3000
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
Since the September 2001 terrorist attacks, Congress has provided about $800 billion as of July 2008 to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). GWOT budget requests have grown in scope and the amount requested has increased every year. DOD uses various processes and the Contingency Operations Support Tool (COST) to estimate costs for these operations and to develop budget requests. GAO assessed (1) how DOD uses COST and other processes to develop GWOT budget requests and (2) what actions DOD has taken to ensure COST adheres to best practices for cost estimation. GAO interviewed DOD officials and others to determine how the services develop GWOT budget requests using COST and other processes. GAO also used its Cost Assessment Guide as criteria for best practices for cost estimation.
The services use COST as part of their process to develop a GWOT budget request. While the Army relies more on the estimate resulting from COST, the other services adjust the results of COST to reflect estimates they generate outside of COST, based on historical obligation data and other information. DOD's financial management regulation and other guidance require components to use COST to develop an estimate for the deployment and sustainment of military personnel and equipment for ongoing operations in support of GWOT. While all services use COST to develop an initial estimate, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy budget officials alter the results of the tool to match information provided by lower level commands and historical obligation data that they believe are more accurate than the COST-generated estimate. These officials stated that the tool routinely overestimates some costs and therefore most changes made are decreases in the amount estimated by COST. These officials believe that the requirement to use COST to develop a GWOT budget request is a duplicative process to their preferred method of using historical obligation data and other information better suited to their specific service. For example, they stated that COST better represents the needs of Army ground forces and the tool has not been refined to be as effective for estimating needs for their service's mission. These officials also mentioned that COST is better suited for developing estimates for smaller-scale contingency operations than for the lengthy deployments and sustainment phases associated with a large campaign such as GWOT. To develop estimates for items that are outside the scope of COST, such as procurement and certain contracts, the military services rely primarily on needs assessments developed by commanders and historical obligation data. DOD has taken steps to improve the performance and reliability of COST; however, COST could benefit from an independent review of the tool's adherence to best practices for high-quality cost estimation as described in GAO's Cost Assessment Guide. COST has been refined many times and cost factors are routinely updated in an effort to use the most current information available to develop an estimate. DOD officials stated they are confident in the tool's ability to provide reasonable estimates because COST is frequently updated. However, COST has not been assessed against best practices for cost estimation to determine whether COST can provide high-quality estimates that are well documented, comprehensive, accurate, and credible. While GAO did not undertake a full assessment of COST against best practices, it determined that some features of the tool meet best practices while other features would benefit from further review. For example, the tool adheres to several best practices for a comprehensive and accurate cost estimate, such as frequent updates to the structure of COST and the data the tool uses to generate estimates. However, COST relies on GWOT obligation data that GAO has identified as being of questionable reliability. A thorough, independent review of COST against best practices could provide decision makers with information about whether the tool creates cost estimates for GWOT expenses that are well documented, comprehensive, accurate, and credible.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Status: Closed - Not Implemented
Comments: While DOD concurred with our recommendation, the agency comments did not say that an independent review of COST would be performed and that a prior review by the Air Force was sufficient. However, DOD subsequently performed a review of the COST model. The department reviewed the cost estimates generated by the COST model and the actual expenditures for Operation Unified Protector. The study, completed in October 2011, found that COST model estimation was accurate within a 5% range of the actual execution for this operation. However, the review was not independent as it was completed by department officials and others responsible for the creating and maintaining the model. Officials stated that an independent review against best practices for cost estimation was not planned, therefore we consider this recommendation closed not implemented.
Recommendation: To ensure that DOD budget requests for GWOT are based on a sound cost estimation process, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) to arrange for an independent review of COST against best practices for cost estimation.
Agency Affected: Department of Defense
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: The Department uses every opportunity to refine and improve the Contingency Operations Support Tool (COST) model for comprehensiveness and accuracy. For example, during a supplemental budget build OSD Comptroller, the Joint Staff, Institute for Defense Analyses, and Service personnel review the model results and critique assumptions, factors, and outputs of the COST model. The results of the review are used to adjust the Supplemental amounts and for initiating improvements to the COST model. In addition, annual training involving all COST users is conducted before supplemental requests are developed. The feedback and exchange between the attendees (Services, OUSD(C), the Joint Staff and on occasion the Office of Management and Budget) has resulted in changes to the model that made it more useful and accurate. The COST model has proven itself to be a dynamic and adaptable tool that is used successfully by different organizations in DOD to create estimates for a variety of force deployments. For supplemental requirements that are not calculated in the COST model, the Department has developed an extensive review process for each non-COST line item. Each Service must submit all non-COST model items to OUSD(C) at the line items level of detail which are then compared to historical execution and/or anticipated operational needs. Only those line items that are fully justified are included in the supplemental request.
Recommendation: Based on that review, and taking into consideration how each service uses COST, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) to consider options for refining COST, determine the appropriate items or types of costs for which COST should be applied, and identify methods to be used when COST is not appropriate.
Agency Affected: Department of Defense
Explore the full database of GAO's Open Recommendations »
Jun 25, 2015
Chemical and Biological Defense:Designated Entity Needed to Identify, Align, and Manage DOD's InfrastructureGAO-15-257: Published: Jun 25, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2015.
Force Structure:Preliminary Observations on Air Force A-10 DivestmentGAO-15-698R: Published: Jun 25, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2015.
Jun 22, 2015
Defense Logistics:Marine Corps and Army Reset Liability EstimatesGAO-15-569R: Published: Jun 22, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 22, 2015.
Jun 19, 2015
Arctic Planning:DOD Expects to Play a Supporting Role to Other Federal Agencies and Has Efforts Under Way to Address Capability Needs and Update PlansGAO-15-566: Published: Jun 19, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 19, 2015.
Jun 18, 2015
Underutilized Facilities:DOD and GSA Information Sharing May Enhance Opportunities to Use Space at Military InstallationsGAO-15-346: Published: Jun 18, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 18, 2015.
Jun 17, 2015
Military Training:DOD's Annual Sustainable Ranges Report Addressed Statutory Reporting RequirementsGAO-15-537: Published: Jun 17, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 17, 2015.
Jun 16, 2015
Army Combat Vehicles:Industrial Base Study's Approach Met Research StandardsGAO-15-548: Published: Jun 16, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 16, 2015.
Prepositioned Stocks:Additional Information and a Consistent Definition Would Make DOD's Annual Report More UsefulGAO-15-570: Published: Jun 16, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 16, 2015.
Jun 15, 2015
Military Personnel:Army Needs a Requirement for Capturing Data and Clear Guidance on Use of Military for Civilian or Contractor PositionsGAO-15-349: Published: Jun 15, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 15, 2015.
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications:Update on DOD's ModernizationGAO-15-584R: Published: Jun 15, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 15, 2015.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here