Notice

Data Integration Competition Scoping Workshop

Published 29 October 2018

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition seeks innovative solutions to how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) can unlock the potential of Data Integration in the Defence Logistics environment.

To aid in competition development, DASA is holding a workshop focused on finding innovative solutions to how the MOD accesses, integrates, exploits and efficiently utilises its logistics data in an easier, more cost effective and flexible way.

Any long-term solutions must be able to replace current multi-point-to-point interfaces, facilitate interaction between existing MOD service domains (for example, Commercial and Financial) and industry partners, whilst enabling access to core MOD Business Information and Decision Support tools. As well as aligning to Defence as a Platform (DaaP) principles, it must be an evergreen service (long-term support potential) that meets MOD security and accreditation requirements, government open standards and open data formats. It must not involve the creation of a master data set.

1. Aim

The aim of this scoping event is to better define a future competition based on the theme of data integration and to understand what is possible within the logistics problem space. The proposed competition is intended to address a Defence logistics data need by harnessing the latest data analytics and integration techniques. This event will support the preparation of the future competition.

Military end users and practitioners will be attending, allowing defence and security professionals to share relevant current thinking and problems with potential suppliers from the wider external community, including industry and academia.

2. How to attend

The workshop will take place at a venue in London on the 28 November 2018. If you would like the opportunity to help shape this upcoming competition, please register your interest here.

3. Background

Defence is undergoing an ambitious agenda of change under the Modernising Defence Programme (MDP). The programme was launched because challenges identified in the 2015 National Security Strategy have rapidly become more complex whilst foreign currency costs and inflation have increased the costs of some of our large programmes. MDP will strengthen our Armed Forces against threats that we and our allies now face whilst putting UK defence on an enduringly affordable footing.

Logistics is the fourth largest transactional business in the MOD. However, the logistics information environment is highly fragmented with key shortfalls in the ability of MOD to manage it coherently. There is a pressing requirement to improve this position to meet the strategic objective of a Defence Support Network (DSN) that is end to end in design and effectively captures logistics management data so that it can be fully integrated and exploited as a key component of operational information.

We are interested in innovative contributions to how the MOD can develop and improve capability in this area. The event will include the opportunity for discussion in the following areas:

3.1 Understanding the problem

The current MOD Logistics Information Communications and Technology (ICT) portfolio consists of around 400 legacy applications and systems providing inventory management, asset management, consignment visibility, equipment and engineering support functions. In addition, the portfolio is dependent upon a number of other MOD and industry ICT, for example finance, commercial and industry systems. We are therefore looking to explore innovative ideas to extract, integrate, utilise and enable the exploitation of existing data and systems whilst maintaining the ability to link new applications in the future.

It will be important to understand what has been done before and identify lessons learned from previous solutions developed to tackle the issue of data integration.

3.2 Dealing with complex algorithms

While there are a number of integration technologies available in the market place which can unify data from multiple data sources, it is not known whether these solutions will work with the full range of Defence systems. These vary in age, complexity, coding language, operating systems and standards.

In particular, it will be important to focus on whether one system can achieve this goal, how much data would be required and dealing with data bias.

3.3 Metadata: quality, depth and variability

Defence’s disparate legacy systems come with a wide range of formats, standards and operating systems. Data is generated by and stored in multiple applications/systems, which has led to an overall fragmented and complex information architecture. Where these systems are connected, data silos update at different speeds and frequencies. Data is often duplicated.

While some data is structured, much are unstructured and has poor metadata. We have difficulty in bringing disparate data together to use in a meaningful and productive way, hindering our ability to effectively manage the support chain.

3.4 Dealing with the data

The aspiration of the DSN (Transformation) programme (DSN(T)) is for users to access the services they need through a Common User Interface (CUI). In order to achieve this, we need to be able to exploit or utilise these data to their full potential. An improvement in the use of data will enable users to make better and more informed decisions across Defence. Having a single portal would improve operational planning, readiness, deployment and sustainment.

A key challenge is: integrating data so these are accessible through a single user platform; automating the assessment of metadata quality; and getting the right balance between too much and too little data.

The feedback we receive in the workshop will help to shape a future competition. There will also be the opportunity for one to one sessions with members of the project team and DASA.