Accelerating Agile Intelligence Systems

A Federal Intelligence Agency sought to modernize its mission data tooling by merging two legacy systems into a unified solution. This effort streamlined data management, improved operational efficiency, and enabled integration across multiple systems. Challenges included addressing overlapping functionalities in existing systems, enhancing user workflows, and adhering to stringent security standards – e.g., IC Directive (ICD) 503.  

Kentro adopted a mission-centric Agile approach to address to deliver iterative improvements, maintain transparency, and foster collaboration across various stakeholders, including end users and government counterparts: 

Agile Development Framework | Our Certified Scrum Master led a cross-functional team of 12–15 microservice developers, UI/UX designers, domain experts, and DevSecOps engineers. The team executed 65+ sprints with two Agile teams running parallel 2-week cycles. Agile Team 1 focused on troubleshooting and upgrades, while Agile Team 2 integrated six disparate systems. 

 Stakeholder Collaboration | Our team used Human-Centered Design (HCD) practices such as ideation sessions, persona development, use case creation, and rapid prototyping. By engaging with government stakeholders and end users, we co-developed a comprehensive product roadmap, prioritizing epics and user stories. 

 Feature Delivery | Within three months, the team released a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), incorporating key features for data management and analysis, business process redesign, and workflow updates. 

Enhanced CI/CD Pipeline | Kentro implemented a Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline using Jenkins and Bitbucket (Git), along with SaltStack and Ansible for configuration management. Tools such as Twistlock, Fortify, and SonarQube addressed vulnerabilities and aligned solutions with ICD 503 standards. 

 Dashboards and Automation | We developed Agile dashboards tailored to the needs of 150+ users to track sprint velocity and burndown rates. 

 UI/UX Development and Testing | Our UI/UX team produced 20 front-end mock-ups using Adobe XD, React, Ruby, Java, and other technologies, while deploying Cypress E2E tools for automated testing and security compliance. 

 Data Visualization | We integrated Elasticsearch and MongoDB databases with Tableau dashboards, simplifying the monitoring of production information and enabling informed, data-driven decisions. 

Kentro delivered critical improvements for mission-focused efforts: 

• Delivered 96%+ of committed story points in every sprint, boosting confidence in capability to meet agency goals

• Released MVP in three months, with major feature updates every two months, accelerating the timeline for operational deployment

• Reduced technical debt and increased efficiency by addressing DI2E migrations, closing 2,000+ Jira tickets, and incorporating automated workflows 

• Enhanced product quality and security by remediating vulnerabilities using tools like SonarQube and ensuring ICD 503 compliance

• Improved reporting processes, reducing report creation time by 50% through automation and dashboard integration

• Facilitated collaboration and knowledge-sharing through a Community of Practice and comprehensive Agile dashboards tailored to stakeholder needs

Kentro provided significant value to the by optimizing workflows, securing infrastructure, and ensuring scalable solutions for data management. The Agile framework enhanced development velocity, transparency, and user satisfaction. By integrating advanced CI/CD pipelines, automated processes, and data visualization tools, we empowered stakeholders to make informed decisions while reducing project delivery time and costs. The platform provided a robust foundation for operational efficiency, improved security, and streamlined user workflows, showcasing Kentro’s ability to align mission-critical needs with innovative technology solutions.