BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services personnel recently celebrated the conclusion of a major transition from Distribution Standard System to the new Warehouse Management System. Agency leaders said a change of this magnitude required teamwork from across the agency to make WMS adoption a success.
“I’ve been a part of many of these types of deployments, but this is unique from what I’ve seen in the past,” said James Johnson, Program Executive Officer for DLA Information Operations. “One of the keys that helped get to where we are today is teamwork. The teamwork I saw was impressive.”
The sentiment was echoed by DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon as he addressed the crowd during a June 12 celebration ceremony at the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he praised the team’s approach to accepting this new system.
“This was, in fact, a team effort,” said Cannon. “We had people embracing the change and the entire workforce embraced this transition at the sites.”
Throughout the adoption process, all phases of the agency were in lockstep - headquarters, training, information technology and others, as WMS went from a plan to full implementation in less than two years.
“The fact that you all collectively were able to deliver a program of this magnitude in less than 18 months is something I have not seen - and I have delivered many Department of Defense programs,” said Johnson.
Such a major shift requires a large amount change for daily users in the field. This is where agency leaders said that effective training becomes paramount, and DLA’s training cadre was up to the task.
“When asked about the [WMS] training, at least 12 individuals told me that was the best training they have gotten during their time at DLA,” said Cannon.
With the help of so many within the agency, WMS is now in use across 70 DLA Disposition Services sites worldwide, and in a year of transformation, one of the biggest and most profound changes is complete.
“This amazing work force – this amazing team – took a monumental task and brought it to fruition in under 18 months,” said Cannon. “And you can’t imagine how proud I am to be a part of this team.”