|
A new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Information
Technology solution designed by SAP is providing end-to-end management
of logistics aspects
by modern military forces. The new suite of applications support the management
and monitoring of units, personnel
and equipment readiness, from mobilization through deployment, on a
local or global basis. The system also provides readiness status of
such assets to other command and control information systems where
it is integrated into the planning and operational decisions.
According to Major General (USAF Ret) John Barry, VP Defense &
Security at
SAP, the new system provides horizontal integration of logistics
management which boosts the capability and availability of the
entire organization. By applying such technology, units gain more
flexibility and better visibility of their available assets. By
improved maintenance, training and inventory management, the become
better prepared, their planning process is more efficient and the
entire response is more flexible - as they become better equipped
for modern asymmetric war against terror. With the total visibility
to every unit and combat element provided by the system, military
commanders can monitor the status and readiness of units and combat
related assets, "from foxhole to
factory". An important addition introduced in the
Defense & Security system is the support of mobile infrastructure
technology, which was added as a component of the SAP NetWeave
software integration platform. This component enables the execution of field
operations, independent of a direct connection to a central SAP
system. The system can be deployed in the field, and will
synchronize with geographically distributed resources once
communicating is established, over satellite links, combat net radio
networks as well as line or wireless links. The mobile functionality of
the system provides all command levels an end-to-end management and monitoring
of units, personnel and equipment
throughout their contingency. The system operates with standard
laptops, PDAs and PCs. The system supports modern, advanced
information gathering and tracking utilities, such as
barcodes, RF ID tags and other automated tracking and reporting
systems, for improved performance and information delivery.
In the US Army, the Global Combat Support System
planned for initial deployment in FY 2006, will replace 14 major
logistical applications built specifically for military use. The SAP
system is utilizing commercially off the shelf (COTS) software
tools, widely used by the industry, commercial sectors and
governments worldwide. SAP already supports more than 14 NATO member
country governments currently running SAP solutions. SAP for defense & Security is being integrated with several armed
forces, including the US Army, Norway, Denmark, German Army (the Bundeswehr),
the U.S. Navy which uses SAP for managing its shore based logistical
activity, and the Israeli Navy which uses the SAP portal for
integrated information and decision support for the navy command
level. Utilizing the SAP NetWeaver application
infrastructure, the new system can be integrated into an existing
environment of legacy systems. By transforming data from multiple
independent systems the SAP system eliminates "islands" of data, contributing
to improved visibility, usability, accuracy and security of valuable
information resources. Integration of
external business, financials, human resources, supply chain and
logistics is also handled by NetWeaver. Two
features derived from the business sector are are promising to
improve savings and safety in military activities, especially during
training and routine operations. One such benefit is the mapping of assets against liabilities,
ensuring that effectiveness is not compromised. Identifying
ineffective assets and simulating potential alternatives can save
significant resources, when budget cuts are required. The system
also provides total asset visibility which contributes to reduction
in inventories, procurement and warehousing costs, while allowing
for better concentration of limited resources, especially
where the military user is handling logistics and support. When
outsourcing such services, the system can easily link with
commercial service providers, by data exchange among partners such
as government agencies, coalition forces and suppliers. Another aspect of this application is the management of
operations with consideration of specific procedures and guidelines,
which improves the performance of supply chains, suppliers relations
and coordination between supporting forces. While such limitations could
be binding for the management of combat operations, they are very
important at peacetime and during training exercises, to ensure
safety levels and maintain operations within a set budget.
|
