Tactical Logistics Support
Combat Support System and what it
will deliver to the warfighter - and when!
Systems are now in place that have taken GCSS from the theoretical to the practical. Military Logistics Forum recently had the opportunity to pose three questions to Army, Air Force and Marine Corps GCSS offices to see where they are and what common ground they have.
We spoke with Colonel Jeffrey K. Wilson (Army), Phillip Waugh (Air Force) and Lieutenant Colonel Jim Stone (Marine Corps).
Q: How will GCSS change the way the warfighter requests, tracks and receives supplies?
Colonel Jeffrey K. Wilson (Army)
GCSS-Army is a Web-based tactical logistics system that automates processes and integrates functions. Retail supply functionality was first implemented in December 2007 and is successfully operating at the Army National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. Users enter customer supply requirements only once, and they are immediately visible to all parties involved, providing an accurate view and status. The system saves time by automatically batching and transmitting requirements so these functions no longer need to be manually performed at specific time intervals. GCSS-Army eliminates the need for time-consuming processes such as closeouts, backups, restores, and separate input and output logs.
GCSS-Army simplifies the customer reconciliation process, which previously required hundreds of man-hours to execute. A re-engineered process for tracking and adjudicating overdue shipments provides a more precise and timely method for closing and reordering. GCSS-Army managers at all levels have a better view of the supply chain and more tools to accurately and efficiently handle the process.
Lieutenant Colonel Jim Stone (Marine Corps)
Global Combat System Marine Corps [GCSS-MC] is scheduled to begin deployment in fiscal year 2010. It will forever change the way logistics support is delivered to the Marine Corps by providing standardized business processes and cutting-edge technology to Marines in both garrison and deployed environments. Unlike the Corps’ legacy logistics systems, GCSS-MC goes wherever warfighters go to provide Marine Air Ground Task Forces [MAGTFs] and the supporting establishment of an integrated, Web-based system designed to capture reliable, relevant and near realtime information. Requests for products and services are initiated at the lowest possible level, and the system provides a single point of data entry—a combination of functions that translates into improved speed and accuracy of logistics information and improved responsiveness of the logistics chain. In the past, when Marines have been deployed in austere environments, the lack of visible information has caused unfulfilled requests, redundant request and fulfillment, and dependency on forward-deployed materiel. In contrast, GCSS-MC will provide a clear picture of demand and inventory up and down the logistics chain so Marines will know the status of their requests, the availability of inventory and services, and the readiness of their equipment. They will have secure access to the critical information they need to enable faster, better-informed decisions and the flexibility and confidence that comes only with reliable, responsive logistics support.
Phillip Waugh (Air Force)
Prior to GCSS, supply systems were very compartmentalized. Information sharing was accomplished by batch updates at periodic intervals between legacy systems, and third-party applications were used to provide limited fleet or enterprise views of supply chain activity. Warfighters suffered from the lack of real-time business intelligence and limited ability to affect timely changes in response to a very dynamic operational environment.
The introduction of GCSS enabled unprecedented access and integration across legacy systems in near real-time that dramatically changed the way warfighters make support decisions. With a single log-on, users can view asset balances and order status across 300 base-level supply accounts, Air Force depots, and even external suppliers, such as the Defense Logistics Agency. The resulting view of the supply chain in motion enables smarter decisions from an enterprise perspective. Local support priorities are no longer considered in isolation. Instead, critical spares are repositioned to meet the greatest need of the Air Force and the warfighter.
The GCSS architecture also provides a mechanism for development of new functionality that identifies and acts on specific triggers between systems. For example, business rules that identify overdue shipments in one system and automatically checks for a receipt in another system or shipment status through the Global Transportation Network.
Q: How fully integrated and functional throughout the entire supply chain is GCSS?
Phillip Waugh (Air Force)
The supply chain is supported by a collection of nodes made up of numerous systems in various stages of maturity hosted on multiple platforms. GCSS is the net-centric lynchpin that enables a services-oriented solution that ties these systems together. GCSS-Air Force provides a standards-based, open architecture that handles the presentation, security, messaging, collaboration and hosting for many Air Force logistics applications. Some systems are fully integrated within GCSS, while others may only use certain services, or remain an external touch point. In addition, federation across GCSS instances further enables shared services and access to systems outside of the hosting services enclave.
Net-centricity is a key performance parameter for new and legacy systems. GCSS provides the foundation from which to build the bridge between stovepiped applications and fully integrated systems. The entire Air Force supply chain is supported by GCSS to some extent, which should continue to be a core component of future logistics modernization efforts.
Lieutenant Colonel Jim Stone (Marine Corps)
GCSS-Army is taking an incremental approach to fielding that allows for testing and refinement as new functionality is introduced, resulting in a better final product for soldiers. At the same time, the Army Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems [PEO EIS] Enterprise Resource Planning [ERP] Task Force is pursuing a coordinated system integration strategy that will allow GCSS-Army users to benefit from shared capabilities in other Army business areas such as finance and personnel. When fully deployed, GCSSArmy will share integrated data with organizations and personnel throughout the Army business enterprise, from the factory to the foxhole.
GCSS-MC is not just replacing old systems with a new one. It is enabling an entirely new approach to Marine Corps logistics based on simplified and streamlined processes supported by modern technology. Regardless of location, the way logistics work is done and the tools used to accomplish it will be the same. Block 1, the first phase of the program, will integrate tactical-level supply, maintenance and service functionality in a shared data environment. The functional solution will provide the Marine Corps:
- Requests for services, maintenance and supplies with automatic routing to the appropriate authority for approval and fulfillment
- Real-time validated information
- Asset status and availability
- Warranty tracking and management
- Ownership and transfer of assets
- Escalation of requests
- Approvals and funds checking
- Proactive and reactive maintenance
- Maintenance history
- Effective management of resources
- Replenishment of supplies through automatic triggers
- Mobile field service enhanced, the ability work in connected or disconnected modes
Subsequent GCSS-MC blocks will build on previous ones, adding new capabilities over time. When the program is mature and all requirements are fully implemented, it will consolidate more than 200 legacy logistics information systems into an integrated infrastructure that provides seamless end-to-end logistics chain management, advanced enterprisewide planning and joint interoperability.
Q: What are the priorities for the next phase of the program and future enhancements?
Lieutenant Colonel Jim Stone (Marine Corps)
GCSS-MC capabilities will be delivered incrementally. To realize the benefits of integrated, state-of-the-art systems and common business processes as soon as possible, Block 1, the first phase, has been divided into two releases. The initial release, Capability Release 1.1, focuses on providing capability to the MAGTF and the enterprise in three major functional areas: supply, maintenance and request management. This release is scheduled to begin field user evaluation at III Marine Expeditionary Force early in 2010. The second release, Capability Release 1.2, consists of the sophisticated technical solution that will enhance the MAGTF’s ability to access logistics data in any location or environment. Capability Release 1.2 allows for the secure transfer of data between the Nonsecure Internet Protocol Router Network [NIPRNET] and the Secure Internet Protocol Router Network [SIPRNET] and the ability to synchronize data between a continental United States GCSS-MC server [Enterprise Instance] and the scalable, tailored, deployed MAGTF instances that are cloned from the enterprise.
While future blocks of capabilities are still in the planning stage, it is anticipated that they will focus on such areas as transportation/ distribution, engineering, health services, life cycle management, advanced planning and base/garrison functions.
Phillip Waugh (Air Force)
From a logistics or supply chain perspective, the next big event for the Air Force is the integration of the Enterprise Resource Planning Solution—the Expeditionary Combat Support System [ECSS]. ECSS will replace most of the legacy logistics systems in use today, which is a huge undertaking. This phase of modernization will take several years with incremental deliveries of capability.
As you might imagine, it’s important to maintain a stable baseline for the legacy systems being subsumed over the course of ECSS development. However, real-world events, such as securing the nuclear enterprise, will almost certainly drive some legacy system modifications. In addition, there are a small number of systems that will not be subsumed by ECSS. These systems, and the aforementioned modifications, will continue to target enterprise hosting and the shared services offered by GCSS.
Colonel Jeffrey K. Wilson (Army)
The GCSS-Army project office is capturing lessons learned in the 2007 release at the National Training Center and is applying them to future implementations. The next release, scheduled for 2010, will include unit-level supply, property book, ground maintenance, and tactical finance support capabilities at the National Training Center. A future release planned for 2011 will address aviation maintenance, ammunition, environmental health and safety, and cost management functions. It is estimated that more than 170,000 soldiers will use GCSS-Army when it is fully deployed. ♦
_____________________________________
Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Jim Stone is the senior Marine/director for global implementation. Phillip Waugh is with Air Force Headquarters 754th ELSG/ ILSS. Army Colonel Jeffrey K. Wilson is the project manager Global Combat Support System-Army (GCSS-Army).