December 5, 2022
BOULDER, Colo.—The Digital Manufacturing Institute (MxD) recently selected Anark to demonstrate “a visionary solution for supplier collaboration,” Anark said in a release.
The project seeks to modernize acquisition and supply chain activities to improve acquisition and production lead times for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Additional objectives include improved decision traceability, synchronized version control, and a standard communication framework across sourcing activities, the company said in the release.
According to Anark, file-based technical data packages are intended to contain all necessary data about a product, but the files lack context and insight from the experts that create them. The evolution from technical data packages to a technical data portal connects product data with the people and conversations that matter in a single digital platform, the company said.
Over the next year, MxD and Anark will work to demonstrate how an integrated supplier portal that features contextual collaboration can help the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and suppliers of all sizes resolve procurement issues before they happen. The product is aimed at solving supply chain challenges as outlined in the MxD Request for Quotation, TDP Data Exchange Demonstration (21-19).
The MxD RFQ states: “The Defense Logistics Agency purchases products on behalf of all the branches of service. They are tasked with collecting all the required product-defining-data before soliciting for bid. The files collected are in many different formats, bound by many distribution rules, and sometimes require specialized skillsets to manipulate the data. All the collection time adds to the lead time to get products where they need to be. After procurement, if issues arise, it is very difficult to trace back to activities around the transaction to take advantage of lessons learned or data collected from a supplier.”
MxD (Manufacturing x Digital) said in the release that, in partnership with the Department of Defense, it “equips U.S. factories with the digital tools, cybersecurity, and workforce expertise needed to begin building every part better than the last.” MxD also stated that it is the National Center for Cybersecurity in Manufacturing, as designated by DoD.
“We are very excited to start this project with Anark as we assist in the digital transformation for the organic industrial base, DLA, and DoD at large,” said Federico Sciammarella, president and CTO at MxD, in a statement. “Improving communication around engineering data across the supply chain will enable U.S. manufacturers to support the modern warfighter in a way that is cost effective for all.”
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