Category Capabilities

ERP Interface

The Columbia Group is currently working with ERP data and modifying our current tools/applications with the capability to perform in the ERP environment.

Data Cleansing

The Columbia Group can assist with any data conversion and data cleansing efforts both large and small. Our analysts design and perform Extract Transform and Load (ETL) jobs that take data from disparate data sources and clean / normalize the data before loading into new data structures that make the data more usable.

Columbia Group analysts often write programs to take semi-structured data from Microsoft Word, PDFs, and spreadsheets and load it into structured SQL databases.

Data Retrieval from Disparate Systems

The Columbia Group applications interface with the Navy accounting and payment systems to provide daily updates of financial information, so no time is wasted researching out of date obligations. Current application pull financial data from MOCAS, STARS, HCM and STARS-FL. Support for NAVY-ERP is under development. In addition, we can add other accounting systems if access is provided.

Data Analysis: Interactive Tool for Analysts

The Columbia Group provides interactive tools for analysts to research and find discrepancies within financial or other data. After the data has been retrieved, our applications allow on screen interaction with the files.

Data Mining

The Columbia Group has automated data mining in a customized and automated method such as in COBRA. By controlling STARS and MOCAS sessions, COBRA can quickly and easily retrieve everything needed to perform reconciliations. A simple menu interface gets both MOCAS and STARS histories in an instant.

IT Help Desk

The Columbia Group provides Help Desk support for its applications. Our helpdesks operate Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm and are operational 99% of the time.

Software Support

The Columbia Group develops applications such as COBRA using our proven iterative rapid prototype approach, involving users early on in the development process – letting them work with prototypes and participate in the design process. By using this approach and drawing from our varied software development experience, we are able to offer innovative and creative solutions to any requirements.

Configuration Control

We utilize a custom solution to track Linux system configuration in private git repositories. This allows us to both identify when configurations have been changed and track the history of changes in the project repository. We run scanners that compare running config to the latest configuration in the server to ensure changes are logged.

Information Assurance Services

The Columbia Group can take an unapproved application and bring it up to the standards required to gain the certification and accreditation (C&A) approval. The C&A application is a far reaching process that requires extensive documentation and preparation of the software and hardware of an IT system.

This process includes patching, configuring, logging, monitoring and maintaining an operating system (in our case Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.6) in an effort to make the system more secure. This effort is an ongoing process. We monitor systems in numerous ways on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. We have software and hardware in place for monitoring and prevention of unauthorized intrusions or access, as well as corruption due to virus infection. Our systems are backed up daily and weekly.

We develop Contingency Plans (CPs) for the systems that spell out the methods and efforts required to bring the system back on-line in the event of a major system failure. The CPs, along with numerous other security checks, are tested annually. The security checks include such items as reviewing the software and hardware baseline, user permissions, the incident response plan, backup viability checks, and support contracts. These efforts meet the FISMA requirement for an annual security review.

Database Design

The Columbia Group has a long history of creating customized database solutions to support unique customer requirements. What sets us apart is our ability to leverage our subject matter expertise with our knowledge of technical options available enabling us to re-engineer processes to maximize use of technology. 

Our successes come as a result of our proven Iterative Rapid Prototyping approach. We begin by assembling subject matter experts who truly understand the processes with technical experts who know what tools / technologies can be applied to the requirements. We assist with defining and documenting the requirements, we identify data sources, architect technical solutions and quickly stand up prototype applications for users to begin testing and providing feedback. This can often be done in 30-60 days. We find getting users actively involved early in the development process results in much more user-friendly applications that create a better user experience.