An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 15 MILITARy LOGISTICS as a Business BY CAPT GILLIAN COSTELLO J4 LOGS BR PhOtOS BY CPL COLUM LAWLOR (105 SQN) T he DF reorganisation of 2012 finalised the transition from Logs Admin Section to J4 Logistics Branch. Col tony hanlon (now Brig Gen) was appointed director and established a comprehensive programme in support of the ongoing transformation. As part of this, a two-day senior logisti- cians' conference was held in Farmleigh House in September with the theme of 'military logistics as a business' and featuring presentations from the General Staff, industry experts, and academics. This was a landmark event in underpin- ning the branch's strategic intent of being recognised as exemplars in supply-chain management and supply-chain opera- tions, and as innovators in logistics. In his opening remarks Col Hanlon ar- ticulated the requirement to bring about a cultural shift in both the DF logistics customer and those who provide support service to them along the supply chain. The delegates, BQMSs, RQMSs, and WOs, representing the senior enlisted logistics managers in the organisation, were provided with thought-provoking presentations from Lt Gen O'Boyle (COS), Rear Admiral Mellett DSM (D COS Sp), and Brig Gen Campbell (ACOS), which clearly demonstrated the importance that the General Staff affords to the logistics function. D COS Sp spoke about 'the willingness to innovate' and how it related to supply- chain management. His presentation challenged the delegates to consider that through innovation and looking beyond traditional organisational boundaries, the organisation can become a significant en- abler in support of the national economy. Lt Gen O'Boyle's keynote speech was on transformation and the defence supply chain. The COS pointed out that the logistics function is considered by all defence planners as the key enabler in the achievement of mission success, and also applauded the professional competence and exceptional outcomes achieved by the logistics family in the course of cur- rent overseas deployments, most notably the recent deployment to Syria. Brig Gen Campbell's presentation dealt with leadership and provided deep insights into all aspects of the topic, par- ticularly in the context of transformation. Dr Graham Heaslip (capt retd), NUIM School of Business, moderated an inter- active session that began with a presen- tation on the challenges faced by the modern-day logistician. The delegates then formed syndicates on topics linked to his presentation. This was a hugely successful part of the conference, linking academic theory, business modelling and the military paradigm, and concen- trated the minds of the delegates on where our focus should be in order to in- stitutionalise commercial best practice. The conference delegates also trav- elled to the Aviva Stadium where BQMS Declan Meade (retd) of the IRFU delivered a witty and hugely relevant presentation highlighting the transferability and value of military logistics skills and training. Other conference highlights included presentations by DHL (on supply-chain control towers, which enable them to make more informed, timely and effi- cient business decisions) and Westward Scania (highlighting the importance of analytics and driving behaviours in large-fleet management). One of the key lessons from the latter presentation was that monitoring driver behaviour remotely and regular training could deliver fleet fuel savings of up to 20%: a clear example of how analysis linked to the human factor can reduce costs. The value of continuous professional development was a theme that repeat- edly emerged. Mr Joe Collins and Ms Margaret Connolly from IT Carlow's Life-Long Learning Department provided an enlightening perspective on the importance of further education. Their presentation addressed the challenges, outcomes and success of their experi- ences with DF students on the business and supply-chain management diploma course. It was interesting to hear their perspective on the DF students, and particularly how vastly experienced they were in core aspects of supply- chain management and how the tutors learned as much from their students as the students learned from them. Delegates to the conference left in no doubt that the business of running a €1.3bn supply chain is a challenging one and that they occupied a pivotal leader- ship role in enabling and enriching the supply-chain transformation process. In the course of his concluding remarks, Col Hanlon highlighted the enormous shift in how the DF delivers its support services, saying: "We are no longer soldiers, but defence business- men and businesswomen." The bottom-line for all in the defence family is to recognise that we must adapt, be agile, and treat military logis- tics as a business.

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