F-16 Escapes the Infinity Loop
Ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut when it comes to figuring out your organization’s digital future? You’re not alone! The F-16 System Program Office (SPO) knows the struggle is real. Their efforts to kickstart their team’s digital transformation have faced setbacks and roadblocks, making for a bumpy ride.
Team resourcing and personnel turnover have thrown constant obstacles in their way. Their digital transformation (DT) team is mighty but tiny, and they’ve had to restart the approval cycle for their digital strategy several times to incorporate new team members, supervisors, and higher-level SPO leadership into the review process.
Although the F-16 DT team was building momentum toward a more digital future, they felt like they were repaving the same first few feet of the sidewalk. It would’ve been easy to despair—but they didn’t give up. Instead, they kept building a foundation for success, starting internally and expanding outward:
- The DT team established an internal culture of peer mentorship to help each other grow and maximize their shared ability to guide the F-16 SPO’s transformation efforts.
- They drafted (and redrafted) the SPO digital strategy to clarify what’s coming next and how they’ll get there.
- They began communicating more frequently throughout the program office, making digital innovation relatable across the entire organization.
Thankfully, they’re not fighting alone. Their leaders, from the Program Executive Officer to the Senior Materiel Leader on down, continue to prioritize digital innovation. F-16 DT team members participate in leadership conversations, and the SPO is working to stand up several Integrated Product Teams to provide user input on digital needs across the program office. Leadership is breaking down silos and smoothing the way for actual progress, guided by the SPO’s digital strategy which was (finally!) signed in December.
Digital transformation is a journey, not a destination. Thanks to the combination of the Digital Transformation team’s perseverance and their leaders’ support, the F-16 SPO has finally escaped the Groundhog Day loop to move forward on their digital journey!
Many thanks to Ms. Bridget Goodman, Digital Materiel Management Program Manager in the F-16 SPO (AFLCMC/WAM), who provided the information for this story. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to her at [email protected].
This material was cleared for public release on 30 January 2025, case number AFMC-2025-0003.
