To improve defense readiness and value for money, the MOD partnered with Capgemini to modernize its procurement process across multiple commercial teams. Built on Microsoft Power Platform, ADAPT replaces fragmented manual processes with a single workflow and dashboards. Automating 129 steps has significantly reduced manual effort in RAF Commercial, improved data reliability fourfold, and reduced reporting preparation time by 60%.

Tackling efficiency and value for money in one go

The MOD manages a wide range of procurement activities through commercial teams supporting the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force (RAF), and other defense organizations. Previously, requests could arrive via email or phone to the commercial function, where they might sit with an individual and lack consistent triage. Requests could also be vague, making it harder to define requirements and prioritize work. This limited visibility made it difficult to see what was already in the pipeline, identify duplication, or intervene early when a request could be stopped or redirected.

After creating the Accelerated Define and Procure Tool (ADAPT) as an early workflow solution for the RAF commercial team, the MOD partnered with Capgemini to develop and scale it across commercial operations to improve value for money. The aim was to make request intake and procurement activity more methodical and transparent by further developing and strengthening ADAPT – supporting governance and helping teams use their time more efficiently.

Building a reusable delivery model

Working together, the MOD and Capgemini developed ADAPT as a digital “front door” for commercial requests and a workflow to manage them through defined tasks and approvals. Built primarily on Microsoft Power Platform, ADAPT helps teams capture requests consistently, create transparency on status, and assign activities such as completing a business case, gathering required details, and securing approvals. By moving key steps out of email chains and into a shared workflow, ADAPT helps reduce avoidable back-and-forth and improves auditability.

The MOD and Capgemini evolved the solution throughout its roll-out waves. Following the successful RAF go-live in summer 2025, the partners’ approach has continued to adapt and accelerate delivery to other commercial teams in the MOD. Capgemini supported the organization’s change management strategy with user playbooks for customers and commercial officers, tutorial videos, and knowledge depository. In addition, the team delivered face-to-face training at Royal Navy, Army, and RAF headquarters with over 150 commercial officers, enabling the establishment of “super users” who help tailor elements of the solution within agreed rules and guidance, and who support each other through a cross-team network.

To enhance decision-making and performance management, Capgemini provided Power BI dashboards that show team-level activity while also feeding into an overarching, organization-wide view. This helps teams monitor workload, cycle times, and where tasks may be taking longer than expected, enabling targeted improvements and training based on evidence.

By using a repeatable delivery approach and reusable workflow patterns within Power Platform, the MOD can onboard additional teams more efficiently while keeping governance and user experience consistent. While the initial RAF rollout ran for 24 weeks end-to-end, subsequent implementations for the Royal Navy, Army, and Defence Digital reused this foundation, reducing delivery time to 13 weeks per deployment – on average 30-40% cheaper and 40-50% faster.

A clearer view for all

With ADAPT in place, commercial teams can see the workload in the pipeline and the status of individual procurements in one system, improving visibility for both planning and governance. This increased transparency supports earlier decisions to stop work that is unnecessary or duplicative, rather than adding it to backlogs. It also helps commercial officers identify where additional guidance or training may be needed by showing how long tasks are taking and where requests tend to stall.

ADAPT is designed for a broad internal customer base across the MOD, including civil servants and uniformed personnel. For example, teams seeking to renew a contract for goods or services can submit a request through a structured route rather than relying on informal email threads. Commercial officers can also identify where an existing contract is already in place, supporting better use of public funds and reducing avoidable procurement efforts.

The next phase of work is focused on moving from implementations built in a command digital space towards an ADAPT capability within Defence Digital – the organization responsible for ensuring effective digital information and technology is put into the hands of the military and business front line – with plans to bring command solutions into a single digital service. This includes role-based access controls so requesters can see their own procurements, while commercial teams can see and manage the wider portfolio. As adoption continues, the MOD can build on top of this consistent workflow foundation while retaining the ability to update and refine guidance through super users as rules evolve.

“From the very start, Capgemini was engaging and supportive. They quickly established that the task was more complicated than first described during the discovery phase and proof of concept; however, this never troubled the team, and they put together a plan for delivery with the milestones mapped out and a pace that was in line with what the customer wanted.

“They have far exceeded our expectations in terms of delivery, and their professionalism in dealing with the tasks and never-ending changes was exemplary. The project has to date been a success based on this approach, and their passion was evident throughout.

“I am hugely grateful for the work that everyone has put into this, and I am very hopeful ADAPT will be rolled out more widely.”

Andrew Trinick
Head of Air Commercial Major Projects
Royal Air Force