Techmodal’s product suite has enabled the UK’s Army Headquarters to accurately analyse and make informed decisions against short-and long-term inventory plans as part of the VERITAS programme; leading to significant cost savings for the major stakeholders. With our product suite now available to international customers, this case study is expanded on in the recent InfoDefensa publication special on the Spanish Future Logistics Base, read the English version below.
Data-driven decision support for the British Army and UK Defence Procurement
To maximise operational and cost efficiency, British Army Headquarters needed to rationalise and exploit highly fragmented data resources within a complex and diverse supply chain. They identified that significant operational and cost efficiencies could be achieved but only through root-and-branch technological change. Techmodal’s data-focused support capability and commercial insight were powerful drivers in British Army Headquarters’ decision to award them the tender.
The scope of the project, which commenced in 2012, demanded that everyone clearly understood the depth and breadth of the challenge ahead. The focus throughout was on delivering an integrated decision support solution that would work for all stakeholders – a large and diverse network with very complicated needs. The key to success was starting small and providing insightful information.
Techmodal worked alongside Army Headquarters, UK Defence Procurement and key supply chain partners to deliver a bespoke, data-driven planning and forecasting application; digging deep into Army data, analysing inventory, equipment activity and financial spend.
An enterprise Planning & Forecasting Suite for UK Land Forces
Techmodal’s solution utilised a database-driven development platform enabling rapid building of scalable, secure enterprise applications. Techmodal developed a new enterprise software solution, combining the functionality of two existing British Army Headquarters models, the Support Activity Planning and Management Tool (SAPMT) and the Equipment Activity Costing Tool (EACT). Activity and inventory data for equipment, commodities and ammunition was fully integrated and the team simultaneously created a methodology for cohering Defence Procurement Financial Reporting.
The result was VERITAS, a unique data-driven application within Techmodal’s Product Suite of Data Science enablers for Digital Transformation, that put control firmly back in the hands of the client. Drawing on a suite of forecasting and cost management tools, British Army Headquarters could quickly and accurately analyse and make informed decisions against short- and long-term plans and share these with supply chain partners. The insight provided by VERITAS transformed the operational efficiency and led to significant cost savings for the major stakeholders.
The initial version of VERITAS was deployed into the Army Data Warehouse (ADW) in 2013. Today it is a true enterprise solution with over 2,400 user accounts, using over 130 data feeds across twelve modules supporting multiple British Army and UK Defence Procurement processes.
The benefits – better decisions through unique data insight
- Multi-million pound cost and efficiency savings.
- Greater AI-based, forecasting capability.
- Detailed performance monitoring.
- Robust scenario modelling.
- Greater staff autonomy.
- Insightful decision-making.
How Techmodal modelled the Army Headquarters supply chain
VERITAS supports British Army Headquarters in applying Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning to generate a forecast of planned training and operation activity, driven by the Front-Line British Army units and locations for activity. This includes various forms of inventory, across equipment and parts, commodities such as rations and fuel, and the global ammunition stockpile. This provides them with greater confidence in their ability to conduct operations and be more efficient in training.
VERITAS converts this activity into a fully costed plan for UK Defence Procurement, providing coherence in the British Army–UK Defence Procurement relationship and producing a forecast of equipment procurement and repair, underpinned by VERITAS’ granular financial analysis and forecasting module.
VERITAS enables the British Army Headquarters to monitor the quantity and cost of materiel consumption at Front Line Units to understand forecast accuracy and reliability trends. This feeds into Army fleet (Land, Air and Maritime assets) management and decision support for improving reliability and availability of equipment, enabling them to balance Capability, Cost and Risk.
Throughout, VERITAS provides a wrapper of broad and deep performance monitoring bringing together British Army Headquarters, UK Defence Procurement and Industry Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and allowing British Army Headquarters to hold its suppliers to account on critical performance elements. This includes monitoring and resolution of critical spares, a process fully embedded in VERITAS and reaching from Front Line Units through to industry supply chain.