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Logistics personnel at Scott trying new supply chain management program

  • Published
  • By 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Approximately 130 logistics personnel at Scott Air Force Base and several other locations are taking part in the Expeditionary Combat Support System Release 1 Pilot B.
ECSS is the Air Force's logistics Enterprise Resource Planning program, and when fully deployed is expected to transform how the Air Force manages its global supply chain.
"ECSS' potential to improve Air Force Logistics operations represents a possible quantum leap in supply chain management," said General Norton A. Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, at the Logistics Officer Association national conference. "Along with Total Asset Visibility, ECSS will standardize logistics processes and provide an enterprise-wide view of the supply chain, making efforts more efficient and data more precise."

ECSS will integrate all key supply chain stakeholders, including other military services, industry trading partners, Department of Defense, and various federal agencies. Integration will provide global logistics access and the capability to optimize asset management worldwide. Logisticians will be able to see near real-time data and more easily share information, regardless of location or function.

To enable a single logistics solution, ECSS ultimately will replace hundreds of disparate and increasingly costly legacy information systems. It will enable the Air Force to reduce costs, largely by reducing spare parts inventory, and also enable compliance with federal accounting requirements.

R1PB is the second of at least three planned pilots, which the Air Force is using as an operational "proof of concept" with a relatively small group of users to demonstrate system viability without the risk of disrupting daily Air Force-wide logistical operations. R1PB focuses on base equipment management, including master data maintenance, asset management and tracking, general ledger and financial reporting.

Following the pilots, Release 1 is scheduled to begin fielding in 2012, affecting approximately 40,000 users at over 180 major fielding locations. Local ECSS activities are coordinated by Col. Mark Whinnery, 375th Mission Support Group commander and Scott's ECSS Change Agent Coordinator.