DC Velocity - December 2018

inbound

The link between proper logistics support and military success has long been acknowledged, dating at least back to Napoleon Bonaparte’s (purported) observation that “an army marches on its stomach.” However, battlefield technology has advanced far beyond the French general’s 19th century standards, growing to include new tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

To help keep the U.S. armed forces current with the latest tools and practices, Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business has partnered with the military to develop a program aimed at training military leaders in supply chain management. Every year, the school accepts two competitively selected Marines for the Marine Corps Logistics Fellowship program, offering them a hybrid program of on-campus master’s in business administration (M.B.A.) courses and online courses at Penn State World Campus. Graduates earn a master’s degree upon completion and gain training in the military’s ever-changing requirements for effectiveness on the battlefield, Penn State says.

“Every time Marines deploy, especially to austere environments, we have to design a resilient supply chain consisting of local and regional goods and services suppliers, as well as traditional U.S. suppliers based in the continental United States,” explained Lt. Col. Thomas M. Warren in a statement. Warren is one of the two Marines selected for Smeal’s Supply Chain and Information Systems 2018 program. The other Marine chosen was Maj. Jaehong “Jay” Park.

Penn State program
trains Marines on
battlefield logistics

Skim any supply chain magazine or website and you can get a quick primer on blockchain, the “distributed ledger” technology that allows business partners to safely share sensitive information, secure in the knowledge that users can change details only with the agreement of all parties involved.

What many professionals don’t realize is that blockchain can also streamline logistics processes through the use of “smart contracts,” lines of code that are stored on a specific blockchain and automatically execute when certain terms and conditions are met. According to blockchain services vendor IBM Corp., the benefits of smart contracts include enforcing business agreements so that all participants can be certain of the outcome without an intermediary’s involvement.

Now, a Florida firm says it has completed its first blockchain-based shipment using smart contracts. Sunrise, Fla.-based logistics technology specialist dexFreight says its software platform enabled a shipper and a carrier on Oct. 15 to directly connect, negotiate rates, and schedule pickup and delivery for a 5,320-pound frozen seafood shipment. The cargo was hauled from Preferred Freezer Services in Medley, Fla., to Manny’s Enterprises Inc. in Sunrise.

For the blockchain-based truckload shipment, dexFreight partnered with seafood wholesaler Netuno USA, asset-based motor carrier Arel Trucking Inc., and Bitcoin-based smart contract platform RSK. By agreement of the partners, funds for the transaction were held in escrow by the smart contract while the cargo was in transit, and automatically released to the carrier upon delivery.

Seafood shipment completed under blockchain
smart contract

The international aircargo business relies on a complex web of logistics professionals, technologies, and software to ensure the safe flow of freight between global air hubs. But a recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) adds another crucial link to that chain—one that comes with furry paws, a lolling tongue, and a wagging tail.

As part of its effort to detect explosives hidden in air freight, the DHS’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is moving forward with plans to use teams of sniffer dogs and their trained handlers. This fall, the agency released a list of organizations that have been approved to certify third-party explosives detection canine teams to determine whether they meet TSA’s standards for screening air cargo, and authorized them to begin operations on Nov. 1.

Providers are already lining up to offer their services, and at least one has completed a certification. Anniston, Ala.-based Cargo Screening K9 Alliance LLC (CSK9) announced on Nov. 5 that it had become the first commercial company to certify an explosives detection canine team under the TSA initiative. That team was composed of trainer Ashley Beard and her dog, Colt.