Amentum’s Smart Logistics

Smart Logistics
The increasing complexities of a connected world and persistent federal budgetary pressures call for innovation and a unique way of managing complex processes and operations. Processes that involve end-to-end supply chains and inventory control are no exception. Amentum leverages industry-leading expertise, processes, and technology to ensure the availability and reliability of our clients’ vital equipment. Our innovative technology solutions, repeatable processes, and expertise ensure operational readiness and extends the life of vital equipment.

 

Smart Logistics can be defined as the combination of traffic management structuring and navigation for optimal use of system and logistics management (organizing, planning, control, and execution of the flow goods) by effective data usage.

 

Smart Logistics is based on information technology, adopting innovative technologies, in all operations conducted inside and outside the warehouse. Coverage spans from the loading docks to distribution and final delivery to the customer. The implementation of these technologies and automated logistics systems ensures maximum, nonstop operational throughput. Simply stated, Smart Logistics involves the implementation of smart devices to automate logistics operations.

 

Different from traditional logistics, smart logistics will calculate the most scientific and reasonable method to help solve supply chain decision-making problems. These scalable, flexible, and future-oriented technologies make operations more efficient, effective, and smarter. Traditional supply chains are no longer sufficient, and companies require new ways to gain an advantage to achieve supply chain competitiveness.

 

Amentum’s 3 Key Elements of Smart Logistics

 

Predictive Stockage

 

Logistics is becoming increasingly demanding. organizations and companies must adopt flexible strategies to cope with market fluctuations, adapt to changes in consumer needs, while also ensuring deliveries in the shortest time possible.

 

The Department of Defense (DoD) is no different. The DoD has adopted a Data Strategy to become a more data-centric organization. In the opening of the strategy document, Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist called on all defense leaders to “treat data as a weapon system and manage, secure, and use data for operational effect.” The DoD’s data strategy emphasizes the importance of data for survival on the modern battlefield. When information exists in silos leaders are unable to leverage it to our military advantage.

 

Predictive analytics of stockage levels for battlefield equipment and supplies is incredibly important for forward operating bases (FOBs) or any forward deployed scenario. Predictive analytics enables Amentum to forecast the changing demands of the supply chain. With predictive analytics, Amentum can predict consumer behaviors while organizing storage and order-picking tasks in advance to optimize shipping times among other functions.

 

With the help of advanced technologies and data analysis, Amentum can proactively customize its supply chain to meet a given customer’s needs. Using predictive technologies such as cloud-based inventory management and machine learning algorithms to extract valuable insights from historical datasets (e.g., stock levels and pricing), Logistic Managers can eliminate overstocking, ensure on-time deliveries, and optimize customer service levels.

 

Optimized Order Ship Time
Ensuring orders ship out on time is critical to any organization. Predictive analytics allows Amentum to develop and quickly modify various strategies for scheduling loading dock occupancy, planning delivery routes, and optimization of communications with transport providers. Amentum can plan for any type of risk that could potentially prevent an order from being ready for shipment within the scheduled time frame. This information, based on objective data, enables companies to make decisions on setting up additional pick stations or adjusting staffing assignments. Amentum’s goal is to guarantee that orders are delivered to customers at the agreed-upon time and place.

 

All shippers’ performance (land, sea, or air) is dependent on multiple factors such as their distribution zones, shipping volume, and service levels. Using predictive analytics, companies can compare various shipper’s performances based on standard metrics and outcomes in real-time to accurately forecast transport and carrier options and delivery expectations months in advance. This allows for increased supply chain visibility along with enhanced transportation management and optimized shipping costs.

 

In-Transit Tracking/Visibility

 

Amentum uses Third-party shippers to move equipment and stockage from location to location, and by using predictive analytics they enable improved visibility of shipment location and status. By getting data via tracking devices deployed at distribution centers, delivery trucks, and based upon historical data (e.g., traffic conditions), Amentum can identify the most viable option for fulfilling orders and reliably forecasting ETAs.

 

Predictive analytics helps shippers use historical data and real-time trends to prepare models for multiple scenarios and identify workable solutions. This way, businesses know exactly how to respond to issues such as delivery delays, shipping rate spikes, and carrier capacity constraints.

 

In addition, shipping analytics allows for the integration of logistics management systems and data analytics capabilities to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies allowing them to mitigate and prevent potential delays or shipping breakdowns.

 

What We Bring to the Fight

 

“We provide our clients a proactive edge by leveraging an advanced program that enhances data quality through real-time visibility, improved inspections and data readings to increase our asset knowledge and predictive maintenance capabilities and analysis,” said Dr. Karl Spinnenweber, President of Amentum’s Critical Missions Group. “Our award-winning approach decreases mean time to repair and increases mean time between failures for our client’s key assets by taking advantage of the quality data gained via Maximo’s Mobile Informer app that allows us to analyze it through a robust data analytics platform.”

 

Amentum’s Data Analytics Center of Excellence (CoE) is comprised of people, processes, platforms, and tools that coalesce into expert advisory services to help operationalize data. Our Data Analytics CoE acts as a dual-purpose collaborative center for analytics-led transformation across Amentum (internal enterprise) and for our customers (external-facing). Our internal initiatives focus on our corporate processes and data. Our external-facing offerings make use of customer-centered design approaches that include working closely with key customers and end-users to ensure alignment with program objectives and value maximization for end-users. Two ways we leverage predictive analysis includes the following:

 

1) Data Analysis for Workforce Management focuses on providing predictive staffing. One of the biggest challenges across the DoD is hiring the right talent. Amentum adopted a data analytics application that aggregates data from all our programs into a single Common Operating Picture that pulls from all our Programs of Record, i.e., our hiring system, HR system, and requisition system. Our data analytics and visualization tool amalgamate the data inputs to produce simple-to-use data interpretation and visuals that our strategic recruiters and program managers use to conduct turnover forecasting and reduce the impact of programmatic vacancies. The output of the analytics highlights the positions that are at the highest risk of a vacancy, creating sourcing priorities for recruiters.

 

Amentum’s time to fill (average) for programs that have not yet moved to this model is 29 days. However, programs now using the combination of our Data Analytics for Workforce Management tool have achieved as low as 10 days, a nearly 65% reduction, both well below the industry average of 47 days.

 

2) Predictive Combat Power and Maintenance for battlefield equipment and supplies is incredibly important for forward operating bases (FOBs) or any forward deployed scenario. Our team implemented a Predictive/Prognostic Maintenance (PPMx) solution for an Army Aviation customer. We deployed an artificial intelligence and machine learning-based solution that uses historical data on asset classifications, repairs, vendors, and maintenance plans to predict current asset conditions and causes of failure. Our customers will be utilizing these solutions to better monitor asset health, optimize maintenance schedules and costs, and gain better insights of operational risk and planning. They can realize efficiencies by looking at Remaining Useful Life (RUL) charts of assets, minimize time to diagnose asset failures, and prevent future failures. Using our PPMx tool, our team was able to predict repair costs and predict future failures.

 

Amentum’s Established Global Buying Power resulting in minimizing cost while maximizing responsiveness. Amentum has executed $82B in procurements over the last 24 years, which equals 1.6M purchase order line items. We have a network of approximately 10,000 approved suppliers with experience in providing OEM items. Eighty-seven percent of our executed purchase orders are recognized by our approved suppliers through our Supplier Management System Portal which seamlessly integrates with Maximo and other CMMS Toolsets.

 

Utilizing Amentum’s Transportation Management System (TMS) allows for routing both inbound shipments from our suppliers and outbound shipments from our sites. Shipment rating and bookings are performed automatically (based on most favorable terms for specific delivery requirements) with larger shipments for full truckload movements, air freight movements or ocean freight movements being sent out to bid to our freight forwarders for spot quotes. Additionally, Amentum’s TMS provides shipment visibility from the moment a shipment is scheduled through delivery to the customer.

 

In the world of Smart Logistic, where the stakes are high and failing is not an option, Amentum is leading the way in the integration of cutting-edge infrastructure and warehousing solutions, Big Data Analytics, and digitization. By investing in new systems that streamline operations and enable rapid problem solving, Amentum will continue to provide the highest level of quality of service to its customers.