Does the Covid-19 pandemic have to disrupt supply chain and transportation system networks while destroying bottom line? No, not if you have the right person managing for you. The American business mantra is innovation; that is how we achieve results in working around disruptions. This requires leadership strategies and skills which are sometimes hard to find.
USAF Brigadier, General (soon retiring) J.C. Millard’s story caught my attention when we recently were discussing solving a serious supply chain and transportation network disruption which he was asked to fix. I want to share how he solved this with all of you. Maybe this story will ring a bell, as you address and solve your own transport and distribution issues, during this world-wide pandemic.
The Department of Defense identified a rapidly changing security environment and shifted focus from a regional policy to a globally integrated strategy to meet future challenges. Within the Air Force, J.C. Millard was known for his innovative approaches to solving complex problems and was asked to lead a team to rethink global logistics and transportation to compliment the new Department of Defense strategy that could deliver fighting forces AND improve business practices.
What J.C took over was a system covering air, road, rail, and sea, each with its own set of requirements. This was further complicated by the fact that he had to integrate 50 independent systems, spread among four branches of the military. To make matters worse, J.C. discovered that the current model being used, really was not a model at all.
J.C. said, “Each branch of the armed forces had their own specific transportation methods and computer systems designed to support their specific needs. These 50+ independent systems were labor intensive and time consuming. At the end of each day, “visibility” was often provided by phone calls, emails, and an excel spreadsheet.”
That statement stunned me. Had I heard right? Were they using a spreadsheet to manage billions of material and logistics needs because no one had figured out how to get 50 different computer systems to talk a common language?
J.C. went further when he said, “Each system was written several decades ago, [and] did not interface with anything else. There was no End-2-End transit visibility and any expenses generated in the process couldn’t be audited. Additionally, there were 12 key performance gaps hindering our ability to conduct globally integrated operations in order to effectively link transportation requirements with available assets in one system.”
Typical of J.C., he decided that putting a band-aid on this would lead to failure and he elected not to go with the traditional government acquisition strategy, which typically takes five years anyway. “Instead, I championed innovation and sought authorization to build prototypes based on key regions and integrating them globally. As I examined the gaps and looked for solutions, I quickly realized the scope and scale was much larger than just a 3,000 person Headquarters but in fact, touched every military service, Joint Staff, Defense Logistics Agency, and Office of Secretary of Defense Acquisition and Sustainment.
After examining best practices across multi-modal systems and forming several solution sets, I determined the best approach to close those 12 gaps was to integrate a commercial, off-the-shelf Transportation Management System. To do this, I built a fast response team and began our two-phase approach.
The first phase was testing. I ordered a 120-day proof of principle test to make sure my plan was compatible with military data, able to link aerial / seaports, distribution hubs, and staging bases with a common platform, to ensure minimal disruption. The test covered two major lines of business, addressed 38 unique capabilities, and successfully closed nine of the twelve multi-modal operational performance deficiencies.
Test results were conclusive in 90 days, well ahead of schedule. I then moved to the second phase which contracted a TMS integration group and selected “industry best” software to meet our needs, change management, strategic communication, and build strategic partnerships within the Department of Defense.”
J.C. secured approval for a $50 million transportation management system contract that was deployed within 12 weeks and merged government software with the TMS enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. He had successfully closed nine of the 12 gaps.
As J.C. Millard said, “my leadership ability was put to the test, given the scope and scale as well the inherent resistance to change. It really boiled down to building relationships to establish that true footing of trust. I balanced the relationships not only across divisions and business lines, but outside the organization, as well as vertically. I was pleased that the message was carried across a 3,000 person staff impacting 150,000 globally, and that I had the opportunity to improve strategic communications by employing a multi-media strategy including , all social media platforms, conducting town halls, using pod casts, and a closed-circuit TV show.”
I believe that in today’s fast approaching economic disaster, J.C.’s innovative leadership, critical thinking, and team building would be an asset to any company. The really nice thing is that J.C. is one of the most approachable guys I know. I know he would be happy to discuss his ideas with you.
You can reach J.C. via LinkedIn.
Listen to the full Podcast discussion below!
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