Approaching Automation in the DoD

By Andrew Park | 2025-10-14

How to Leverage No Code Tools, RPA, and AI Agents Effectively 

Across the Department of Defense, automation is becoming an operational necessity. Whether the goal is reducing manual workload, increasing mission readiness, or modernizing outdated workflows, the question is not whether to automate — it is how. 

There are three major categories of automation tools in use today. Each is suited to a different type of work. Choosing the right category upfront helps avoid wasted effort and fragile solutions. This framework is already being applied across the Air Force and other service branches.

No Code Workflow Automation

For automating across cloud-based tools with modern APIs

No code tools make it possible to automate routine workflows between apps like Microsoft 365, Jira, ServiceNow, or SharePoint without writing code. They are ideal for teams working in cloud environments and using systems that already support integration.

Example

A personnel office wants to streamline onboarding by automatically moving data from an intake form into SharePoint, triggering account setup steps, and notifying team leads. This can be done entirely with no code automation.

Where it fits

• Admin teams using Microsoft tools

• Software factories streamlining dev workflows

• Ops groups using SaaS-based collaboration tools

Popular platforms: Microsoft Power Automate, Zapier, Make

No code tools are fast and simple to deploy but rely on the presence of APIs. They are not suited for interacting with older, desktop-only systems.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

 For automating desktop processes or legacy applications with no API access

RPA platforms simulate the actions of a person using a computer. They click buttons, copy data, and move through menus. This makes them useful for legacy DoD systems that were never designed with automation in mind.

Example

A sustainment team needs to log into a maintenance tracking system each morning, extract data into Excel, and upload a formatted report. An RPA bot can execute this entire flow without human intervention.

Where it fits

• Logistics and sustainment offices

• FM and HR organizations using legacy desktop software

• Teams relying on repeatable but time-consuming manual steps

Popular platforms: UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Power Automate Desktop, Blue Prism

RPA is reliable for structured, repetitive tasks. However, any change in the UI or system behavior may require rework.

AI Agents

For automating tasks that involve reasoning, interpretation, or semi-structured inputs

AI Agents are powered by large language models and capable of interpreting unstructured data, responding to dynamic instructions, and performing goal-oriented tasks across tools. This is a new class of automation now available to DoD teams through secure and compliant implementations.

Example

A program office wants to track contractor hiring trends by analyzing job postings across multiple vendor sites. An AI agent can read those listings, identify skill trends, and summarize the changes in plain language for leadership.

Where it fits

• Program offices needing intelligence synthesis

• Analysts handling unstructured data

• Leaders needing support with triage, summarization, or research

We support implementation of AI agents using Ask Sage, a cleared environment that allows language model automation to operate securely within DoD constraints. Ask Sage agents can also be connected to Microsoft Power Automate to trigger downstream workflows  to combine intelligent reasoning with structured orchestration.

Emerging platforms: Ask Sage, OpenAI Assistants, LangChain, CrewAI

AI agents are advancing rapidly. They do not replace RPA or no code tools, but they fill a growing gap in missions that require interpretation, judgment, or flexible task execution.

Match the Tool to the Task

For O‑5 to O‑7 Leaders and PMO Teams

Senior leaders across the DoD have the opportunity to remove friction from daily operations through targeted automation. Not every workflow needs code. Not every task needs AI agents. But knowing how to match the problem to the right approach is how high-leverage gains are made.

For PMOs managing vendor output or government-built systems, each of these tools can reduce the drag on staff and shift time back to high-priority mission work. We have deployed AI agents to remove hours of manual effort every week just by supporting research, drafting, or status visibility.

If you want to explore how your unit could deploy automation using AI agents, RPA, or workflow tools, including secure Ask Sage implementations and Power Automate integration, feel free to reach out to me directly via LinkedIn.