The digital transformation of intelligence analysis
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-03-2017-0020 |
| Date | 03 July 2017 |
| Published date | 03 July 2017 |
| Pages | 393-411 |
| Author | Mark Lawrence Ashwell |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & Finance,Financial risk/company failure,Financial crime |
The digital transformation of
intelligence analysis
Mark Lawrence Ashwell
MLA Consultancy, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to highlight the potential of digital transformation and innovation
opportunities for intelligence analysis. Its focus is the development of individuals to exploit data and
information technologies to better understand and counter organised criminal networks.
Design/methodology/approach –The methodology adopted consisted of an extensive literature review
and interview with practitioners in digital technology and transformation focused on intelligence, crime and
terrorism, plus practical experience and eld study.
Findings –Phenomena including the World Wide Web, social media and interconnectedness are
inuencing all aspects of human activity. Effective digital transformation, focusing on data, information
technologies and people bestows signicant competitive advantage upon those who have transformed.
Applications are making previously complex processes and tasks easier for individuals to understand and
exploit. An activity-based intelligence (ABI) model provides a platform for intelligence transformation. ABI
provides a foundation from which to better fuse and share data to understand and resolve complex human
(wicked) problems. To counter increasingly fast-moving organised crime networks, law enforcement needs to
quickly transform.
Originality/value –This paper serves as a guide to alert and educate law enforcement professionals of the
potential of digital transformation and associated evolving intelligence processes. It offers an appreciation of
the nature of organisations, and the role of innovation within those organisation, required to better appreciate
and tackle complex, human network challenges such as organised crime. It reveals the emergence and
importance of an increasingly applications-based culture and the potential of this culture to simplify and
exploit previously complex, expert-based processes.
Keywords Big data, Innovation, Social media, Agile, Digital transformation,
Activity based intelligence
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
The impact of digital technologies – leveraging the mass interconnectedness afforded by the
evolution of the Internet and World Wide Web – underpins rapid change across all areas of
activity. There is an opportunity for intelligence analysis organisations to take full
advantage of the on-going digital transformation to better understand and tackle the wicked
problems of organised crime and terrorism confronting law enforcement agencies. This
discussion note builds on a presentation to the 2016 Cambridge Think Tank on Security,
Intelligence and Law Enforcement. It attempts to illustrate why and how the community
might innovate to develop an agile, analytical foundation appropriate for the information
age.
Digital transformation
Information age technologies continue to evolve at an unheralded pace. The construct of the
“Internet of Things[1]” and the concept of Big Data analytics are accepted into everyday
thought. We are in the midst of a digital transformation. In their work, “Age of Context”, the
authors Scoble and Israel (2014) illustrate how we are only at the beginning of how every
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Intelligence
analysis
393
Journalof Financial Crime
Vol.24 No. 3, 2017
pp.393-411
©Emerald Publishing Limited
1359-0790
DOI 10.1108/JFC-03-2017-0020
aspect of our activity may be reshaped by the inuence of digital, mobile and social
information phenomena. Major consultancies have recognised that those organisations that
have embraced digital transformation have gained, and continue to gain, the knowledge,
insight and understanding critical to derive competitive advantage over untransformed
competitors. The elements of digital transformation – data, digital technologies and people
and their interrelationship – are illustrated in Figure 1.
The amount and access to data are increasing at an unprecedented rate. Digital processes
and technologies are driving ahead, making it easier to collect, store, discover, share, exploit
and secure that data. Increasingly automated mining and analysis of data are providing
new and exciting insights and understanding in our growingly interconnected world.
Patterns and correlations in the data are revealing opportunities and enhancing
decision-making that is providing potential competitive advantage across a range of
activities. However, the most important component of digital transformation is the people.
Connectedness and innovation are the keys to allowing people to interact with data and
technologies that encourage them to adopt digital age processes and behaviours. These are
themes I build upon in this paper.
The impact of digital transformation
The potential of this process of digital transformation is further amplied in a series of
Capgemini and MIT Sloan white papers (Capgemini Consulting & MIT Sloan Management,
2012). In an initial report, Capgemini assesses how effectively businesses are using new data
technologies (digital intensity) against efforts and leadership initiatives to develop the data
and technology capability of people within an organisation (transformation intensity). A
representative matrix is reproduced in Figure 2.
On the top left – the trend followers – are early adopters of new technologies but who have
not developed their leadership skills to encourage and enable their people to take optimum
advantage of the technologies. At the top right are the transformers who have engaged their
people through a sound digital vision and strong strategic leadership. Capgemini reveals
that transformed companies have signicantly increased revenue, protability and market
valuation over untransformed competitors.
Many of these successful organizations have identied the need for an individual to
provide the focus for digital transformation. They have seen the importance of establishing
a chief digital and information ofcer (CDIO). The CDIO helps shape and drive the vision for
the digital transformation, making most effective use of the emerging technologies and fully
engaging people across the enterprise. A vital element of this process is to develop a data
strategy that is relevant to the organisation, is evolutionary in nature, engages and connects
all of the people in the organization and which is practical and actionable. The strategy must
Figure 1.
Digital transformation
model
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