Mincom leads race to produce world-first Defence solution

Mincom is developing logistics management solutions to help defence apply lessons learned in East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Brisbane-based software company Mincom Limited is leading a race to develop world-first technology which will assist military forces in conflicts such as Iraq by improving their logistics systems.

Mincom leads global software developers vying to be first to the market with technology which overcomes logistics problems caused by communications interruptions.

The experience of Australian and coalition forces in East Timor and Afghanistan have highlighted the shortcomings of current technology including deployability.

Mincom is developing software which will make military logistics support and maintenance management systems deployable, which means they operate even when disconnected from wider communications systems.

Based on Mincom's flagship Ellipse enterprise resource planning product, the software is being developed for the ADF under the Australian Defence Force Deployable Logistics Systems (ADFDLS) project.

Other military organisations such as the US Coast Guard and Canadian Department of National Defence have expressed interest in the deployable solution.

The ADF has a large number of computer-based tools supporting its logistics activities but some of them are not deployable. Instead they rely on constant "back-to-base" communications to operate, or provide only limited functionality when communications are interrupted.

Mincom is developing a solution which will allow the ADF tools to provide a full range of functions in a war zone, even when connections with the wider communications network or remotely located information systems are interrupted.

For example, equipment spare parts and other vital supplies for front line forces would be ordered via a soldier using a laptop computer or a hand-held device near the front-line. The data and supply requisition/transaction notification would then be then uploaded to the next tier system when a communications window opened.

This would ensure the logistics chain had the most current information to meet its tactical needs in the battlefield including deployability in a highly mobile environment.

Military personnel would be able to continually input information, irrespective of whether communications links were down, with the confidence that the right supplies would reach the correct location when they are needed. The systems data would be quickly uploaded/downloaded to the next tier system when communications resumed. The software will avoid the need to pass information on physical storage devices such as hard disks.

Another benefit of the as-yet unnamed software package is improved in-transit visibility (ITV), which is the ability to track supplies intended for frontline forces all the way along the logistics chain "from factory to foxhole".

It will do this by integrating off-the-shelf radio frequency identification (RFID) and other sophisticated logistics tracking technologies with Ellipse. A cargo visibility and management system will be an essential component of this capability.

The Mincom software will use IBM's WebSphere technology for integrating different enterprise software applications. The project will mean Australian systems will be better able to cope with the demands of modern warfare.

"We are entering into unchartered territory because nobody has done this before," said Mincom Chief Executive Officer Alan McElrea. "With the increasing mobility of military forces and the importance of logistics systems, communications independence and in-transit visibility are critical issues.

"Mincom will deliver full Ellipse capability that will function in a connected, partially connected or fully disconnected state, while providing corporate visibility of logistics and maintenance operations.

"Mincom believes its software solution will perform a vital role not just for the ADF but military organisations around the world."

Forces would need access to satellite or other communications for as little as 15 minutes per day to update logistics data. Logistics information entered into a system would be captured until communications links were restored at which point the system would update quickly.

The new product would be an exciting innovation for the Mincom Defence Solution, which is already used by a number of military organisations around the world. They include the Canadian Department of National Defence, Britain's Royal Navy, the United States Marines, Chilean Navy and Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

Mincom's relationship with the Australian Department of Defence dates back to 1990 when they signed a 20 year service and maintenance support contract for Mincom Ellipse. The ADF selected Mincom in 2003 to develop the world's first fully deployable and fully integrated tri-services military logistics solution.

The ADF is standardising and rationalising its core supply chain systems around Mincom's Defence Solution. This solution set will progressively be integrated with other non-logistics systems providing the Australian Defence Organisation with a fully integrated network.

The Defence Solution consists of software products supporting areas such as deployment, logistics, finance, procurement, business data, maintenance, electronic business-to-business electronic trading, consulting, and IT outsourcing.

Among the expected benefits for the ADF are improved capability, improved tactical mobility, lower costs, and increased compatibility with the systems of Australia's regional and global military allies.

The ADFDLS project is being funded under the Australian Defence Project known as JP (Joint Project) 2077.

Garry West is Communications Manager of Mincom.

By Garry West, Brisbane