Australian Defence Force - JALO

Managing critical long-life assets worth more than A$2.5 billion is an exacting challenge at the best of times. Compound the complexity with assets of a very volatile nature, multiple independent stakeholders and a requirement for absolute secrecy and you start to fathom the difficulty of the task facing the Joint Ammunition and Logistics Organisation (JALO).

JALO is the group responsible for managing all explosive ordnance for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). That means everything from guided missiles used by the Air Force and pyrotechnics used on naval vessels down to tracking individual bullets carried by Army soldiers on peace-keeping missions overseas.

And it's not just bullets, bombs and shells. Munitions are an integral part of the ADF, but inventory management is only one aspect of JALO's business. It also handles facilities management for a wide variety of technical assets, ranging from wire cutters in helicopters to distress flares and ejection seat rockets used in fighter jets. It needs to track where those assets are and what condition they are in to build a comprehensive picture of the financial and operational status of Australia's defence services.

Attacking the asset management challenge

Accounting for such a diverse set of assets is no mean feat, particularly when the hardware is spread across every corner of Australia and even around the world. The picture is further complicated by security considerations: these are highly sensitive assets and only a small number of authorised users on the Defence Secret Network are permitted to view inventory details. The high cost and risk associated with explosive ordnance also increases the pressure for JALO to perform its duties flawlessly.

In the past, the joint forces organisation struggled to manage assets across each of the services. This was largely due to the fact that the Army, Navy and Air Force all used different processes and platforms to manage their ordnance. In 1988, the Department of Defence appointed Fujitsu to develop a new supply chain and asset management system for use across the entire ADF. The result was COMSARM, a comprehensive platform that was rolled out to the Royal Australian Navy in 1989, the Royal Australian Air Force in 1995 and the Australian Army in September 2000.

Today COMSARM is a world-leading logistics platform that is the envy of many allied defence organisations overseas. The software enabled the ADF to consolidate a number of disjointed systems and simplify both supply chain and internal logistics processes. In addition, COMSARM helped the ordnance organisation comply with stricter accounting controls monitored by the Australian National Audit Office.

JALO and Fujitsu have invested more than a decade's work in developing the COMSARM system and enhancing its management capabilities. An August 2000 Department of Defence review of logistics systems recognised the success of the COMSARM project as a pointer for future development efforts. As a result, a new initiative to consolidate and improve whole-of-ADF logistics systems was launched in early 2003.

Common data, unique applications

Building on the success of COMSARM, this initiative is showing how the ADF can successfully leverage information technology throughout its complex organisation. Previous efforts to standardise processes and platforms between the different services and units often struggled to overcome the diversity of needs and procedures required - usually for good reason - by each of the ADF's constituent parts.

In contrast, COMSARM is succeeding by standardising wherever possible but supporting difference where necessary. In technical terms, this vision is being realised through a three-tier client/server architecture that separates a common data layer from heterogeneous application and presentation layers. The project began by identifying a base level of integration keys that could be shared across the three services - details such as part numbers, date received, date required and quantities. Establishing this foundation layer enabled the same data to be used by applications that were tailored to the unique requirements of each service.

With JALO driving the process reform and behind-the-scenes management changes that were needed, Fujitsu was able to concentrate on the application development. The Fujitsu team is working closely with JALO and asset managers from the three services to define application requirements, apply the agreed integration keys, establish a middleware messaging framework and build the individual applications for Army, Navy and Air Force users. At the back end, all these applications are powered by a single Progress relational database.

The logistics database is sufficiently small that it is conceivable to deploy the next-generation COMSARM system on laptop computers. This would give munitions officers and quartermasters in the field immediate access to inventory details and ordering facilities. Portable deployment would increase visibility and enable faster and more accurate management by authorised users on the ground.

Rapid response keeps the project moving

Fujitsu is now helping JALO build a Web-based graphical user interface for COMSARM to improve useability, accuracy and management functionality. Results to date have been impressive, thanks to Fujitsu's proven ability to define sophisticated requirements documents and translate these into high-quality applications.

Fujitsu has also assisted JALO in managing the development and contracting process. Fujitsu's long-term experience in outsourcing and IT services means its team is very efficient and accustomed to supporting client business requirements. For JALO, this means keeping the project moving and helping define discrete statements of work that can be quickly developed and deployed.

One example of fast turnaround arose when Fujitsu helped develop and deliver detailed new reporting functionality on explosive ordnance within two weeks. This rapid response, coupled with sound application design, made a favourable impression with JALO.

Further proof of Fujitsu's close relationship with Defence comes from the security clearance now afforded to the development team. Building on many years of experience, Fujitsu looks forward to continuing its long-term partnership to meet the long-term asset-management objectives of the Australian Defence Force.