Change and Transformation in the Public Sector
Creating mission-critical information advantage at the Ministry of Defence
As a highly specialised agency within the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Defence, Equipment and Support (DE&S) ensures that the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force have the equipment and support they need to carry out their duties effectively. DE&S is responsible for the procurement and servicing of everything from clothes to carriers, and firearms to fighter jets.
Multi-domain information sharing
In defence, information advantage means mission advantage over adversaries. DE&S, supported by Atos Consulting, has transformed its Information and Records landscape to address a complex combination of cultural and technological challenges; this has helped to redefine the value of its information at a time when the defence industry is undergoing profound technological change.
The goal of the MoD Digital Strategy is to enable a seamless and secure flow of information across the Ships, Land, Air and Space domains, as well as with industry suppliers, partners in Government and allies around the world. The MoD and its supply chains are embracing digital technology and data to overcome the significant pressures to optimise the way every asset is managed throughout its lifecycle. DE&S uses vast quantities of information to drive decades-long programmes of work, to maintain long-serving legacy assets and procure cutting-edge defence capabilities.
Common ground and compliance
The scale of change achieved by the joint DE&S and Atos team is huge: where there were once around 2,000 unique information sites, DE&S now has a single digital workspace. This is in part thanks to the smart design of the change. Working within tight technological parameters, the team succeeded in creating common ground while still meeting the needs of widely differing defence specialists. Now every team member across the organisation shares the same principles, practices, collaboration tools and taxonomy to support every defence asset, from initial design to disposal.
What’s more, DE&S has embedded a comprehensive, sustainable information governance framework to meet critical compliance requirements for proper auditing and transparency of MoD records. All this was achieved using only standard MoD corporate information technology applications.
Benefits from the front-line to the bottom line
The work by DE&S and Atos Consulting transformed the organisation and capabilities of DE&S Knowledge Management. It enabled the DE&S digital team to release the talents of its experienced information specialists to keep driving effectiveness and efficiency as technologies and product lifecycle management evolve. Year on year, the programme is expected to deliver millions of pounds of cost avoidance efficiencies across DE&S. To further increase value for money, the team’s approach and solutions are being replicated more widely across the MoD for multi-domain information and knowledge sharing.
This programme is a milestone in the evolution of DE&S. Now, the vast knowledge and experience of this unique organisation can be better leveraged to keep equipment operational, send vital supplies to war zones, and protect the armed forces, the UK and its allies in the new digital age of defence.
View the Eviden, an Atos business in the MCA Members Directory.