ATO in a Day: Lessons from the USMC MCCS Digital Transformation

Legacy compliance practices and waterfall acquisition models have hindered mission readiness for years—costing for some over $100K per month, per system and delaying the deployment of critical systems by more than two years. Between 2018 and 2022, only one of five major ATOs achieved a 3-year authorization, frustrating leadership and perpetuating bottlenecks. This fireside chat revealed how the USMC Community Services tackled these challenges head-on, achieving an “ATO in a day” and transforming compliance into a mission enabler.

Maintaining superiority in the face of rapidly evolving threats requires delivering resilient, state-of-the-art systems at the speed of relevance. MCCS’s innovative approach addresses the DoD’s urgent need to shift from manual, document-heavy processes to continuous, data-driven workflows that align compliance with mission objectives.

During this fireside chat, attendees learned how to:

• Streamline ATO Processes: Reduce timelines from years to under 30 days using agile frameworks.
• Reclaim Resources: Minimize inefficiencies that cost millions annually and redirect them toward mission priorities.
• Adapt for Operational Success: Shift from inflexible, outdated practices to continuous, data-driven workflows that align compliance with mission readiness.