PA Consulting Group – the leading international management, systems and technology consultancy – has recently won a major contract from the UK Ministry of Defence’s Research Acquisition Organisation to research, define, develop and de-risk advanced logistics concepts, which will have important implications for the transportation and management of materiel throughout the future defence supply chain.
Working as Prime Contractor, PA Consulting Group is leading a joint industry and academic team to assess and develop the inter-modal and asset/consignment tracking concepts and technologies that are required to meet current and future logistics requirements. PA and the team will also ensure that the integration of these concepts and technologies is de-risked effectively in support of future logistic related acquisitions.
The complete programme of work is scheduled to be completed by May 2009, and its output will be used to inform decisions to progress with full development, procurement and fielding of an integrated inter-modal transport and tracking system.
Lessons learnt in Iraq and other theatres demonstrate the need to be able to transport materiel efficiently through the supply chain, while at the same time identifying and tracking materiel being shipped to and within theatre. The programme of work will identify opportunities to address these needs and to de-risk the technologies necessary to realise them.
The team, led by PA, comprises BMT Defence Services Ltd, Consillium (part of the Wincanton Group), Cranfield University, Lotus Engineering, and the Marshall Group’s Aerospace and Specialist Vehicle Divisions. It brings together the best of defence and civil logistics expertise and will draw upon recent developments in commercial logistics (including the exploitation of new technologies (RFID, GPS etc) and working practices. PA combines its scientific and engineering capability (based in its dedicated technology centres in Cambridge, UK, and Princeton, US) with its in-depth experience and understanding of UK Defence and logistics challenges.
