Indian Army uses IT to improve inventory control
Monday, 16 September 2002, 19:30 IST
Printer Print Email Email
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army has gone hi-tech in managing its sprawling stocks of ammunition, spares and logistics supplies, tying up with technology major Tata Infotech to create a computerized inventory control system. Working with the Army Ordnance Corps, Tata Infotech has put in place a system that will allow the army to react faster to supplies needed for its operations and reduce paperwork, military officials say. To facilitate use, features such as computers with touch-sensitive screens with digital images of inventory items and an interactive voice response system have been provided. Hand-held terminals will be used for receipt, warehousing and stocktaking activities, resulting in saving of time. The Indian Army has huge inventories of ammunition and spares spread across the country and stored at scores of bases and depots. The Army Ordnance Corps is responsible for managing these materials. In the event of hostilities, commanders in the field will have to draw supplies and ammunition from several bases. In such a scenario, say military officials, a computerised inventory control system will prove invaluable. It will provide speedy access to supplies and give a clear picture of any shortfall that could arise. The army, which embarked on a major drive in the late 1990s to use information technology in its day-to-day functioning, considers the Computerised Inventory Control Project one of its premier projects in the IT sector. The system will also lead to substantial savings through reduced inventory carrying costs and accurate provisioning. Tata Infotech began work on the project two years ago. Teams of software engineers and system integrators from Tata Infotech worked with experts in materials management to develop the system. The project, said an army spokesman, is also seen as an "excellent example" of building a partnership between private industry and the defense sector.
Source: IANS
siliconindia