The new vision: expeditionary Logistics for the 21st Century is a comprehensive attempt to change all of our business processes as well as the enabling information technology. It is targeted at the entire Air Force logistics enterprise.

Over time the Air Force logistics community has performed superbly despite operating in a challenging and rapidly changing environment. To accomplish our missions in the future, we must effectively manage change and adapt to new circumstances and requirements. This means changing and, in some cases, totally transforming our business processes and the underlying information technology (IT). Unfortunately, our past unwillingness to change our business processes has led to a series of failed IT programs. One of the key lessons learned from these failures is ineffective change management. Effective change management includes activities and action plans for mitigating risk and creating conditions optimizing the impact of a new process enabled by a new system. The Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS) will touch every process we operate and will make major changes to most of these processes. Throughout the life of ECSS, we will be using change management practices designed to let everyone understand what is changing, when, and why, in order to get input from and gain the support of all Air Force logisticians.

By now you should know that Expeditionary Logistics for the 21st Century (eLog21) is the Air Force-wide transformation campaign comprised of over 20 initiatives that will fundamentally revolutionize the way the Air Force provides logistics support. The eLog21 Campaign Plan is designed to transition Air Force logistics processes from the current reactionary, functionally stove-piped processes, to an anticipatory (planning based), cross-functional, integrated (full visibility by all parties), enterprise-wide set of processes. Individual elements of eLog21 are being rolled out in a phased approach to allow time for process development, integration, and training.

Expeditionary Logistics for the 21st Century is a comprehensive attempt to change all of our business processes as well as the enabling information technology. It is targeted at the entire Air Force logistics enterprise, to include business process redesign, performance metrics, training, systems, supply chain management, maintenance, change management, and more. Technology is not the focus of the campaign, but the enabler. The Air Force currently has over 400 disparate logistics legacy information systems. In order for Air Force logistics to transform, we need to establish an enterprise view, integrate processes, better utilize resources, and integrate data and technology across the supply chain. Embedded within the eLog21 initiative, ECSS is the IT modernization component of the overall logistics transformation effort.

ECSS is an IT suite with a proven commercial enterprise resource planning (ERP) system at its core. An ERP is defined as a set of applications software that brings manufacturing, financial, distribution, and other business functions into balance. It integrates all departments and functions across an enterprise into a single computing system that can serve all unique departmental needs. It standardizes business processes and tools across the entire enterprise, regardless of program or site. The integration of systems and technology also enables reengineering of the business processes by leveraging technological capabilities that were previously unavailable. Oracle Corporation, teamed with Click Commerce and Industrial Financial Systems, was selected to provide the software solution for ECSS. Oracle is the leader in innovative software technologies for enterprise information management, and is a proven commercial off-the-shelf-based solution supplier.

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Once the software suite was selected, the Air Force selected Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) as the overall systems integrator. CSC brings a proven ERP implementation history and proven implementation methodologies in Catalyst. The CSC Catalyst methodology is a broad, integrated knowledge framework that provides comprehensive coverage for all domains of business change--process, organization, location, data, application, and technology--at all stages of the system life cycle, from vision and strategy to operations. These processes and concepts are all part of business process redesign.

The ECSS selection process took too long and was fraught with numerous obstacles and delays. Finally, on 1 May 2007 we launched the ECSS development process. The next part of this transformation journey will be the most difficult because this is where we must commit ourselves to facing the changes ahead and turning them into opportunities to improve and enhance support to the warfighting mission. Transformation is a tough job, especially within complex organizations like the Air Force, but so long as we are willing to adapt to the changes ahead, we will keep the Air Force ready for the future. Your knowledge and insights are important to us as we move forward. Airmen have never been shy about expressing their opinions, so I have no doubt we will hear from many of you. Only by working together can we drive comprehensive and effective logistics transformation.

Mr Grover L. Dunn

Mr Grover Dunn is the Director of Transformation, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations & Mission Support, Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington, DC. He is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing innovative and transformative concepts across the full United States Air Force logistics enterprise. He started his Air Force career in 1974 and has over 30 years experience with end-to-end logistics processes. His past assignments include managing logistics for all Air Force aircraft, subsystems, embedded software, and sustaining engineering; managing the overall logistics health of Air Force aircraft and missile systems; and managing the programming and budgeting of aircraft and missile modifications and spares, depot maintenance, contractor logistics support, stock fund, industrial fund, manpower, and infrastructure for Air Force Logistics Command.