Defence Business: RFID Enables 'Track and Trace' | ADM Mar 07

1 March 2007

By Ian Peek

Defence Logistics enters a new era of automated stores tracking: a new 'Track & Trace' RFID-based system to be rolled out this year will help ensure visibility of stores and equipment throughout the supply chain.

From Sun Tzu to Cosgrove, it's not difficult to find a quote from any of history's iconic commanders about the importance of logistics to success on the battlefield.

Sustaining logistics support to the ADF during a time of heightened operational tempo in multiple areas of operation is an ongoing challenge.

The advent of a new capability removing many of the manual interventions required in tracking materiel through the existing logistic system, will help ensure ongoing high quality support to our forces anywhere in the world.

Under the banner of Joint Project 2077 Phase 2C, Defence is set to roll out a world-class 'Track and Trace' system that will enable automated tracking of stores and equipment through the supply chain anywhere in the world.

Building on the existing Cargo Visibility System (CVS), the new 'Track and Trace' capability incorporates leading edge Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology that will register specially tagged cargo as it passes fixed or mobile choke-point readers.

The progress of the consignment can then be monitored directly through logging on to a standard Defence Restricted Network terminal.

A significant milestone for the Project was the successful trial of a production 'Track and Trace' system which culminated with a demonstration on 6 December 2006 at the Defence National Supply and Distribution Centre (DNSDC) at Moorebank in Sydney.

The demonstration was witnessed by representatives from Joint Operations Command, Joint Logistic Group, Capability Development Executive, Service and operational headquarters as well as a number of operational logistic units.

Those attending saw first-hand how a standard multi-pack consignment fitted with an active RFID tag had been tracked over several days without manual intervention as it passed through fixed readers at Defence facilities in Laverton, Edinburgh, Bandiana, Richmond and Moorebank.

They were also walked through an active demonstration of how cargo can be tracked in real time from a Freight Distribution Centre in the National Support Base through to arrival at a logistics facility in an offshore area of operations.

The 'Track and Trace' capability will provide a number of significant benefits to Defence including reduced in-theatre handling requirements, automated tracking updates at multiple points along the supply chain, more accurate measurement of transit time, and the ability to rapidly located consignments in transit areas.

Significantly, it also represents an important step towards the delivery of a purpose-built Integrated In-Transit Visibility system in 2009 under the JP2077 program of work.

It will also be interoperable with Australia's major Defence partners with an interoperability memorandum of understanding already signed with the US, UK and Canada.

Interoperability testing between Australia and the US is currently being programmed with hardware installation complete and software updates currently in progress.

Once testing has been completed, interoperability can be activated by system settings (no code release is required).

Brigadier David McGahey, Director General Materiel Information Systems, stated that operational commands were enthusiastic about the introduction of the capability.

"Active RFID tagging of containers and pallets will greatly enhance our visibility of vital equipment and spare parts as they travel through our Defence supply chain in support of military operations.

"Feedback from logisticians in the theatre of operations on the implementation has been positive and I look forward to the rollout of the technology in 2007," he said.

The new 'Track and Trace' system is scheduled to be rolled out initially to the Middle East Area of Operations in early 2007 with over 30 military sites in Australia already equipped with fixed RFID readers.

The roll-out will be conducted by the JP2077 Phase 2C Project Team in conjunction with the Defence Logistic Information System (Log IS) Support Team from the Logistic Information Systems sustainment branch of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO).

Phase 2C is a Project within the wider JP2077 program of work. Valued at over $650 million, JP2077 was established to overhaul the existing Log IS environment by delivering the Military Integrated Logistic Information System (MILIS).

MILIS is based on a military off-the-shelf product that will transform the existing Defence Log IS environment by providing a single system to enable end-to-end management of a fully integrated supply chain.

MILIS will drive a number of significant improvements across Defence including supply chain integration, standard business processes and a common user interface for logistics management in barracks and the field.

JP2077 is being managed under the Logistic Acquisition Program, a section of DMO's Materiel Information Systems Branch based at RAAF Williams in Melbourne.