New logistics support system coming to CAFB in 2012

  • Published
  • By Elise Branson
  • 14th Logistics Readiness Division
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  In preparation for the launch of the Air Force's new Expeditionary Combat Support System, Air Education and Training Command officials conducted a kickoff meeting with Columbus AFB leaders and ECSS users Sept. 14.

Col. Barre Seguin, 14th FTW Commander, hosted Mr. Garry Richey, HQ AETC Director of Logistics, Installations and Mission Support; and his AETC ECSS team. During that meeting, the AETC team delivered an informational and educational briefing about ECSS, its goals, program timelines and how the Air Force will be affected.

The way the Air Force is organized and the ways that airpower is employed are changing in revolutionary ways. Changing, too, are the ways in which Air Force Logisticians provide support to Warfighters.

ECSS is the cornerstone enabler of the logistics transformation effort. Using an Enterprise Resource Planning software solution, ECSS is applying best commercial practices and using industry-proven tools to establish the Air Force's first capability to globally view and manage its logistics resources (i.e., major end items, materiel, people and funds).

But ECSS is much more than an IT system. It will fundamentally change business processes, personnel roles, and jobs across the spectrum of the Air Force Logistics community. Locally, ECSS will drive dramatic changes and improvements in the way logistics is done.

For example, the process of scheduling a repair currently means setting a repair date at the base level without the ability to ensure technicians, parts, facilities, tools, etc., are available Air Force-wide. With ECSS, an integrated global view of people/parts availability will enable greater scheduling effectiveness and ultimately increase availability of repaired components or major end items.

Today, Air Force Logisticians collectively rely on paper forms and enter data into multiple base-level systems. This labor-intensive effort will be replaced by entering data once into one system. When fully implemented, ECSS will replace hundreds of logistics information systems and will be the single source of truth for logistics information.

While it will be several years before ECSS reaches full operational capability and its benefits are fully realized, the implementation process is already underway.

ECSS will be fielded throughout the Air Force in multiple releases and Columbus AFB will see ECSS fielded in September 2012. While that may seem to be a part of the distant future, the reality is that everyone needs to begin preparing for ECSS now.

As is always the case, these sweeping changes will not be easy, as long-standing ways of doing business will either dramatically change or completely disappear. ECSS will pull people from their comfort zones and cause them to do new tasks in different, unfamiliar ways. To help logisticians navigate these changes, the ECSS program will provide education and training programs for those who will use the new system. An Air Force-wide change agent network, supported by an ECSS program team, will share information on ECSS activities, schedules, and lessons learned and conduct local problem-solving meetings to help smooth implementation at each installation. This same network will support the sustainment of ECSS after fielding is completed.

ECSS will drive changes in the way the Air Force does business and the way logisticians perform their jobs. The result will be an Air Force enterprise better enabled to provide its Warfighters the right materiel at the right time. ECSS will also enable logisticians to use their time more productively, significantly reducing the cost of accomplishing the Air Force Logistics mission.

To learn more about ECSS, contact Logistics Readiness Division or visit https://www.ecss.wpafb.af.mil.