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MOD reveals new £83 million logistics site which utilises automation
A new MOD logistics centre in Shropshire called the Defence Fulfilment Centre (DFC) formally opened by Harriett Baldwin.
On Tuesday 4 April Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin formally opened a new MOD logistics centre in Shropshire, which will streamline distribution and storage across the MOD.
The state-of-the-art centre cost £83 million to establish and MOD is planning to use the centre to deliver savings of around £500 million by 2028.
The centre, called the Defence Fulfilment Centre (DFC) will be a central hub for the storage and distribution of Defence’s £30 billion inventory, which includes materials, products, and supplies that are in use across the whole of the MOD and Defence Estate. The DFC will operate automated storage and retrieval systems that are reportedly capable of moving more than 1000 items an hour. It is planned that the centre will be fully operational by 2019.
As Defence continues to modernise across the department it is vital that the logistics and support systems also evolve to deliver equipment and supplies where and when they are needed. The digital aspect of logistics is fundamental to maintaining a the vision of a smaller, well-prepared and supported Armed Forces.
This opening is part of the Logistic Commodities and Services Transformation (LCST) programme. It is being delivered by MOD and Team Leidos, and aims to deliver a step-change in logistics provision for Defence in the coming decade.
techUK looks forward to tracking the progress of this centre in the coming years. Digitised logistics capabilities are vital for any large organisation looking to run efficient and effective supply and support services. The DFC provides a great opportunity for MOD to bring logistics into the 21st century and an opportunity for Defence to fully utilise the promise of automation.
