The Defense Department awarded Accenture [ACN] a two-year contract to identify ways that will improve supply chain forecasting techniques throughout the military, according to a company statement.
Accenture said it will work with forecasting, inventory and metrics leads from all branches of the armed services and the Defense Logistics Agency to baseline current practices for forecasting DoD inventory.
Work will focus on the lifecycle of an item or weapons system: when it is fully-fielded, when it has an established operational requirement and when it is being phased out of operations. Accenture will use advanced analytics and simulation tools to determine how enhanced forecasting processes may help improve forecast accuracy, inventory levels and supply chain performance, according to a statement.
Accenture Vice President for Defense Supply Chain Solutions Jeff Miller told Defense Daily in an interview Tuesday Washington Headquarters Services is the contracting agency and the client is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Supply Chain Integration. Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) is a DoD field activity. DoD field activities supply services required by more than one DoD component or military department.
WHS provides consolidated administrative and operational support to several defense agencies, DoD Field Activities, DoD headquarters, various military departments, the White House, and in some capacity to Congress, according to the WHS website.
Accenture spokeswoman Joanne Veto said the contract was awarded Feb. 29.
Miller said the contract is about finding ways to share information among the services. Miller said, for example, if one service had a way of forecasting for something that looked like it would apply to another service, that information could be shared.
“What technology solutions are being used,” Miller said. “Of course, we’re using a lot of what we pull in from our commercial supply chain experience where we see things that have worked in various commercial industries. How can those practices be leveraged, as well?”
Miller said, ultimately, this is about helping DoD do more with less.
“As we can improve those service levels, the Department (of Defense) can identify ways of meeting a service level requirement with less inventory,” Miller said.
Miller declined to specify the value of the contract.