# Commentary: First agency director sketches, foretells growth in commodity management

/ Published June 21, 2023
FORT BELVOIR, Va., 
Before his tour as first director of the Defense Supply Agency ended, Army Lt. Gen. Andrew T. McNamara shared his ideas for improving military logistics with Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara. In a report titled “A Look to the Future,” he addressed first the agency’s relationship with the joint chiefs of staff and then improvements in common logistics services. He continued by suggesting new possibilities for commodity management, the clarification of which he believed essential to DSA’s future.

Lt. Gen. McNamara depicted commodity management possibilities in graphs. Each graph listed activities involved in managing commodities on the left. Secretary McNamara would have understood these steps from his time at Ford Motor Company. Every production item – whether Army rocket or Mustang roadster – starts in research, consists of parts that need to be procured and ends in customer hands. The tops of the graphs identified commodities. Unlike static management actions, commodities were divisible by supply class, weapon status and complexity. Also differing from graph to graph were responsibilities, annotated on the graphs by shading at the intersections of management lines and commodity columns. Those responsibilities belonging to DSA were shaded one pattern; those belonging to the services were shaded another.

Lt. Gen. McNamara used graphs to emphasize how much more DSA could be doing. Though he believed the agency “a successful modest experiment in integrated management,” it had yet to reach its potential. If Secretary McNamara wished, DSA could apply its efficiency to additional commodity groups and management steps. Even though Lt. Gen. McNamara was making an argument for growing the agency, he did not seek “growth for its own sake.” Instead, his goals were the same as the defense secretary’s: readiness and efficiency for the entire department.

Viewed today, the graphs indicate the degree to which DSA did in fact grow. That Lt. Gen. McNamara was able to draw them in the first place reflects the agency’s success at issuing identification numbers and cataloging item characteristics. That they include functions such as depot activities and reparable purchases reminds viewers of how the agency expanded. While DLA shares too many missions with the services for McNamara’s graphs to be accurate today, even a rough approximation would put it at more-than-half the responsibilities. Much has changed since 1961. “A Look to the Future” is an intriguing look into the past.

                Army Lt. Gen. Andrew T. McNamara included a ‘Current and Proposed Criteria’ chart in ‘A Look to the Future’ to portray the small percentage of commodity management for which DSA was responsible in May 1964.                            230620-D-D0441-1001                            Army Lt. Gen. Andrew T. McNamara included a ‘Current and Proposed Criteria’ chart in ‘A Look to the Future’ to portray the small percentage of commodity management for which DSA was responsible in May 1964.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: NAVIRIN: 230620-D-D0441-1001                One potential for defining DSA’s future role in commodity management vis-à-vis the services was for the agency to focus on secondary items, which Lt. Gen. McNamara believed were being ignored by the services.                            230620-D-D0441-1003                            One potential for defining DSA’s future role in commodity management vis-à-vis the services was for the agency to focus on secondary items, which Lt. Gen. McNamara believed were being ignored by the services.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: NAVIRIN: 230620-D-D0441-1002                Another potential for defining DSA’s future role in commodity management vis-à-vis the services was for the agency to focus on less-complex items, which Lt. Gen. McNamara defined as having few components and being more civilian than military in their characteristics.                            230620-D-D0441-1003                            Another potential for defining DSA’s future role in commodity management vis-à-vis the services was for the agency to focus on less-complex items, which Lt. Gen. McNamara defined as having few components and being more civilian than military in their characteristics.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: NAVIRIN: 230620-D-D0441-1003                A third potential for defining DSA’s future role in commodity management vis-à-vis the services was management-centric rather than item-centric. The services would be responsible for developing and deploying all items in military inventory, as well as retail activity. DSA would be responsible for lifecycle management activities for all items except weapons.                            230620-D-D0441-1004                            A third potential for defining DSA’s future role in commodity management vis-à-vis the services was management-centric rather than item-centric. The services would be responsible for developing and deploying all items in military inventory, as well as retail activity. DSA would be responsible for lifecycle management activities for all items except weapons.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: NAVIRIN: 230620-D-D0441-1004