In a data-dense world, can analysts gain decision advantage?
Three points to remember
Decision advantage is now less about gathering more data and more about accessing, sifting, organising, considering and accepting relevant data to drive confidence in analytical outputs.
Analysts need the right tools and environments to work effectively, with technology helping them test ideas, challenge assumptions and make sense of complexity.
Leidos’ work is focused on connecting systems, enabling secure data sharing and helping turn fragmented information into clearer, more actionable insight using advanced analytics.
In a data-saturated world, delivering decision advantage depends on the ability to access, sift, organise, consider and include relevant data to produce confidence in analyses in a complex world.
In his latest paper, developed in partnership with Leidos, Former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, Paul Rimmer CBE, builds on his 2024 paper, The Future Intelligence Analyst, to examine how the analyst’s role is evolving. Drawing on real-world experiences, the paper highlights the reality and challenges of delivering understanding and insight in an era defined by data saturation, accelerated decision‑making and multi‑domain competition—key themes raised in the UK’s Strategic Defence Review.
Rimmer highlights how future intelligence effectiveness will depend less on the collection of more data and more on the ability to integrate, access, exploit and share information securely across domains and classifications, while enabling analysts to make timely, defensible judgements and support decision advantage.
Leidos supports this shift through its role as a trusted integrator, helping customers connect data, systems and people. Our capabilities are designed to enable secure cross domain data sharing, enterprise data transport and analytics that support analyst workflows. By integrating legacy systems with modern digital platforms and hybrid cloud environments, we help enable disparate data sources to be accessible and usable — supporting a more unified operational picture.
Through the application of advanced analytics, Trusted Mission AI and machine‑assisted analysis, Leidos helps analysts compare evidence, test hypotheses and challenge assumptions with greater speed and confidence.
Together, these capabilities are intended to support a shift from overwhelming volumes of disparate data toward more coherent, shareable insights for UK and partner decision-makers.
