Top trends and priorities focus on digital acceleration, cybersecurity and collaboration

We met with 57 defense and intelligence executives to understand their top trends and priorities and how they plan to steer their organizations through ongoing change, including geopolitical events. Technology and digital acceleration, notably rising citizen digital expectations, is their highest impact macro trend, while cybersecurity leads all industry trends as well as business and IT priorities. Collaboration across military organizations and IT modernization are also key areas of focus. Discover more top trends and priorities.

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Key findings

Global impacts felt more acutely
40% cite high impacts of world economic order shifts, +20pp vs. 2022

Collaboration remains in focus
#3 business priority includes SMART defense, interoperability and reuse

Supply chain impacts increase
49% acutely feel the effects of this macro trend, +13pp vs. 2022

Embracing new IT delivery models
Use of SaaS, PaaS and agile rises to be #3 IT priority (up from #5)

IT hiring challenges continue
89% cite having difficulty in acquiring IT talent

Military soldier speaking into field radio with a sunset in the background

What digital leaders do to advance in a changing world

From 2022 to 2023, the number of executives saying their organizations are producing expected results from their digital strategy remains unchanged. However, there is notable growth in other digital strategy stages. When comparing insights from the 16% producing results from digital strategies (digital leaders) to those building or launching digital strategies (digital aspirants), common attributes emerge. For example, digital leaders excel in aligning business and IT operations and see legacy systems as less of a barrier to digital implementation.

Digital Attribute Defense

Closely align IT and business to support
strategy

Digital leaders

50%

Digital aspirants

14%
Digital Attribute Defense

Use more managed services for IT
applications

Digital leaders

71%

Digital aspirants

52%
Digital Attribute Defense

Feel high impacts from digitization on their business model

Digital leaders

71%

Digital aspirants

55%

5 recommendations for anticipating and navigating world shifts

1

Increase operational response capabilities
geopolitical and world economic shifts are making disruptive events more likely.
2

Focus on interoperability
technological change and open standards require systems to operate reciprocally.
3

Collaboration with select industry partners
building a resilient chain ecosystem is key to future military superiority.
4

Use cloud capabilities appropriately
military cloud environments are needed for effective operations.
5

Rethink processes to attract young talent
flexible work, culture and modern technology are essential to attracting new talent.

 

Soldier using laptop computer and radio for communication during military operation in the desert

At CGI, we help defense and intelligence organizations advance secure, efficient operations in a changing world.

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