Logistics Research and Development Technology (Log R&D)

Abstract

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is responsible for providing to the Military Services, other Federal Agencies, as well as combined and allied forces, the full spectrum of logistics, acquisition and technical services. DLA sources and provides virtually 100 percent of the consumable items the military services need to operate – including food, uniforms, fuel and energy, medical supplies, construction and barrier materials, equipment, and more than 85 percent of the military’s spare parts. DLA also provides logistics related services such as logistics information data management, the reutilization of military equipment, as well as documents automation and production services. DLA’s Logistics Research and Development (Log R&D) program helps ensure that advanced logistics concepts and business processes are used to accomplish the agency’s mission with the leanest possible infrastructure. Log R&D identifies the best commercial business practices and tailors them, as necessary, into the most effective business processes for the agency. Log R&D develops and demonstrates high risk, high payoff technology that provides a significantly higher level of support at the lowest possible costs. Beginning in FY 2023, the DLA Log R&D Program Element shifts from three Strategic Focus Areas to three Lines of Effort (LOEs): Predictive Analytics, Modeling & Simulation (R&D LOE 3), Logistics Operations Innovation (R&D LOE 4), and Smart Warehouse Modernization (R&D LOE 5). These LOEs are closely aligned to documented and tracked priorities specified in the most current DLA Strategic Plan, that calls for Digital Business Transformation as one of three critical capabilities to achieve DLA’s business goals of enhancing performance, reducing costs, and becoming more predictive and data driven. This critical capability also seeks to transform systems and processes to improve data transparency, reliability, and security for our employees, customers, and suppliers. DLA’s initiatives within this critical capability align with the interim National Security Strategy (NSS) by emphasizing the importance of harnessing rapid emerging technologies that will transform how we do business. - Predictive Analytics, Modeling & Simulation (R&D LOE 3): R&D efforts develop predictive analytics solutions using data and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) to solve high-impact problems, improve business operations, and provide actionable strategies to inform business decisions. Primarily focused on the DLA Strategic Plan Critical Capability C: Digital Business Transformation, these efforts cut across DLA Strategic Plan LOE 1: Warfighter Always, LOE 2: Trusted Mission Partner, and LOE 4: Modernized Acquisition and Supply Chain Management, supporting the warfighter through the Weapon System Sustainment (WSS) portfolio of projects. - Logistics Operations Innovation (R&D LOE 4): R&D efforts to cultivate integration of innovative processes and technology into the DLA supply chains to enhance warfighter readiness and weapons system sustainment. This LOE focuses on supporting the DLA LOE 4: Modernized Acquisition and Supply Chain Management, while also investment in cross-cutting supply chain efforts, to include fuel quality and alternative fuel sources, or emergent needs that impact DLA’s ability to effectively support the warfighter through the following portfolios: Energy Readiness Program (ERP), Acquisition Modernization Technology Research (AMTR), and Supply Chain Management (SCM). - Smart Warehouse Modernization (R&D LOE 5): R&D efforts to modernize distribution and disposition operations through infusion of smart-warehousing, interconnected technologies, and automation. This LOE is dedicated to one of the primary focus areas of DLA’s Critical Capability for Digital Business Transformation: warehousing modernization through efforts within the Strategic Distribution and Disposition (SDD) portfolio of projects. Until the shift from SFAs to LOEs in FY 2023, DLA LOG R&D remains aligned into three Strategic Focus Areas (SFAs) for FY 2021 and FY 2022: 1) Enhancing Analysis, Modeling, and Decision Support (EAMD), 2) Improving Logistics Processes (ILP), 3) Emergent Logistics R&D Requirements (ELR). - The EAMD SFA includes efforts to develop decision support tools, such as modeling, simulation, and other analytics to improve operational strategy decision-making, forecasting, and procurement, which support more effective and efficient responses to emerging market and customer requirements. - The ILP SFA includes efforts to develop and implement advanced technology in logistics processes over and above current baseline systems. - The ELR SFA includes efforts to support emergent Logistics R&D requirements that arise out of the budget cycle. These out of cycle requirements always occur. This SFA begins new projects in a timely manner without disrupting ongoing projects by funds reallocation. This SFA scope includes all DLA supply chains and logistics processes. DLA’s focus for this budget cycle highlights advanced capabilities in digital and technical data modernization, management and analytics to transform DLA Business Processes to lower the Agency’s material acquisition and operation costs along with improving weapons systems support. This effort spans across both DLA R&D Program Elements and multiple R&D LOEs, impacting across the DOD Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel and DLA Enterprise logistics processes.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2023
• Source ID: 0603712S_3_0400_PB_2023
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2023 funding increase reflects the fact that the FY 2022 President’s Budget request did not include out-year funding. FY 2023: -DLA Logistics R&D baseline was increased by $0.697 million for an internal funding reallocation decision to modernize DLA's warehousing and distribution processes by leveraging automation, Big Data, and predictive analytics to make data-driven decisions, improve productivity and cost effectiveness, and realize returns on investment as agency savings.
• Service Agency Name: Defense Logistics Agency

Entities

Organizations

• Defense Logistics Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Autonomy
• Cyber
• Energy and Power Technologies
• Engineered Resilient Systems
• Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Artificial Intelligence
• Big Data
• Blockchain
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Data Analysis
• Data Management
• Data Mining
• Fuel Additives
• Information Science
• Intelligent Automation
• Logistics
• Machine Learning
• Quantum Computing
• Supply Chain
• Supply Chain Integrity
• Supply Chain Management
• Test And Evaluation

Readers

• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

Technology Areas

• AI & ML
• AI & ML - DoD AI Strategy