Strategic Supply Chain Management - Supply Chain Online

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROFILE: Making the Tail Smaller and the Tooth Stronger 171
◆
◆
Increased reliance on unmanned aerial vehicles. These are useful
for both surveillance and combat.
Joint operations. Coordination of the different service “components”
is essential for effectiveness in today’s defense environment.
In OIF, 78 percent of the sorties flown were in direct
support of special operations forces.
Of course, the Army, Navy, Air Force,
and Marines are not fighting any battle alone.
They are dependent on what’s called the
“tail”: the vast infrastructure that supplies
them, from product development of
weaponry and machinery to transportation
and other services sustaining them. As
Morales says, “Traditionally, defense logistics
has been thought of as supply, transportation,
maintenance, and supporting information
systems and infrastructure. But actually, it’s
supply chain management, integrated weapon
system support, and integrated, shared data
(the knowledge environment), plus materiel
readiness.” Since the scope is so broad, the
concerns range from rightsizing the infrastructure
to rightsizing the inventory and
from transforming the overall logistics processes to demanding performance
standards and accountability from a very young military force.
Because of the scope and speed required to transform the military to
a higher state of readiness, tomorrow’s defense supply chain will be very
different from yesterday’s. To use the parlance of supply chain management,
it will move from a push to a pull
model of customer order fulfillment. One of
the most critical of its characteristics is a
shift from vertical integration to a strategy
of virtual value-chain management based
on deep collaboration with customers, partners,
and suppliers.
The “tail” that supports the “teeth” of
the military is drawing on best practices
from private industry. It is creating greater
partnerships with the private sector than ever
Because of the
scope and speed
required to transform
the military to a
higher state of
readiness,
tomorrow’s defense
supply chain will be
very different from
yesterday’s.
Today, the “tail” that
supports the “teeth”
of the military is
drawing on best
practices from
private industry.