National defence in today’s complex, globalized, and asymmetric security situation is facing numerous challenges. It demands a more comprehensively designed foreign and security policy in the sense of new management approaches regarding the resilience and adaptive capability of supply chains, preparedness for unexpected events, plus the means to organise a prompt response to disruption of any kind and the ability to recover from such factors by maintaining the continuity of operations. As they are confronted with the pressure to ensure efficiency while, at the same time, have to take into consideration the pressure to ensure operational effectiveness, armed forces need to simultaneously concentrate on their core competencies, adopt modern forms of cooperation, all the while ensuring the financing and continued functioning of Supply Chain Management, Asset Management and Logistics Management following the MRO (Material Reapairs and Overhaul/Operation).
The defence supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing, and delivering both the products and services necessary for military operations. The overall level of information that is gathered, processed, analysed is not just used for decision making regarding internal logistic management, but it is also applied to handle and forecast the factors directly or indirectly affecting suppliers and clients.
To enhance resilience in the defence supply chain, radical redesign is required which not only places emphasis on reliability, service and cost, but also understands a “new normal” characterised by volatility. The old “predictable model”, characterised by a relative stability that allowed “just in time” and “lean” approaches, needs to be upgraded into a new supply chain that is agile, flexible, speedy, and which then creates a culture where strategies are developed for resolving unexpected develpments, adapting to disruptions, implementing new technologies, and to rapidly changing the macro business environment. The key basis for the necessary shift should be the precise evaluation and management of all elements linked to asset maintenance, to repair, overhaul, and operation, followed by logistical support and operational planning based on real processes and genuine situations. The aim of asset management strategy is to maximize the efficiency and service life of the equipment, the facilities, and the vehicles used by a company. In practice, MRO refers to the process of managing all activities related to the maintenance and operation of equipment and facilities within, for example, armed forces. This includes planning, scheduling, and executing all types of maintenance tasks. It includes monitoring equipment performance, managing spare parts inventories, and planning improvement projects to optimize planning and forecasting. It includes meeting safety requirements and regulatory compliance, managing and controlling complex contracts, as well as improving operational efficiency and control.
Preventive / Planned Maintenance - Preventive maintenance are scheduled tasks that aim to prolong an asset’s life span by preventing breakdowns. Different types of preventive maintenance include schedule-based maintenance, calendar-based maintenance, and usage-based maintenance.
Corrective Maintenance - Also known as breakdown maintenance, corrective maintenance is reactive in nature. In this type of maintenance, tasks are carried out only after an issue has been identified. Issues typically arise from equipment breakdowns or routine inspections. An ideal goal is to keep corrective maintenance activities at a minimum by trying to get ahead of situation specific failures before they occur. In the unlikely event that emergency action is needed, MRO stock should be ready to be utilized.
Predictive Maintenance - Predictive maintenance can be thought of as a more advanced form of preventive maintenance. In predictive maintenance, activities are only carried out when specific conditions are met. For example, instead of relying on time-based maintenance schedules, tools and sensors are installed to provide information on an asset’s status. Based on this additional data, maintenance activities can be optimized to be performed only as needed.
Effective asset management prevents failures and unnecessary interruptions, maximizes equipment availability, and increases production efficiency. By integrating asset management with MRO, it is possible to create a more efficient management system that allows constant monitoring of assets, early identification of potential problems, and proper planning of preventive maintenance. This can lead to a reduction in maintenance costs, and an increase in asset availability. In addition, the integrated management of MRO and assets can help identify production improvement opportunities. For the implementation of these challenges, a modern adaptive Enterprise Management System (EMS) can consolidate traditionally separated IT management systems into one single source of truth. Consequently, it allows the creation of a unified strategy for full organizational excellence ensuring business process transformation initiatives will run smoothly all leading to long term operational excellence.