Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      GBU-31Tech. Sgt. Joseph Munis, 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, builds GBU-31 bombs April 26 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Munis, other Airmen and aircraft were at Hill AFB participating in Combat Hammer, an air-to-ground weapons evaluation exercise which collects and analyzes data on the performance of precision weapons and measures their suitability for use in combat. The Air Force supply chain is complex, playing a critical role in the management of Air Force depot-level repairable and consumable spares across the globe in support of a wide range of weapon systems. (U.S. Air Force by Paul Holcomb)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

AFMC capability roadmap key to evolutionary supply chain risk managementPublished Nov. 30, 2018
                    
                    By Marisa Alia-Novobilski
                    
                    
                    Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
            **WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) --**A comprehensive, cohesive capability roadmap for supply chain risk management, or SCRM, is the driving force behind the work of a cross-functional team led by the Air Force Materiel Command’s Logistics, Civil Engineering, Force Protection and Nuclear Integration Directorate.Air Force activities, operating as “pockets of excellence” have executed varying levels of SCRM practices for the last decade, said David Mathis, an AFMC supply chain manager.“But, we are working to evolve the concept, practice and definition of supply chain risk management across the Department of Defense and Services so our leaders can make more informed, proactive decisions as capabilities are developed and sustained throughout the life cycle. Supply chain risk management is more than a single functional process; it’s a cross cutting capability that needs to be shared and collaborated as we maintain current and develop future systems,” he said.Supply chain logistics have played a key role in warfare since the beginnings of time, with the ability to supply, move and maintain an armed force in operational conditions integral to success or defeat in conflict. The disruption of a fuel supply might lead to an enemy’s inability to launch fighters in a battle. The bombing of a manufacturing facility for engine parts could lead to a shortage of tanks or field vehicles.However, while traditional supply chain activity has focused on managing the risk to a physical commodity, modern SCRM requires a “cradle-to-grave” approach that accounts for risks from the time a requirement is identified through development, sustainment and ultimate retirement of the same.“Why worry about disrupting the physical thing once it’s fielded if I could instead prevent you from fielding or even executing a capability in theater?” said Mathis. “Who is in the global industrial base developing our future systems...who is servicing our current systems...all of these can be supply chain risks. We’re working to get policy, processes and tools in place so we can build a collaborative infrastructure and the tools to mitigate these issues.”Overcoming strategy and culture gaps are two of the biggest challenges the team has overcome since launching the effort, said Mathis, much of which was driven by divergent definitions of SCRM in DoD and Air Force Instructions pertaining to weapons system information and operations, versus sustainment activities. More than 24 functional experts from across AFMC headquarters and centers in conjunction with representatives from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations met in March and August to collaborate on the best way forward for SCRM, identifying convergent roles and processes to streamline as the team moves forward with an evolutionary action plan.“We have formed a common understanding of what supply chain risk management is and have broadened the aperture. Supply chain and risk accounts for more than just the commodity; it’s the whole lifecycle (hardware, software/firmware, and services),” said Mathis.A key focus of the team’s effort centers on eliminating organizational stovepipes which limit the sharing of information and often result in duplicitous efforts that can add time and cost to the acquisition process. This is particularly relevant in the area of vendor assessment, said Edward Kempf, a SCRM program manager at AFMC.“If someone has done a review of a particular supplier that may be relevant to one of our weapons systems at some point in the supply chain, we might want to look at that,” said Kempf. “The information they have collected may be useful for us, or we may determine we need to dive deeper into an assessment. However, we need a governing structure and collaborative tool to enable the push and pull of this information in the environment.”The team’s efforts are achieving results. Risk-based vendor assessments are in place to evaluate supply chain vulnerabilities and determine their integrity and resilience. During these assessments, risks such as parts and technology obsolescence, foreign government influence, financial issues and more have been identified and mitigated, driving tangible mission-focused results leading to weapon system design updates and more agile supply chains. An approved AFMC-wide SCRM action plan is now in place, enabling the team to focus on building the infrastructure and collaborative tools necessary for implementation. The bottom line is ensuring a secure operational environment underlies a quicker, more proactive supply chain for the Air Force.“The bottom line is readiness. We are driving towards a more secure supply chain to make sure we minimize risk as we provide capabilities to our warfighter. We have a goal, and this roadmap will help us to get there,” said Kempf.AFMC 



capability 



roadmap 



supply 



chain 



risk 



management 



Wright-Patterson AFB 



SCRM 



logistics 



civil engineering 



Force protection 



nuclear integration 



AF 



Air Force Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil