Accenture gets logistics-planning contract

The Defense Logistics Agency has hired Accenture Ltd. to help make its supply systems more responsive for planning future operations.

Under the five-year, $22.5 million contract, Accenture will develop the Integrated Data Environment, which DLA will use to better focus planning efforts, an agency spokesman said.

Existing DLA logistics systems will tap into other Defense Department systems to formulate strategies for upcoming operations.

By synchronizing logistics and tactical movement data, vendors will be better able to meet supply demands, said Eric Stange, managing partner of Accenture's defense and homeland security practice.

The data sharing, which will rely on commercial software, will also let DLA officials better predict how to allocate supplies across the services for deployments, he said.

During the first phase of the contract, Accenture will determine the Defense systems that DLA needs to draw data from, Stange said.

Joab Jackson writes for Government Computer News magazine.