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With CANA being a remote company, we make the extra effort to hold internal activities to allow our team to connect. This past Fall, CANA held its first Wellness Challenge to bring CANAers together! With CANAers all over the United States, we challenged our team to go on a virtual tour of CANA, or CANAverse, if you will, and "visit" members of Team CANA, using activity points as virtual miles traveled. The goal of this challenge was to help promote a healthier lifestyle and encourage opportunities to gather as a team to complete a fun wellness challenge. There were prizes for those teams that completed different stages of the challenge, and of course ultimate bragging rights for those who completed this epic trek across CANA! To tell us more about the CANA 2023 Fall Wellness Challenge, CANA's Digital Media Coordinator, Kassie McRostie, talked with CANA's Director of Business and People Operations, Anna Sterrett, to get her insights and experiences in spearheading the Fall Wellness Challenge. Join us as we delve into Anna's reflections on the creation, execution, and impact of the Fall Wellness Challenge, and hear her vision for future initiatives aimed at nurturing a culture of health and vitality within CANA. Kassie McRostie (KM): What role do wellness and fitness play in your life? Anna Sterrett (AS): The connection between mental health and physical health is undeniable.  In my previous field of work in Behavioral Health, I worked with many individuals throughout my career not only addressing their symptoms of depression, anxiety, and so forth but also recognizing how their mental health impacted their physical well-being.  As a standard part of my therapy practice, I incorporated mindfulness, hydration, meal planning, and movement into treatment plans for a whole health approach. I am also an advocate for practicing what one preaches, so being active, eating healthy, being in nature, and working toward balance in my own life and within my family is just a part of who we are. As a family, we enjoy the outdoors, so we spend time hiking, swimming, playing in the snow, lifting... I also started running in my early 40s and have run 5 half marathons, and a leg in two marathon relays, which takes a great deal of dedication with planning and training. I am signed up for my next half in May 2024. (KM): Do you think wellness and fitness are important in a workplace? If so why? (AS): Yes. When we are addressing and participating in wellness as an organization, we are looking out for one another and building comradery. We perform better within our jobs when we are healthier. When wellness is a part of an organization’s fabric, then work-life balance can truly be promoted.  Building in breaks, flexing time, encouraging in-person meet-ups, having conversations in chat that are not work-related, taking PTO, and guarding that time away - these are all extremely important to have a healthy work-life balance.  Adding in a wellness initiative is a bonus for having fun and uniquely connecting with our team members. (KM): What considerations did you make when creating the Fall Wellness Challenge? (AS): First and foremost, I wanted to make sure I selected a team that would be invested, as well as creative with approaching wellness within the organization.  Donovan Holloway, Stephanie Allison, and Koa Beam were all great fits for the team, and I was thrilled that they all agreed to join me in this endeavor. Later, Chris Cichy and Megan Randolph joined the Wellness Team and are assisting in planning the Spring Wellness Challenge. While planning the Fall Wellness Challenge, I learned that the 5k challenge from the previous year was a great success, so we borrowed some ideas from that challenge. Taking selfies of accomplishments to share with the team, and diverse ways to complete a 5k - to name a few. It was not only imperative to have this challenge be a way to promote wellness within our organization but also to make it inclusive, engaging, and fun. We all shared in the desire to not make the challenge about losing weight or eating healthier, but about identifying how we could take a whole health approach - physical activity, healthy living, and emotional health. We used these categories to guide the activities we included in the challenge, all the while taking into consideration what activities would be the least intimidating, the most engaging, and fun. (KM): How did you keep people interested in the Wellness Challenge as a group lead? (AS): As a leader, I regularly reached out to team members in a separate chat space. In order to flare the competitive spirit, I updated my team on our point spread, who was leading within our group, and which group was the group to beat.  I also scheduled activities we could do together, such as walk and talk, group yoga, and coffee breaks. Adding points for taking pictures and posting in the Wellness chat space also encouraged connection and conversation. (KM): I know you all participated in group activities to engage the group what was your favorite and why? (AS): My favorite was the coffee breaks.  It gave us all a chance to talk about our day and connect with each other in a more personal way.  Connection is essential for overall wellness, and working for a virtual company can negatively impact our ability to truly get to know our colleagues.  Being intentional in those moments proved to be very successful. (KM): Do you think the challenge contributed to the workplace culture and employee morale? If so how? (AS): Yes. Participation was very positive, and the majority of CANA joined the initiative. Seeing each other’s pictures and the conversations they started in the chatspace truly boosted morale. The activities encouraged healthy breaks from the workday, which directly aligns with the work-life balance of CANA culture. (KM): Will there be another Wellness Challenge in the future? (AS): Yes! We are in the planning phase of the Spring Wellness Challenge, which will launch in March 2024. Watch our recap video of the 2023 Fall Wellness Challenge below! Keep up to date with all things CANA by signing up for our newsletter!

While the number of software developers continues to grow worldwide, the demand for software developers is growing much faster. It seems everything we use or interact with in our daily lives is now “smart,” provides insights, is connected to the cloud, automated or integrated into our home/car/wearable ecosystems. Imagine 20 years ago, convincing your grandparents that the development of their coffee maker would one day require a software engineer. Software development is involved in some, or all, steps of the product lifecycle for nearly every product. Attracting and retaining strong software developers has become increasingly more challenging as the opportunities outpace the supply. Plus onboarding new employees is not only costly but very time-consuming.  Efficiently using the technical resources available in a productive manner can overcome these challenges. For these reasons, the Developer Experience (DevEx) has become incredibly more important as we head into 2024. So what is DevEx? As developers navigate complex frameworks, collaborate on distributed teams, and adapt to emerging technologies, a positive DevEx can make all the difference. The DevEx is the compass that guides innovation, collaboration, and productivity. It encompasses every interaction with tools, frameworks, libraries, documentation, and team collaboration in a developer’s daily life. It’s creating an environment where developers can thrive, be effective, and produce high-quality software efficiently. It’s about an organization’s strategic and purposeful effort to maximize developer productivity and satisfaction. How does CANA cultivate a strong positive emphasis on DevEx to facilitate the experience, quality, and efficiency of product development? Collaboration As a remote distributed workforce, collaboration tools are critical to everyday functions at CANA. The DevEx is amplified through access to chat, video conference, screen sharing, hosted code repositories with version control, task management, and defect tracking tools across all devices. Normalizing these tools across projects accelerates the onboarding process for all team members. In addition, the establishment of a regime of routine company and project meetings for sharing status, risks, blockers, and progress ensures issues are addressed in a timely manner. Platforms, Tools and Environments Developers spend a large portion of their time leveraging tools, Integrated Developer Environments (IDEs), version control systems, and collaboration platforms in their daily engagements. A significant aspect of DevEx is developing integrated toolsets and systems that facilitate a smooth workflow. At CANA, we leverage cloud services and hosting options in our development environments, Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming tools to increase efficiency, the latest IDEs, and robust collaboration tools for efficient lines of communication. Documentation Documentation is not only essential for historical significance, certification & accreditation, and product delivery but also for efficient onboarding of new team members to software development efforts. At CANA we focus on documentation from the end user down to the last block of code. As cloud services, microservices, and full-stack application development becomes more important, it’s essential that each technical component is fully documented. DevEx ensures that every aspect of the environment is documented so that a new developer can jump in and create their own development environment without pulling critical resources from ongoing work. This encompasses detailed versions, code examples, installation, setup, and configuration. Onboarding In rapid-paced, matrixed organizations, such as CANA, the importance of seamless onboarding facilitates the movement of key resources from one project to the next as demand changes. At CANA we strive to utilize core tools and processes across the organization to ensure a common working environment. We also leverage frequent communication across disciplines to ensure all resources are aware of ongoing efforts.  Lastly, we leverage the detailed documentation discussed above as a launching point for new developers to strengthen our DevEx. Automation Automation enhances the DevEx and plays a pivotal role in reducing manual overhead and improving overall efficiency. At CANA a focus on DevOps practices, Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools, and automated testing streamlines workflows and contributes to honing steady improvement. Skill Development A positive DevEx requires opportunities for continuous education and building new skills. The technical landscape rapidly changes and building competitive products requires the workforce to keep in lockstep with the latest advancements. It also provides positive challenges and growth opportunities for developers. CANA has established several opportunities including monthly roundtable presentations, team demonstrations, pair programming, internal research and development, and organic mentorship for our team to share and gain knowledge. Distractions Some tasks and roles are easy to jump in and out of, while others require deep focus and concentration. A five-minute distraction could cost over 30 minutes of progress once a resource is stopped, distracted, and re-engaged at full steam again. Daily distractions such as meetings, notifications, and project fire drills can result in unintended impacts on productivity and efficiency. A constant awareness of the impacts of these distractions can greatly improve the DevEx at a company. One of the adopted strategies at CANA has been the implementation of a deep work day (no meetings) where all employees can focus 100% of their time on forward progress without distraction. This has proven to be extremely productive in all disciplines of the organization. “Focus on signal over noise. Don’t waste time on stuff that doesn’t actually make things better.” -Elon Musk Work-Life Balance A positive and successful DevEx must focus on the importance of a quality work-life balance in the development ranks. At CANA, a “work from where you are” culture, flexible hours, and fun initiatives encouraging healthy activities are at the core of our company mission. Monitoring the health and workload of the development resources is essential to a positive DevEx. A successful DevEx is not easy, otherwise everyone would be doing it. It requires constant attention to continuous improvement and monitoring trajectories to ensure each facet continues to remain in a healthy equilibrium. Although the effort required to build a positive DevEx may seem daunting, the returns on investment are priceless and far outweigh the cost of acquiring new talent.  In addition, the efficiency gains through positive morale, structured coding practices, and quality are immeasurable. #CANA #SoftwareEngineer #CodeLife #DevLife #CodeCrafting #DevelopersWorld #CodersCommunity #InnovationHub #TechInnovate #BuildTheFuture #CodeJourney #DeveloperMindset #SoftwareDeveloper #SoftwareDev #PoweredByCANAAnalytics Todd is a Principal Software Engineer at CANA. You can contact Todd at tallison@canallc.com or on Linkedin. “From DevOps to DevEx:  Empowering the engineering experience.” Deloitte, https://www2.deloitte.com/xe/en/insights/focus/tech-trends/2024.html#from-devops-to-devex. Accessed 16 December 2023. “Top 10 Elon Musk Productivity Secrets for Insane Success.” Medium, https://dansilvestre.medium.com/top-10-elon-musk-productivity-secrets-for-insane-success-dae584c88e03#:~:text=Musk%20is%20careful%20to%20filter,t%20actually%20make%20things%20better.%E2%80%9D. Accessed 17 December 2023

Written by Rick Hanson, Senior Operations Research Analyst, CANA, LLC. Background In this short article, we will outline a useful method of organizing access to version control repositories (“repos”) on remote machines while needing to use more than one set of credentials. The context for using this method is the following. You use the git version control system but work on various projects that require different credentials to access the private upstream repos for each of these projects. Any credential you use is not a user-password pair, as you would normally use to access systems, but a PKI key pair consisting of a public and private key. Since git uses ssh (the Secure Shell program) to access the upstream repo, these keys are often referred to as “an ssh key” (when you are using one of the key pair) or “ssh keys” (when using both). The pair of public and private key is sometimes referred to as an identity in the ssh manual. Now, the issue is: how do you manage the access to these various repos with these various keys/identities? For instance, at work I use a set of ssh keys to access all the repos under my company’s organization in GitHub; also, I have another ssh key pair that I use for my personal projects; I have yet other ssh keys, one for each of the volunteer organizations to which I belong. I used to run a program called an ssh key agent, as a background process, which sorted out the multiple keys for me but the method lacked the fine-grain control over which keys should be used for which repos and often would fail to pick the correct key and so my access to the repo would fail. Yet, there is a simpler method to sort all this out that only involves setting up git configuration files in the most minimal way and also has the added benefit of not needing to run the ssh key agent program. Setting up the configuration for the user’s name and email Git allows one to set up configuration options at (i) the global level (also called the user level) and (ii) at the repo level. If you only need one identity (and thus one set of credentials to access the remote repo), the solution is simple: set up your user information and credentials at the global level. This is done by setting your name and email in the .gitconfig file located in your user’s home directory. You can edit this file directly; however, a better way is to use the following two git commands at the command line interface (or the shell). Just replace the great running back’s name and email with yours. These two git commands will end up writing the following lines into the .gitconfig file located in your/Barry’s user home directory. Setting up the configuration for the user’s ssh identity There are several ways to configure the user’s ssh identity. One way is to load a program in the background that manages the ssh keys (the key manager); then, when git calls ssh to authenticate you to the remote (located on a central server like github.com), the key manager program will handle passing the key/identity to the ssh client so that you can gain access to the remote.  But as mentioned above, this method sometimes fails to associate the correct identity with a particular repo (when you need to use multiple identities). Another more direct way of doing this is to set up this association in the git configuration itself and to not bother running the key manager.  We’ll start using this new method by setting up a key association at the global config level in git.  The following command is an example of how to do this. That command tells git that when it calls ssh to gain access to the remote, it should use the identity (-i) defined by Barry’s ssh key located at the path ~/.ssh/my-personal-key. (The ~ part of the path is an alias for the home directory, which for Barry could be /Users/barry on his computer.) After the git command, the following lines will be written to the .gitconfig file located in the user’s home directory. What are multiple identities? So now, by the above, git knows which one identity/key to associate to all repos governed by git. That’s not exactly what we want yet. Now, we need to take one more step to configure git to make an association of a different identity (from the global one) to a particular subset of git repos. Now, let’s say Barry Sanders gets hired at CANA, LLC. Before being hired, he has already been using git with his personal ssh key (identity). Now, he needs another identity for his access to CANA git remote repos. This identity is now located at ~/.ssh/my-work-key. Now, Barry has multiple identities and he has separated his work credentials from his personal credentials. At this point, how can Barry indicate to git that when he is in a CANA repo on his machine, to use the work identity to access the remote and to use the personal identity to access his other repos’ remotes? Here is the method. Barry creates a directory under his home directory called CANA and now has the directory /Users/barry/CANA on his system. His CANA git repos will now be located in any subdirectory under this directory. Before he clones a work repo, he creates a .gitconfig file in /Users/barry/CANA with the following contents. Then he edits the global/user git config file at ~/.gitconfig by adding the following lines at the end. This tells git to include the lines in the configuration file located at ~/CANA/.gitconfig for all git repos located in any subdirectory under ~/CANA/ – which on Barry’s machine is shorthand for /Users/barry/CANA. This effectively overrides the values of user.name and user.email as well as core.sshCommand when Barry is executing git commands anywhere under the ~/CANA directory. Finally, Barry can start cloning git repos from his employer’s github without having to manually enter credentials. And, as long as Barry issues git commands such as clone, push, pull, and fetch, under the ~/CANA/ or any of its subdirectories, git will know which credentials to apply and the entire remote processing is completely simple and seamless for Barry. As an added bonus, this configuration setup also works when Barry is using the git integration layer in his IDE or editor, because the integration layer is using the same commands, behind the scenes, that Barry was just using from the command line. Final thoughts There is one more level of granularity for git configurations and that is at the repo level. Indeed, at the beginning of this article, we mentioned that the two levels of configuration were at (i) the global, or user, level and (ii) the repo level. The method described above has essentially added another (intermediate) level in between those two levels. We could informally call it the “all work repos” level. This intermediate level only obtained when the user runs git commands – that access the remote(s) – from a directory located at or under the primary work directory (in Barry’s case, ~/CANA). We did not need to change any git configurations at the repo level when using this method. In fact, if we were to work on many projects at work, we might have scores of repos, and in this case, it’s much easier and more simple to handle repo access at the “all work repos” level, rather than at the repo level. In summary, when multiple identities are needed to access git remote repos, we were able to replace a common method of managing these identities — by running the memory-resident ssh key manager — which is sufficiently error-prone in matching the correct identity with a particular repo, by a simple method of configuring git that always matches the correct identity with the repo. #plugins #git #gitrepo #repository #coding #programming #developer #software #CANA Rick Hanson is our Senior Operations Research Analyst here at CANA. You can reach him at rhanson@canallc.com or on Linkedin.

Bottlenecks are critical issues in software development that can severely hamper an application's performance. A bottleneck is a point in software that limits the overall speed and efficiency. Ever had a section of code that slows everything down? Here, we explore bottlenecks, their impact on programs, and our experiences in developing a Rocket League video game plugin. Consider a hose with varying diameters. The narrowest section dictates the flow rate, similar to how a single slow-running code segment can restrict an entire application's efficiency. In software development, identifying the most time and resource-intensive areas of code is key. This post addresses inefficiencies in code, as resource-based bottlenecks often need tailored solutions. Detecting bottlenecks is essential but challenging. They're found by using profiling tools to track resource usage during testing, exposing the most inefficient areas. Ignoring them leads to poor application performance, impacting speed or resource usage, both detrimental to user experience. In our Rocket League project, data initially stored on an AWS database created a big bottleneck, impacting network performance and causing lag. As the game went on, data would continuously build up in a queue; the AWS database couldn't keep up. Given enough time, the program would become unusable and crash. Identifying this led us to switch from AWS database storage to local file saving. This change significantly reduced network latency, boosting the system's performance and the application's efficiency. However, solving one bottleneck may expose another. Since local storage is much faster than previous methods, the new challenge became balancing the polling rate for user data retrieval. We had to find a middle ground between frequent polling, which risks the quality of the plugin, and infrequent polling, which could miss important data. We also considered player input processing time and Rocket League's tick rate, minor bottlenecks that didn't impact performance. Alleviating bottlenecks is vital for software optimization. By addressing these issues in the Rocket League plugin, we transformed a challenging application into a functional, efficient tool. The ongoing journey of identifying and resolving bottlenecks is crucial for any software project, ensuring applications meet their goals efficiently. #rocketleague #plugins #softwardevelopment #rocketleagueplugin #bottlenecks #CANA Tristin Young is an intern here at CANA. You can reach Tristin at tyoung@canallc.com.

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit. -  Henry David Thoreau It is such a busy but exciting season! I know we all look forward to some well-earned holiday time when we can recharge, enjoy the weather changes, and prepare for the new year. And, of course, as much as we love a productive work meeting, it’s just as nice (or nicer!) to meet for coffee with friends or spend time outside. This year, the CANA team has been working hard to maximize our software and services and to advance in several key markets. Powered by CANA Analytics® remains our touchstone, and it is what makes our solutions truly unique and useful. WS2, our warehousing solution, has really come into its own this year, and we are bringing our industry expert-driven assessments and cloud-based operations and analytical tools to new commercial clients. We’re excited about the achievements we have had with government clients and each new business opportunity allows us to build even better thoroughly customized solutions. The military has been at the heart of CANA from the very beginning. Not only does our team represent many decades of service, but we have consistently looked for opportunities where we can make a difference. We have long provided high-fidelity logistics planning analytics to support Marine Corps operational concepts and we’re continuing to adapt those capabilities as the military transforms itself to meet future needs. Members of our team have spent much of this year gathering critical data and developing analytical tools in support of both Navy and Air Force projects. Operational effectiveness is going to rely on the capabilities of the Joint Force. Straddling both the military and commercial worlds is energy - everyone needs new ways to make it, store it, and move it. All the while, we want it to be cleaner, safer, and more sustainable. We are engaged on multiple fronts to bring our analytics and logistics acumen to bear in the electric mobility and energy markets. This includes supporting commercial and government entities with the software and services needed to plan and build the country’s electric vehicle infrastructure. We’ve also helped shepherd eTHOR -  a semi-autonomous, electric vehicle prototype with exportable energy and modular 5G communications assets - through over a year of testing, evaluation, and demonstration - most recently seen at the 2023 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show and the Innovation Symposium in Washington, D.C. Of particular note, CANA also has begun significant work in the military operational energy space through projects that identify requirements and resources, and build tools, to determine optimal energy solutions for the future battlespace. It’s “energizing” work to say the least! Our team has been busy. But, we have taken the time to really think about camaraderie, health, and happiness. CANA had a great Wellness Initiative this year that really brought the campfire closer AND got people moving and thinking. Teams earned points for wellness activities that ran the gamut from silent meditation to mountain-biking and jiu jitsu. We encouraged, and occasionally egged, each other on to complete a virtual milestone journey across the United States, with imagined stops at CANAers’ hometowns. Each wellness point earned miles moved and we made the journey from Maine to Hawaii and back! CANA continues to grow, not only in new markets and new approaches, but in size. There’s almost 50 of us now! Each member of our team is a thoughtful addition made for the long haul. We like each other and respect individual talents. This flows outwards to our clients and partners and we hope it shows. We’re in a great season here at CANA, and we continue to be thrilled to share its fruits with you! Happy Holidays, CANA LLC

In October, members of the CANA team attended the 2023 INFORMS Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The INFORMS Annual Meeting is the largest gathering of operations research and analytics professionals in the world, and it provides a forum for researchers, practitioners, and students to share their latest work and ideas. This year's meeting featured a wide range of sessions on topics such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, optimization, and logistics presented in 78 tracks! Nick Leads Veterans Forum Coffee & Conversation Early Monday morning, October 16, Nick led the Veterans Forum Coffee & Conversation, a networking event for veterans and military-connected individuals attending the meeting. The coffee break was a great opportunity for veterans to meet each other and learn about the different ways that operations research and analytics can be used to address challenges facing the military and veteran communities. Walt Presents on eSports Women's Car Ball On Monday, October 16, Walt presented CANA's eSports Women's Car Ball support to the SpORts Section. In his presentation, Walt discussed how CANA is working to promote and support women's participation in eSports. He also shared some challenges and opportunities that CANA has faced in this work. Nick is Interviewed on the value of the CAP program Brad Weaber interviewed Nick about his journey as an analytics professional, the value of INFORMS membership, and the process to becoming a Certified Analytics Professional (CAP). CANA Team Members Ride in Waymo Autonomous Taxis While in Phoenix, Nick and Walt also got to ride in Waymo autonomous taxis. Waymo is a self-driving car company that is developing and testing autonomous vehicles in Phoenix and other cities. Nick and Walt were impressed with the technology and the potential of autonomous vehicles to improve transportation in the future. #autonomousvehicles #emobility #electricvehicles #analytics #esports #esportsnanalytics #AI #dataintelligence #machinelearning #logistics #optimization #INFORMS #CANA #PoweredByCANAAnalytics Walt DeGrange Walt DeGrange is the Director of Analytics Capabilities here at CANA. You can contact him via email at wdegrange@canallc.com or on Linkedin. Nick Ulmer Nick Ulmer is a Principal Operations Research Analyst here at CANA. You can contact Nick at nulmer@canallc.com and on Linkedin.

What is RPA? Robotic process automation, or RPA, is a form of automation that will soon become commonplace in the business world. This form of automation records a series of actions taken by a user, and then uses software robots to repeat these actions quickly and accurately. This differs from traditional business automation, which would require a programmer to write a script and manually create a list of tasks to perform. RPA bots also emulate the actions of real users through the use of a virtual mouse and keyboard, allowing them to easily navigate different UIs. More advanced RPA tools can include intelligent automation, or IA. These tools complement RPAs with things like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks. These technologies allow for the software to act dynamically, handle more complex tasks, and complete tasks quicker and more efficiently. What are its benefits? Robotic process automation has been shown to be effective in reducing costs and improving efficiency by allowing the completion of high-volume repetitive tasks quickly and efficiently with no mistakes. In one IBM survey, 62% of people surveyed reported that RPA moderately or significantly reduced their company’s HR costs, and 72% of people surveyed reported that RPA moderately or significantly increased work accuracy. Employers have also found that RPA improves employee morale and job satisfaction by removing boring, mundane tasks from their workloads. RPA services often offer a variety of security options. Using RPA bots prevents the risk of a human employee intentionally or unintentionally mishandling sensitive data, and the bots can be encrypted, lowering the chance of a malware breach. In addition, RPA apps usually offer detailed information about users who accessed the app, and every completed task, allowing businesses to easily root out anomalies. Compared to traditional workflow automation, RPA has the benefits of not requiring a skilled programmer and being able to easily automate tasks that would be tricky to handle with scripting, such as filling out forms and dealing with UIs (user interfaces). An additional benefit of this is that RPAs don’t require you to change any existing systems, because RPAs are very flexible and can work on top of any number of existing applications. What are its disadvantages? As is the case with any automation technology, one of the biggest criticisms of RPA is the potential for job loss. Although many companies have promised not to lay off employees due to the adoption of RPA technologies, RPA has removed the need for low-level unskilled jobs as well as repetitive skilled jobs in large companies, especially in the fields of finance and customer care. However, this subject is surrounded by much debate. Proponents of RPA argue that most jobs replaced will be unskilled outsourced positions, and very few domestic jobs will be lost. Instead, they argue, companies will opt to redeploy their in-house workforce to achieve greater efficiency with the same number of employees. There are also a variety of security risks associated with RPA technologies. The worst of these risks is the potential for RPA bots to be hijacked by malware. As mentioned above, RPA bots can be encrypted to lower this risk, but not all RPA providers offer this feature. This becomes even more problematic if the bots are given access to sensitive data. Hijacked bots could easily create a security breach. Even if the bots themselves are encrypted, vulnerabilities within the backend of the RPA system could allow access to company data and networks. Large costs are associated with many RPA services. Cheaper services do exist, such as Microsoft Power Automate, which is free for individuals or can be licensed for $8-$20 per month, but these cheaper services are very limited in their abilities. Microsoft’s RPA software can only be used for simple tasks and only with Microsoft products. More powerful services often require hefty investments, sometimes costing several thousand dollars per user per year. One customer of a high-end RPA vender reported spending at least $250,000 just to buy the software and get it implemented. Speaking of getting the software implemented, RPA software is often complicated, and requires trained employees to use it correctly, which could add additional cost. Conclusion It seems clear that automation is the way of the future, but will RPA win out over traditional automation? It is hard to say. Although RPA is much more flexible and doesn’t require programming knowledge to use, the high costs associated with it limits its usability, especially for smaller companies. In the end, it is up to the companies to weigh the pros and cons of RPA, and determine the future of business automation. Tristan Rentsch is a Staff Software Developer here at CANA. You can reach Tristan at trentsch@canallc.com or on Linkedin. Works Cited “Advantages and Disadvantages of RPA - Javatpoint.” JavaTpoint.com, JavaTpoint, https://www.javatpoint.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-rpa. Hodson, Hal. “AI Interns: Software Already Taking Jobs from Humans.” NewScientist.com, New Scientist, 10 Dec. 2015, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22630151-700-ai-interns-software-already-taking-jobs-from-humans/?ignored=irrelevant#.VY2CxPlViko. Shoffner, Matthew. “Cost of RPA and Implementation.” PeerSpot.com, PeerSpot, https://www.peerspot.com/articles/cost-of-rpa-and-implementation. “What Is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?” IBM.com, IBM, https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/rpa. “What Is Robotic Process Automation - RPA Software.” UiPath.com, UiPath, https://www.uipath.com/rpa/robotic-process-automation. Willcocks, Leslie P, et al. “Nine Likely Scenarios Arising from the Growing Use of Robots.” LSE Business Review, LSE, 29 Sept. 2015, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2015/09/29/nine-likely-scenarios-arising-from-the-growing-use-of-robots/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022. ElectroNeek. “RPA Security: Deploy a Bullet-Proof Automation System.” ElectroNeek, ElectroNeek, 16 Sept. 2021, https://electroneek.com/blog/business-insights/security-concerns-in-rpa-4-step-guide-to-address-them/.

CANA is excited to soon complete its Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) efforts for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). We have an innovative proposal for an artificial intelligence (AI) solution to maximize efficiency and safety in DLA warehousing receiving activities. CANA’s proposed AI solution - DIANA, for Data Integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Network Applications - will predict what materials are contained within arriving trucks at DLA warehouses during any week - by truck and by day. This predicted information - the quantity of individual boxes and their dimensions - has been, to this point, relatively unknown because of Bill of Lading (BOL) inaccuracies and/or the availability of only total freight size and weight data. The ability to predict the dimensions and quantity of items inside any single truck provides a significant increase in knowledge and specificity in DLA planning factors, improving the efficiency and accuracy of workforce and equipment estimations within a particular work period. Compounded over days, weeks, and months, the reduction in wasted or insufficient labor and equipment is considerable. We anticipate this to positively impact customer experience and improve warehouse fulfillment metrics and key planning performance indicators. The potential for commercialization is real and present. The application is intended for a mobile device or computer, providing versatility and convenience to a wide range of businesses. Our next phase of software design will bolt on to most commercial warehouse management systems. We estimate the cost savings resulting in increased accuracy and availability of information to be over half a million dollars for a typical medium-size commercial fulfillment warehouse running 24-hour operations. CANA is keen to move on to the next steps. With the continued support of DLA, these steps will include prototyping, testing, and evaluation until we have achieved a state of technological readiness. We anticipate our DIANA solution to be a game-changer to DLA, and eventually, a solution we can offer to a wide variety of commercial partners looking to revolutionize their warehouse game. If you’d like to contact Cherish Joostberns, CANA Media, you can reach Cherish at cjoostberns@canallc.com

Next week in Quantico, VA the 90th MORS Symposium is being held in person. The event is in person for the first time since 2019. CANA team members attending are Norm Reitter, Renee Carlucci, Connor McLemore, Brian Morgan, and Walt DeGrange. CANA has three presentations during the weeklong event. Here are the days, times, locations, speakers, and titles of the presentations. Tuesday, June 14, 2022 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT WG06 Command and Control (C2) GRC Meeting Room 125 “Dreamcatcher: Attacking moving, distributed, defended targets in dynamic, high-threat environments” Connor McLemore Wednesday, June 15, 2022 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Special Session WC Lecture Hall #1 “Building Trust– Effective Strategies for a Positive Work Environment” Renee Carlucci Thursday, June 16, 2022 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM EDT FS01 Analytic Capability Development Breckinridge Hall Auditorium “Analysis + Trust + Communication + Experience = Awesome Analytics!” Walt DeGrange If you can't make it to one of the presentations and want to learn more about CANA please stop by our table at the partners' exhibit hall. Safe travels and see everybody at the 90th next week!

Our mission is simple – We are committed to creating positive change and providing creative solutions to problems to enhance the lives of people, organizations, and the environment in our communities. 5 years. 5 years of purpose. 5 years of connecting. 5 years of giving. When Rob and Liz Cranston started CANA back in 2008, they were driven by a purpose and a vision - to create an organization that was innovative and devoted to excellence, but also supportive of an environment where generosity would flourish and together we could take on the tough challenges our world and our communities face. That desire to do good, to see a smile on someone’s face when they receive an unexpected gift or when they learn something new, is why we work so hard. Giving back is our raison d’être. The CANA Foundation was established in 2017 on the premise that we are blessed with individual talents, financial resources, and a successful company that provides a platform for the CANA family to connect with and give back to community areas we feel passionate and care about. We believe we have an obligation to use those skills and resources to help individuals and organizations in our communities overcome the barriers they face. This year, in 2022, we celebrate the 5 Years of CANA Foundation! These past five years have given us opportunities to give back to our communities in more ways than we could have imagined. Our team has turned their passions into purpose with over 45 completed initiatives. From helping students create their own children’s book to creating an analytics course for veterans, we have seen our team make a positive change in their communities. For the rest of 2022, we will commemorate the 5th anniversary of the CANA Foundation by showcasing some of our initiatives, the people behind them, and the future of the CANA Foundation. Stay tuned for more of 5 Years of CANA Foundation.

CANA Attends Key Events By Will Berry Pentagon Energy Expo The Pentagon Energy Expo took place over two busy days in September, one sunny and one rainy. Regardless of the weather, the courtyard of the Pentagon was the ideal setting for over a hundred exhibitors ringing the central courtyard walking path to demonstrate emerging technology capabilities that will help preserve U.S. military dominance in future contested logistics environments. The Expo was hosted by a number of Department of Defense sponsors including the individual Service branches, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD), Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)), Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF), and the Operational Energy Prototype Fund (OEPF). These sponsors had the opportunity to view a variety of cutting edge technology, including vehicle electrification, installation energy resilience, batteries, energy storage, energy distribution, power generation, software, and cybersecurity. One of the standout exhibits was the eTHOR, a project funded by OECIF, sponsored by National Information Warfare Center-Pacific (NIWC PAC), and project-managed by CANA. eTHOR will provide a network of electric vehicles capable of storage, transport, delivery, and exportation of energy in a contested environment. In addition, the system is an agile 5G network infrastructure, deploying and extending 5G’s low latency, high bandwidth capabilities to the expeditionary force enabling unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and all domain command and control. The goal of the system is to increase the efficiency of energy logistics in a contested environment and provide sufficient network communications to enable the future force. A tag line of the Expo was, “[e]nergy is the key enabler that will keep the Joint Forces in the fight to achieve decisive victory.” With that in mind, the eTHOR exhibit showcased electric vehicle technology and exportable energy all-in-one by having a DANNAR Mobile Power Station (MPS) at the eTHOR booth. It was a unique visual draw that brought hundreds of visitors to the exhibit. Amongst those visitors was Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks, resulting in a special opportunity to directly share the significant energy plus 5G communications capabilities the eTHOR system will bring to bear. In regards to the Expo, Deputy Defense Secretary Hicks was quoted that energy innovation, "...has to do with national security and what it takes to have the capabilities we need for the warfighter today and going forward.” Well said, we believe, and the eTHOR project is excited to deliver. Unmanned Systems West The Unmanned Systems West Conference took place late September in San Diego, CA, and was a fascinating forum of presentations, analysis and discussion. It focused on how the military, government, technology industry, and academics can work together to develop capabilities that advance Unmanned Systems (UxS) capabilities to benefit the warfighter on land, sea and air. The conference was billed as an opportunity to further dialogue on tactical and technical priorities and the challenges of autonomy and artificial intelligence and to shine a light on ongoing research and innovation that will help integrate both UxS and robotic capabilities. It was successfully achieved on all fronts. Over the two day conference, there were a number of common themes woven through the presentations and panel discussions, including the need for increased collaborative research on design to decrease prototyping systems costs and to increase design speed. Ideas, such as low-cost platform sharing based on common vehicle chassis, were recognized as a tactic to accelerate change; otherwise we risk losing from an acquisition perspective. While there were many different perspectives offered by the presenters and panelists, the iterative design notion – to collaborate, develop, test, fail fast, and evolve – was a common theme that encapsulated the pathway to effectively meet requirements and achieve success. On Day One, the conference was capstoned with a special presentation by one of our partners, NavalX So Cal Tech Bridge Director, Captain Ben Cohen, USMC, who discussed industry innovation needs and requirements. Attendees were enlightened to Capt Cohen’s unique perspective as a Marine Corps warfighter and as the new Director of the NavalX So Cal Tech Bridge. Amongst other things, Capt Cohen discussed bringing warfighters into the academic/industry ecosystem by highlighting the need to focus capabilities on the diverse pool of end users first, with the technology to follow. By focusing on the end user first, the culture of the warfighter is taken into account, which is paramount because, as Capt Cohen stated, “...culture eats strategy for lunch.” #innovation #warfighter #autonomy #5G #connected

Every Marine knows the date, the 10th of November, which makes the following day, Veterans Day, a bit different. Veterans have Veterans Day to commemorate their military service on the 11th of November. And the Marines have the Marine Corps Birthday to commemorate their roots, one day earlier. All active duty and former Marines will wish each other a happy birthday on the Marine Corps Birthday. Marines will also tell you that the timing of these two back-to-back American holidays is ideal since it gives Marines a day off after their Birthday Ball celebrations and festivities. America’s military is a unique breed of people who are called to serve, not only to protect their country but, more importantly, they’re called to serve through their oath: to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. The distinction between country and Constitution is vital because it prioritizes the principles spelled out in the Constitution ahead of the desires of our citizens or the values we codify in-laws. A Unique Breed U.S. Marines are a unique breed of America’s military. While each of the military branches have different missions and specialties, one key fact that makes Marines different from the rest of the U.S. Armed Forces is that all Marines are combatants. They are all basic riflemen trained to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy's assault by fire and close combat. More specifically, the Marine Corps does not have doctors, dentists, chaplains, etc. However, since the Marines work so closely with the U.S. Navy (a separate military branch) they receive health and spiritual services from Navy doctors, medics (called corpsmen), chaplains, etc. Additionally, the Marines are a small, tightly integrated military corps with both tactical fixed-wing (fighter jets) and rotary-wing (helicopters) to support their ground troops. The U.S. Army only has tactical helicopters to support their ground troops. If the Army needs fixed-wing combat support, they’d call on the U.S. Air Force. Celebrations and Observances Veterans Day is officially observed with two minutes of silence at 11:11 AM PST to commemorate the ending of WW I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. (It’s celebrated at 11:11 AM PST instead of EST so that all time zones in the United States can celebrate it simultaneously.) Additionally, dozens of parades and ceremonies are held, throughout the country, along with deals, discounts, and freebies, to honor our Veterans. While Veterans Day is marked with two minutes of silence, the Marine Corps Birthday is observed with two hours of pageantry, throughout the world, at Marine Corps Birthday Balls. The highlight of the Marine Corps Ball is the cake-cutting ceremony which follows a basic script where the first piece of cake is presented to the guest of honor. The second piece of cake is given to the oldest Marine present who then presents the youngest Marine with the third piece of cake to symbolize the passing of experience, knowledge, and tradition from the old to the young. Even though active duty Marines aren’t yet veterans, they greatly appreciate having the next day, Veterans Day, off from work to rest up from the previous night’s celebrations. Semper Fi and thank you for your service. Joe Moreno Joe Moreno is a Director of Development at CANA Advisors. You can follow him at joemoreno.com or contact him via email at jmoreno@canallc.com.