FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Imagine a battlefield where systems can’t “speak” the same language. Data silos, communication barriers and inefficiencies hinder mission success. Two Defense Logistics Agency leaders point to digital interoperability as the solution to gaining decision advantage on the battlefield and beyond in a white paper published in National Defense magazine.
DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly and DLA Chief Information Officer Adarryl Roberts illustrate in the paper how merging real-time data and situational awareness will help U.S. and allied forces make smart choices in supply chain management.
DI is fundamental to DLA maintaining a responsive, efficient and secure logistics network that supports global military operations, they wrote. It embraces real-time visibility of inventory levels, shipping statuses and supply chain disruptions while also minimizing redundancy and errors and lowering operational costs.
According to the paper, DI allows DLA to quickly scale operations up or down as missions change. This flexibility is crucial for responding to emergencies, humanitarian missions and rapid deployments, Simerly and Roberts wrote. It also helps DLA better anticipate and respond to disruptions like supply shortages and transportation delays. This improves the resilience of the defense supply chain, reducing risks associated with mission-critical operations.
DI even enhances cybersecurity, reducing vulnerabilities across the supply chain, they added. Standardized protocols and cybersecurity measures help protect sensitive information and ensure the integrity of defense logistics operations, providing a unified security posture with improved threat detection and response.
The paper is available on DLA's Campaign of Learning webpage (DLA common access card required), which features additional white papers and a curated reading list on topics like data analytics and artificial intelligence.