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Mission Ready in 58 Days: Accelerating DoD Compliance for Defense Manufacturing

See how Second Front helped Sustainment deliver DoD manufacturing software to the U.S. Air Force at the speed of relevance.

Overview

Sustainment Technologies (Sustainment) is a venture-backed manufacturing software and AI company that powers the largest network of engaged traditional and nontraditional manufacturing suppliers in the United States. Sustainment developed its Enhanced Market Research (EMR) product to help the U.S. Air Force 448th Supply Chain Management Wing improve procurement efficiency and visibility while gaining faster access to more manufacturing suppliers who can support Air Force requirements. However, like many commercial software providers, they faced a costly and complex accreditation process that threatened deployment timelines.

After nearly a year of stalled progress in securing an Impact Level 2 (IL2) Authority to Operate (ATO), Sustainment needed a fast, proven path forward. By partnering with Second Front and leveraging an inherited ATO through 2F Game Warden, they achieved accreditation in just 58 days—saving time, money, and personnel resources.

“We were stuck in accreditation limbo for nearly a year. 2F Game Warden turned that around in just 58 days—on time, on budget, and with precision.”

Chris Hill, President of Federal and Defense, Sustainment

The Challenge: A Process Stuck in Limbo

Sustainment’s EMR product is purpose-built to help DoD supply chain teams accelerate and improve pre-procurement market research, delivering better pricing and part delivery timelines. Co-developed with AFWERX and the Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO), EMR was designed to cut the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing’s 9,000–12,000 annual market research cycles down from 14 days per activity with a goal of saving 1 million person-hours annually.

After being awarded a SBIR Phase III contract in 2023 to bring EMR into production, Sustainment faced a critical next step: securing IL2 accreditation to deploy within the Air Force’s digital infrastructure.

Despite early momentum, Sustainment was stuck in the same situation many software companies face—uncertainty around how and if they’d secure an ATO. Although their accreditation process had started, they remained locked in a complicated, broken system without the tools, expertise, or a structured path forward.

Key Roadblocks:

Systemic Obstacles: The existing DoD accreditation ecosystem didn’t provide the streamlined guidance Sustainment needed to finalize their ATO independently.
Bureaucratic Gridlock: Despite securing Cloud One access, the ATO process remained stalled due to disjointed coordination and unresolved stakeholder compliance gaps.
Resource Drain: Sustainment initially allocated 10 personnel to tackle accreditation, but despite their best efforts, progress remained stagnant for over nine months due to a lack of internal expertise.
Missed Operational Deadlines: Continued delays threatened delivery commitments to the Air Force, creating risk for program funding and mission impact.

This mountain of roadblocks threatened to stall deployment indefinitely and leave the Air Force without the necessary mission-critical software.

The 2F Advantage: Fast-Tracking DoD Accreditation with Confidence

After their internal struggles and delays, Sustainment needed more than just a tool—they needed an experienced partner to navigate the complexities of software accreditation for the DoD. That’s where 2F Game Warden, our fully accredited DevSecOps platform, made the difference.

2F Game Warden is the fastest pathway to software accreditation, allowing companies to inherit an ATO at IL2-6+ at a fraction of the time and cost compared to traditional methods. For Sustainment, this meant:

Seamless Team Integration: From day one, 2F embedded directly with Sustainment’s Engineering, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity teams, eliminating bottlenecks and ensuring a structured, collaborative approach.
Pre-Built Compliance Frameworks: Sustainment leveraged Game Warden’s existing security controls and policies, filling critical gaps in their accreditation package and avoiding months of redundant effort.
Clear Roadmap & Expert Guidance: 2F provided a structured compliance framework and a step-by-step roadmap, ensuring every milestone was met precisely and quickly. Sustainment now had the expert guidance it needed at every step of its accreditation process.
Efficient Resource Utilization: With 2F’s automation and compliance expertise, Sustainment reduced the internal headcount needed for accreditation from 10 to just 3, allowing the rest of the team to stay focused on mission-critical work.
Expedited Approvals & Process Optimization: 2F’s streamlined workflows and direct coordination with authorizing officials helped Sustainment navigate the final approval process in record time, reducing a projected 12-month timeline to just 58 days.
Ongoing Partnership & Day 2 Operations: 2F remains a trusted partner beyond deployment, ensuring Sustainment’s software stays mission-ready.

“2F wasn’t just a vendor—they became an extension of our team. Their expertise and security frameworks weren’t just helpful; they were the reason we crossed the finish line.”

Chris Hill, President of Federal and Defense, Sustainment

The Results: Measurable Time & Cost Savings

By leveraging 2F Game Warden, Sustainment successfully deployed its EMR to the U.S. Air Force’s 448th Supply Chain Management Wing, unlocking a secure, scalable path to transform DoD procurement.

With EMR now in production, the 448th SCMW estimates it will save up to 1 million person-hours annually—accelerating pre-procurement market research, identifying more qualified suppliers, reducing part lead times, and improving pricing outcomes. These improvements directly support increased aircraft readiness ratings across the Air Force depot enterprise, amplifying the mission-critical value of the software. The impact of the partnership includes:

Deployment Impact: 9.5 months of stalled progress resolved in just 58 days.
Cost Savings: Hundreds of thousands of dollars were saved through reduced accreditation overhead.
Operational Efficiencies: 70% reduction in personnel requirements.
Business Growth: New opportunities for Sustainment, including the Manufacturing Optimization Supplier AI Connector (MOSAIC) contract with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).

This success story demonstrates how Second Front helps mission-focused software companies remove accreditation roadblocks and accelerate time to mission—delivering secure, impactful capabilities to the warfighter faster.