NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
Matthew Patane and Damon Marx with the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, along with Mark Cunningham and Cordell Francis, Defense Logistics Agency Legislative Affairs and Emily Vogeler, DLA J3, visited DLA Distribution Headquarters in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, July 1.
DLA Distribution Commanding Officer Navy Rear Adm. Kevin M. Jones remarked to the group that, “As logisticians, we enable the strategic and operational reach needed by the warfighter.”
The visit started with a DLA overview of demand planning provided by Vogeler where she explained that enterprise business rules determine how DLA converts demand to how much stock to put on the shelf. While forecasts are created for faster-moving items, stock levels are based on lead times, coverage durations and safety stock. In addition, minimum/maximum ordering levels are created for slower-moving items. Vogeler went on to explain that the “past history” of orders drives most ordering decisions. Materiel is stocked to ensure DLA can support the warfighter. Vogeler added that, “In this environment, demand can change tomorrow.” She emphasized that collaborations are key with DLA’s industrial and operational customers.
Following Vogeler’s presentation, key Distribution staff provided the group with an organizational overview highlighting DLA Distribution’s global footprint, with particular focus on audit readiness and how Distribution saves the services time and money through forward positioned stock and scheduled truck networks that save the services shipping costs.
Distribution staff also discussed the modernization efforts in the works for the agency that involve designing, building, automating and equipping around simplified processes that leverage technology. In particular, the group discussed the Warehouse Management System that is currently being piloted at DLA Distribution Corpus Christi, Texas. The system is the industry standard and is synched with U.S. Transportation Command’s updated transportation management system. In addition, Distribution is actively involved in three-dimensional printing.
Following the brief, the group toured the DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania’s Eastern Distribution Center, the largest storage facility in the Department of Defense.