31.03.11
NAO highlights failures in military logistics
MPs have demanded reassurance that troops on the frontline are not being put needlessly at risk because of the failures in the Ministry of Defence supply chain highlighting by the National Audit Office today.
The NAO report said the MoD “urgently” needs to improve its logistical capabilities, which are currently inefficient, not value for money and missing performance targets. Highest priority items sent by air should arrive in theatre within five days. However, in 2010, this was achieved in only around a third of cases.
Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said today: “The Department urgently needs better supply chain information systems with the appropriate skills and processes to match. It currently keeps the armed forces supplied by either stockpiling more than necessary, sending too many routine items by air, or both. This ties-up precious resources that could be better used to support troops.”
The MoD needs to invest in a ‘modern’ information system, the NAO recommended.
It added that the failure to deliver the right item on time is mostly due to items being unavailable for transport, meaning either the MoD is not accurately forecasting usage and repair rates, or else that suppliers are unable to respond to demand.
The MoD’s “use of information to manage its supply chain falls short of general logistics industry best practice”, the report adds.
(Image: British soldier in Afghanistan - credit isafmedia)
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