Department of Defence

Federal Government

Federal defence department. ERP system blew out from $1.5B to $3.5B (IBM/SAP).

Outsourcing Summary
Based on AusTender records and public reporting.

Outsourcing Vendors

9

Total Contracts

85

Work Performed In

Via outsourcing vendors

Defence ERP managed by IBM with SAP platform. $3.5B and counting. ANAO found Defence was leaving ERP decisions to contractors. IBM bill alone $575M.

In Plain English

  • Department of Defence has 9 outsourcing vendor relationships recorded on AusTender.
  • Leidos, on panel (AusTender 2007-2025).
  • Accenture, on panel (AusTender 2007-2025).
  • Serco, on panel (AusTender 2007-2025).
  • Infosys, 77 contracts (AusTender 2007-2025).
  • IBM, on panel (AusTender 2007-2025).
  • KPMG, on panel (AusTender 2007-2025).
  • Deloitte, on panel (AusTender 2007-2025).
  • DXC Technology, on panel (AusTender 2007-2025).
  • IBM
  • 6,000 Australian jobs have been cut.

Based on data from public sources at the dates reported. Figures may not reflect current headcount. See sources below for full attribution.

Layoff Events

DateHeadcountLocationDepartmentNotes
1 Jun 20156,000AustraliatechnologyDefence: 6,000 upper-level jobs at risk. Has cut workforce by 17% (~3,000 workers) since 2012. Technology and science experts heavily impacted.

Consultancy Engagements

VendorTypeContract ValueStatus
LeidosManaged ServicesOn panelConfirmed
AccentureConsultingOn panelConfirmed
SercoManaged ServicesOn panelConfirmed
InfosysManaged Services77 contractsConfirmed
IBMManaged ServicesOn panelConfirmed
KPMGManaged ServicesOn panelConfirmed
DeloitteManaged ServicesOn panelConfirmed
DXC TechnologyManaged ServicesOn panelConfirmed
IBMManaged Services

Defence ERP (SAP). Original $1.5B, now $3.5B. IBM bill alone $575M. Due 2025, pushed to 2030. ANAO found conflicts of interest.

Confirmed

What Public Sources Say

All information below is sourced from publicly available documents and reporting. Excerpts are direct quotes. Click source links to verify.

Other
AusTender Contract Data (2007-2025)
All Commonwealth Government contracts over $10,000 published on AusTender since 1 July 2007.
News
Leidos manages Defence IT infrastructure
Leidos provides managed IT services and infrastructure for the Australian Department of Defence.
News
Service NSW digital transformation contracts
Service NSW has used major IT outsourcing vendors including Infosys for its digital transformation and contact centre operations.
News
Defence IT experts vulnerable in latest job cull - iTnews
Defence: 6,000 upper-level jobs at risk. Has cut workforce by 17% (~3,000 workers) since 2012. Technology and science experts heavily impacted.

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This list is not complete, and never will be

If a company isn't listed here, that doesn't mean it doesn't offshore. And every number is the lowest we can prove, so the real figures can often be higher.

Read why

This started as an ASX 200 project and mostly still is. It has widened as stories landed from outside that list, so it now also covers employers that aren't ASX-listed, like Canva, Allianz Australia, SS&C and Crown Resorts, along with government departments and agencies. Companies get added when something surfaces about them, not by working through a list in order.

Australian companies are under no obligation to disclose where their work is done, and there is no register of offshored jobs. Everything here comes from something that surfaced publicly: an annual report, a modern slavery statement, a news article, a union statement, a government contract, or a tip from someone who was there.

So an absence usually means nobody has reported on that company and we haven't got to it yet, not that it keeps its work onshore. Some of the biggest offshorers say nothing at all. And because each figure counts only what a source actually stated, the real numbers can often run higher, sometimes much higher.

Every figure links to the source it came from, so you can judge it yourself rather than take our word for it. If you know something that is missing or wrong, tell us. Corrections are published, not quietly buried.

This profile reflects public information at the time of publication and may not match current operations. Is something wrong or missing about Department of Defence? Submit a correction. We welcome input from companies, employees, and researchers.