Reinforcing mission-critical supply chains through digital manufacturing

Challenge

A U.S. defense agency was facing mounting pressure to maintain operational readiness amid escalating global threats, geopolitical instability, and increasingly contested logistics environments. Traditional supply chains that were vulnerable to disruption and delay could no longer guarantee timely resupply or regeneration of mission-critical capabilities. In this type of disconnected or degraded environment, agency leaders knew that months-long replenishment delays would jeopardize mission success and warfighter safety. The agency turned to us for help with developing a resilient, scalable solution that would enable rapid, distributed manufacturing at the point of need.

Approach

We established an innovative digital framework for advanced manufacturing – integrating digital transformation, defense logistics, and mission operations expertise. This solution connects warfighters, original equipment manufacturers, and manufacturing partners through a secure, global ecosystem and is designed to integrate:  

• Digital infrastructure to expand the agency’s manufacturing reach and engage the industrial base 
• Data integration to enable predictive analytics, risk management, and interoperable access to technical data packages 
• Operational enablement to support training, adoption, and deployment of additive manufacturing in austere environments 

This solution is not just a platform. It’s a strategic framework that fuses people, processes, and technology and scales advanced manufacturing across the entire enterprise. Applying proven experience with defense innovation, supply chain modernization, and stakeholder alignment, our cross-functional teams factored in geopolitical, geographic, and logistical risks as well as the complexities involved with user adoption and scalability to support rapid, secure, sustainable implementation. 

Impact

The solution is poised to transform defense logistics by creating a globally distributed, digitally connected manufacturing network. It is designed to enhance supply chain effectiveness and resilience, reduce lead times, and enable cost-effective, on-demand production closer to the point of need. By integrating interoperable technologies and diversifying supply sources, it will strengthen readiness in contested environments and support sustained operations at the tactical edge.