diff --git a/.github/workflows/data.yml b/.github/workflows/data.yml
index 48555b364..ac91395d5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/data.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/data.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ on:
   workflow_call:
     outputs:
       path:
-        value: ${{ jobs.path.outputs.path }}
+        value: ${{ env.DATA_PATH }}
       crds_path:
         value: ${{ jobs.crds.outputs.path }}
       crds_server:
@@ -19,21 +19,19 @@ on:
   schedule:
     - cron: "42 4 * * 3"
 
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+env:
+  DATA_PATH: /tmp/data
+
 jobs:
-  path:
-    name: set data path
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    outputs:
-      path: ${{ steps.path.outputs.path }}
-    steps:
-      - id: path
-        run: echo "path=/tmp/data" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
   crds:
-    needs: [ path ]
     name: retrieve current CRDS context
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
-      CRDS_PATH: ${{ needs.path.outputs.path }}/crds
+      CRDS_PATH: ${{ env.DATA_PATH }}/crds
       CRDS_SERVER_URL: https://roman-crds.stsci.edu
       OBSERVATORY: roman
     outputs:
@@ -50,7 +48,6 @@ jobs:
         # Get default CRDS_CONTEXT without installing crds client
         # See https://hst-crds.stsci.edu/static/users_guide/web_services.html#generic-request
   download_webbpsf_data:
-    needs: [ path ]
     if: (github.repository == 'spacetelescope/romancal' && (github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'update webbpsf data')))
     name: download and cache WebbPSF data
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -66,7 +63,7 @@ jobs:
           wget ${{ env.WEBBPSF_DATA_URL }} -O tmp/webbpsf-data.tar.gz
           echo "hash=$( shasum tmp/webbpsf-data.tar.gz | cut -d ' ' -f 1 )" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - id: cache_path
-        run: echo "path=${{ needs.path.outputs.path }}/webbpsf-data" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        run: echo "path=${{ env.DATA_PATH }}/webbpsf-data" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - id: cache_download
         name: check downloaded data against the existing cache
         uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -76,10 +73,10 @@ jobs:
       - if: ${{ steps.cache_download.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' }}
         name: extract data to cache directory
         run: |
-          mkdir -p ${{ needs.path.outputs.path }}
-          tar -xzvf tmp/webbpsf-data.tar.gz -C ${{ needs.path.outputs.path }}
+          mkdir -p ${{ env.DATA_PATH }}
+          tar -xzvf tmp/webbpsf-data.tar.gz -C ${{ env.DATA_PATH }}
   retrieve_webbpsf_data_hash:
-    needs: [ path, download_webbpsf_data ]
+    needs: [ download_webbpsf_data ]
     # run regardless if `download_webbpsf_data' succeeds or is skipped
     if: always() && (needs.download_webbpsf_data.result == 'success' || needs.download_webbpsf_data.result == 'skipped')
     name: retrieve hash of cached WebbPSF data
@@ -91,7 +88,7 @@ jobs:
       hash: ${{ steps.retrieve_hash.outputs.hash }}
     steps:
       - id: cache_path
-        run: echo "path=${{ needs.path.outputs.path }}/webbpsf-data" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        run: echo "path=${{ env.DATA_PATH }}/webbpsf-data" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - id: retrieve_hash
         name: retrieve data hash of latest cache key
         run: |