MICROSOFT
And that ’ s why she insists government acquisition models need to adapt . “ Historically speaking , they have not been set up to accommodate that need for speed . Most government contracting vehicles are set up to support legacy platform procurement – a really lengthy bid , proposal , and development process . That doesn ’ t work today . And it certainly doesn ’ t work when you ’ re talking about building software systems . They demand agility . We have to modernise our acquisition methods to match the mission need , and that will help unlock innovation at the speed of relevance .”
Despite legacy acquisition processes (“ antiquated ”, “ frustrating ”), Maxwell notes that they were installed for good reasons , and that change is not just at the service of technology . Those processes were , after all , “ put there with good intent .” But the time for change has come .
“ The key point is that digital transformation is not just about the technology . It ’ s also about people , process , and governance . And that , in many ways , is the hardest part .”
When asked why Microsoft is so passionate about the defense & intelligence domain ? “ These efforts save lives . That ’ s why I come to work every day . I think it ’ s incredibly rewarding to see our customers realising the value of their own digital transformation , and hearing success stories from the field . This matters .”
So digital transformation is about cultural transformation ? “ This is very much a people story . This is about people and their interactions with the system . As Peter Drucker says , ‘ Culture eats strategy for breakfast ’. One of the things we do at Microsoft , and one of the things that brought me here , is that we put people and mission at the core of everything we do . We frame every digital transformation around the customer need , and their challenges and stakeholders .
“ There ’ s a lot of uncertainty around digital transformation . People might not know what it means for them or for their job . They might be worried . ‘ Is my role going to change ? Do I have the right skills to do this ?’ For every organization that is transforming , your number one objective has to be bringing your people along on that journey , and getting it right so that it works for them . And that is certainly true for defense and intelligence as well . Digital transformation is a people story , and Microsoft is a mission partner .”
technologymagazine . com 267