The Army needs help from industry as it works to streamline its sustainment processes and become a more datacentric organization, a senior Army leader said.

“Data is no longer just a support function, it’s central to everything we do,” Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, acting commander and deputy commanding general of Army Materiel Command, said earlier this year. “Our focus on [advanced analytics and artificial intelligence] is about empowering our people to make smarter, faster decisions and deliver readiness with greater efficiency.”

On Oct. 15, speaking during a contemporary military forum titled “Streamlining Sustainment Through the Agility Layer” at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition, Mohan asked industry to help the Army as it looks for solutions to improve data sharing to enhance and streamline sustainment.

“Is there a better way to think about this problem set, and if so, what is that better way?” he said. “This is where we need your help.”

Something the Army needs industry to think about is what the future of data management looks like and how it can help the service streamline operations, Mohan said.

As an example, the way a company commander accounts for property assigned to the unit hasn’t changed since Mohan was a captain, he said. He cited as an example ParaLine, a newly introduced app from Army Materiel Command that significantly reduces inventory processing time and improves property accountability for soldiers.

The Army also needs agile, mobile and adaptable systems, he said, adding that the service cannot have “systems that are only good for one problem set. We can’t do that anymore.”

Any new programs must be cheap, fast, “low code, no code, and it’s got to be able to live on the edge,” Mohan said.

As the Army and industry work together, Mohan emphasized the importance of focusing on the soldier. “If I have one message to leave with you, whatever we talk about, we have to do it with the soldier in mind,” he said. “If it doesn’t help us deliver ready combat formations, we’re not interested.”