This blog will take a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in the UK defence sector.
Digital transformation is a critical component for any industry and organisation. Today, more than ever, the United Kingdom’s Defence Sector is experiencing tremendous change and adoption of advanced security technology, as they look to compete with direct adversaries, domestically and internationally, and operate at maximum efficiency.
This transformation is imperative to the long-term success, safety and security of the country. However, in recent years, a lack of digital innovation, and support has made it harder, and perhaps more difficult for the defence sector to navigate the ongoing challenges, and seek new opportunities that can benefit them in the long run.
In this article, we’ll take a better look at how digital transformation is helping to reshape the UL defence sector, how the sector is managing to overcome any challenges, and what opportunities lie ahead as it becomes more technologically driven.
Defence Digitalisation
Digitalisation in the defence sector is an integral part of their overall operations. With the necessary tools and provision of resources, the UK defence sector can deepen its strategic thinking, and deliver more tactical improvements.
The Defence Digital Backbone has become the leading framework to better understand how the entire defence sector can fully digitise its use of information, improve operational and business decision-making, and develop more forward-thinking models.
While the Defence Digital Backbone is a consideration of several security and technological improvements of the defence sector, the THEIA program has enabled the sector to build the necessary digital skills and further promote digital intelligence across its operational procedures.
Through the adoption of the THEIA program, the Ministry of Defence, can promote digital transformation throughout the defence sector, and further enhance better decision-making through the use of data analytics, artificial technology, and create opportunities for corporate competitiveness.
Ultimately, what we need to consider is that investment in digital transformation not only helps to promote new opportunities for private suppliers, but the ultimate goal is to improve and adopt more effective methods that allow the defence sector to operate at maximum efficiency, provide a competitive edge, and stand as a global leader in digital defence.
Navigating the challenges
Digitalisation comes with a series of friction points, requiring ways to identify, understand and effectively overcome these challenges.
Strategy development
One of the key challenges that have presented itself during the process of digitization is the development of strategies that encourage innovation, and cross-functional skills development. Having a key strategy, through which several points are being addressed, allows the defence sector to understand where there may be shortcomings, and how they can address these to ensure more efficient digitalisation.
Availability of resources
Having the necessary resources requires the defence sector to build more agile, and long-term partnerships with public suppliers. This not only contributes to the overall forward-looking goals of the defence sector but would ensure that available resources, including human capital and skills, are shared across the different branches of the sector to create more equal opportunities.
Recruitment
Skilled human capital remains one of the defence sector’s strongest and most important assets. Having the right knowledge, allows the defence sector to broaden their understanding of the critical data, and measure the efficiency of new technologies. However, a shortage of skilled individuals within the current marketplace is seen as an ongoing obstacle which often requires the defence sector to partner with domestic and international organisations to fill this gap.
Intellectual Property
Overcoming the barriers imposed by stringent policies that do not directly contribute to the development and implementation of digital technologies requires a better understanding of how the defence sector can leverage industry intellectual property. With this, there is the opportunity to build more lasting relationships and further contribute to the adoption of more advanced capabilities, for both digital tools and human capital.
Agility
Technology is ever-changing and is constantly developing, requiring the defence sector to adopt, learn and potentially repurpose technology. Being more agile would allow the defence sector to consider the long-term implications, without having to compromise on their deliverability of service and efficiency.
Finding opportunities
Fostering a deeper understanding of digital transformation, allows the defence sector to seek out new opportunities, and address concerns that may be hindering their operational efficiency, security and innovation.
Understanding data
Data is used in nearly every corner of the defence sector and allows the industry to develop strategies that ensure the successful application of digital transformation. Gaining access to the necessary data points, and having the ability to properly understand how this can contribute to an overarching goal of transformation allows the defence sector to create more opportunities for commercial suppliers.
Real-time transformation
With the appropriate use of data analytics, the defence sector can witness real-time transformation taking place. Allowing the defence sector to easily change, adapt, and harvest new methods of innovation. Instead of relying on legacy technology, and antiquated strategies, the defence sector can deliberately create a more data-focused and human-centric approach.
Strategic alignment
Aligning all three branches of the defence sector equally, which typically includes the military, government and industry, ensures the forward-looking movement, and development of efficient supply chains within the defence sector. Through this strategic alignment, the defence sector deliberately creates a more competitive environment for private organisations, but further establishes itself as a leader in advanced defence technology.
Innovation ecosystem
Innovation is key to ensuring a lasting, and more progressive digital transformation. Adequate use of resources, and ensuring the alignment of stakeholders – military, government, industry – can help create an innovation ecosystem that can contribute to the forward-looking strategy of the defence sector. However, this requires addressing current problems that may be hindering successful transformation, while at the same time leveraging multiple intellectual principles.
Why is digital transformation essential in the defence sector?
The importance of digital transformation becomes more clear, once you begin to understand how advanced technologies can help to build a more informed, secure and agile defence sector.
It would also allow the defence sector, and all of its stakeholders, to outcompete its adversaries abroad, and foster an ecosystem of collaboration with domestic and international stakeholders.
Having data-driven insights ensures the delivery of efficient problem-solving, and enables it to equally support the several branches of the defence sector, including the people, and acquisition of advanced capabilities.
The bottom line is, that digital transformation can create a digital workforce and operating model, that encourages an ecosystem of research, development and most importantly software-enabled defence capabilities.
