EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Many commercial businesses and public institutions are currently in the process of “Digital Transformation” (DT). Driven by increasingly powerful digital technologies, conventionally operated organizations are trying to find ways to adapt their way of working to the digital needs and realities of today. However, given the complexity and the scope of DT, not all of them are able to navigate through this complex endeavour successfully. Research has shown that successful DT is far from being a purely technological issue, as organizations often face major obstacles related to organizational structures and culture, which require a comprehensive strategic assessment.

Military organisations differ from commercial businesses in many aspects. Although they might have some similarities, DT of a “chain of command” structure, as well as IT landscapes that require the high-est security standards and reliability, are aspects that do not appear to be an ideal fit for the require-ments of DT. The organizational complexity of a multi-nation alliance potentially complicates this fur-ther. As DT is seen as inevitable for NATO, strategic decision-makers among allied forces will need to reconsider their approaches to organizational culture, organizational structures, as well as ITlandscapes, in order to adapt themselves for the future ahead.

The purpose of this research paper is to present central topics and findings of the recent literature on strategic aspects of DT and to adopt these to the context of current military organizations. The paper first outlines the overall relevance of DT for organizations and classifies the scope of different

DT initiatives based on 5 different levels. It further describes the particularities and challenges for organizations, showing why DT is different from IT-projects, why this gives great importance to other nontechnological factors, and why it requires a strategic approach to tackle these challenges. The article presents several organizational requirements as well as mechanisms that help organizations to gain more agility in respect to organizational culture, organizational structures, as well as the IT landscape. For each, key aspects and concepts are presented with reference to the latest literature, and explicit considerations for the military are provided. The article concludes with key results and recommenda-tions for NATO and its alliance partners, which are meant as a basis to spur discussions and initiate fur-ther actions.

Keywords: Digital Transformation, Strategic Aspects, Military Organizations, Agility, Requirements