Analyst's hunch boosts cut in customer wait time.

Lee Strong looked at the statistics and decided they did not look right.

So he recomputed the Strategic Distribution Management Initiative data on surface shipments to the geographic combatant commanders.

Strong's hunch was right. The 20-percent average reduction in customer wait time for surface transportation in February--when rounded off--was actually 21 percent.

By his own inquisitiveness, Strong upped the MTMC gain in surface freight shipments an extra percentage point.

"This was totally a team effort," said Strong, who specializes in supply chain traffic management in the U.S. Pacific Command.

The added one percent is just another indication of the enormous success the Military Traffic Management Command has had in speeding shipments to customers through the Strategic .Distribution Management Initiative.

While the average time required for global surface shipments in 2000 took 49 days, in February the rate plunged to 39 days--a record 21-percent drop.

"We've already had some good drops in customer wait times with the Strategic Distribution Management Initiative" said Frank Galluzzo, the Director of the Distribution Analysis Center. "Now, for February, we've hit a record of 21 percent reduction worldwide--and we're absolutely delighted. This success means we will just redouble our efforts!"

Many MTMC initiatives are assisting in the reduced customer wait time, said Galluzzo. The initiatives include: putting cargo on the first available ship sailing, preparing advance documentation, speeding one-time-only contract awards, and using direct bookings of containers with ocean carriers.

"A lot of the flexibility within the Universal Services Contract is providing us dividends," said Galluzzo.

The Strategic Distribution Management Initiative is a joint effort by U.S. Transportation Command and the Defense Logistics Agency to speed worldwide military freight shipments. Cuts in customer wait time have been achieved in all the combatant commanders' geographic regions, said Lee Strong, a MTMC coordinator of the Strategic Distribution Management Initiative.

"We achieved the 21-percent reduction because we had cuts in each of our five individual, supported combatant commanders' areas." said Strone.

"We cut at least a day off the 2000 baseline in February alone," said Strong. "The smallest cut we made was one day; the largest was 22 days. Our goal is continued excellence in our traffic management responsibilities."

The one-day cut in customer-wait time was achieved in U.S. Central Command, said Strong. The 22-day cut was achieved in Joint Forces Command.

Great credit should go to the supply and transportation workers in the supply chain to the combatant commanders, said Galluzzo.

"They've earned the credit for this record-breaking achievement," said Galluzzo.

To date, the success of the measure in reducing customer wait time, in order of freight volume to the supported combatant commanders, is the following:

In U.S. European Command, the 49-day customer wait time baseline has been cut three days, to 46 days, for a seven-percent improvement.

In U.S. Pacific Command, the 48-day customer-wait time baseline has been cut 14 days, to 34 days, for a 28-percent improvement.

In U.S. Central Command, the 66-day customer-wait time baseline has been cut one day, to 65 days, for a one-percent improvement.

In U.S. Southern Command, the 47-day time baseline has been cut nine days, to 38 days, for a 19-percent improvement.

In U.S. Joint Forces Command, the 56-day customer-wait time baseline has been cut 22 days, to 34 days, for a 39-percent improvement.

"We've harvested some of the easy gains, but we still see a lot of fruit on the tree," said Strong. "We're still looking for additional opportunity."

The initiative will be fine-tuned in the future," said Strong, who provides data to the 599th Transportation Group, Wheeler Army Air Field, Hawaii, for coordination with military customers in the Pacific Command region.

"Data obtained from the Distribution Analysis Center will be used to compare and contrast work in the different combatant commanders' regions," said Strong.

"We will make further improvements, which will pay the Department of Defense big dividends--not only in time, but also in money."

The work, said Strong, is among the most gratifying he has accomplished in his 24 years of MTMC service.

"You help the customers; you help the taxpayers. What more could you want?" asked Strong.