EDS Gathers Experts for Defence Advisory Council
27 Sep 2006
Sir Anthony Bagnall on the EDS Defence Advisory Council
The EDS Defence Advisory Council (DAC) was formed in March 2006 to provide independent strategic advice to senior management regarding business with key regional, political, military and industrial leaders.
EDS appointed Sir Anthony Bagnall to lead the council. Bagnall is a retired senior Royal Air Force commander with 41 years of service. He most recently served as vice chief of the defense staff for four years before his retirement in 2005.
The DAC has eight non-EDS members, called councilors, from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. All have extensive experience in the military or in defense-related businesses. The council also includes members of the EDS Executive Committee as well as EDS regional and country leaders. The secretary function is managed by EDS' Global Government Industry.
The advisory council met for the second time this year in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 20-21 to discuss EDS' defense strategy. Its first meeting took place in March in London.
In an interview just before last week's meeting, Sir Anthony discussed the DAC's role and how it is helping EDS land new business and improve the company's brand recognition and perception in the defense industry.
Why did EDS form the Defence Advisory Council (DAC)?
Defense today is about nations and armed forces working together. This means that we, as a company, must work in a similar manner, leveraging across the regions to provide the solutions and capabilities that our clients need, whilst at the same time reducing costs and improving interoperability.
For example, in the case of DII [UK Ministry of Defence's Defence Information Infrastructure project], we are drawing on the lessons learned and best practices based on our experience with NMCI [U.S. Department of Defense's Navy Marine Corps Intranet project]. Any information sharing and leveraging takes into consideration our obligations under the export compliance regulations.
In sum, whether we are marketing ITO [Information Technology Outsourcing], Apps [Applications] or BPO [Business Process Outsourcing] in the support area or in the more immediate support of operations, our clients expect us to understand their business. In this respect, the councilors' experience and the global reach are making a real and tangible difference.
What is the DAC's mission?
The DAC provides independent strategic advice to EDS' senior management at both the corporate and regional level to help develop short-term and longer-term business plans.
In particular, the non-EDS council members provide insights into relevant global and regional industry, economic, security, political and market trends to assist in the global development of EDS' business in the defense sector and beyond.
The DAC stimulates EDS' senior managers to consider how best to develop its defense business globally, and to help identify innovative business concepts, strategic direction and winning approaches relating to current and future business opportunities.
It also encourages key regional, political, military and industry leaders to recognize the strength of the EDS brand and the value and benefits of relevant EDS products.
What were some of the key takeaways from the DAC's first meeting in March?
The London meeting was a remarkably full and productive two days, which covered topics such as DII, JPA [the UK Ministry of Defence's Joint Personnel Administration] and NMCI. It also looked more broadly at the regions.
The various conclusions from the first meeting were very similar. There are static or falling defence budgets which nevertheless offer an opportunity for new business to reduce manpower costs or to improve business processes. There is a need for back-office cost savings and efficiency gains, as well as the need to achieve integrated joint force structures. Interoperability and coalition operations are key.
Since the first meeting, each councilor has been working with his EDS regional counterpart to look at future strategic defense opportunities. In terms of specifics, I welcome the way in which opportunities are being explored to build on the success of JPA, NMCI and the potential to which DII offers. Beyond that, we have developed a DAC charter, highlighting the way in which the individual councilors will work with their EDS counterparts.
Is the council concentrating on any particular regions or countries?
The countries that the councilors represent, plus we will look at an emerging country at each meeting. The Washington meeting focused on the Middle East.
What does it mean to “think globally and act locally?”
Wherever possible leveraging best practice and expertise globally, but bearing in mind that many of our solutions will have to be tailored to the individual customer or region.
What are the council's metrics? How will EDS know if the DAC is successful at its mission?
We measure success in terms of how the DAC has helped EDS win new business and improve the clients' recognition and perception of EDS in the defense marketplace. Given the length of procurement cycles in defense, hard results may take years rather than months.
However, senior defense clients are already impressed with the concept of the DAC. To quote one senior potential customer, “We are impressed by this initiative that connects up the allies at the highest level and opens other, informal avenues for improving and stimulating interoperability across the military and industries of the nations represented on the DAC.”