Purpose-built tablets are gaining ground in every branch of the military, with new applications continually found. The U.S. Navy is utilizing rugged tablets in a variety of ways to improve logistics in the dock and at sea. Being able to rapidly fulfill requests completely and efficiently is one of the challenges faced by these experts, and having rugged tablets on hand to facilitate these processes allows heightened productivity and better outcomes.
Logistics specialists must continually maintain military supply stores. Their many and varied responsibilities generally include open purchasing and procurement, shipping and receiving, inventory management, and the issue of equipment, repair parts, tools, consumable items (paper, pens, toilet paper, batteries, etc.), hazardous materials or anything else obtained through the naval supply system.
Another fact of the logistics vertical within the Navy is the requirement to accurately manage inventories and issuance of repair parts (aircraft and ships) and of general supplies and specialized supplies (e.g., personal flight gear for naval aircrews or specialized combat equipment for Navy SEALs or Naval Military Construction Battalion “Seabees”).
These duties are combined with former postal clerk duties as custodian of postal effects and monitoring designated mail orderlies. Logistics personnel must also be able to sort and distribute all official and personal mail for naval ships, submarines, aviation squadrons, and information for shore-based activities in a timely manner.
Finally, the documentation side of logistics is also aided by purpose-built tablets capable of running high-level programming at lightning speed. Logistics professionals can take advantage of tablet technology to connect to and utilize financial accounting and database systems, efficiently performing inventory and financial management functions. Management of money order and stamp inventories is made simple, as is the maintenance of financial and inventory reports.
Tablets have already been utilized in the Navy at an administrative level for destroyer fleet maintenance. Since there is significant overlap with logistics processes, all related tasks that connect logistics with fleet maintenance can be connected and streamlined. Many procedures that formerly had to be done by hand when it comes to information collection, sorting and retention can be automated and results from multiple programs collated for a broad topical view at all times that benefits every level of command.
In the Navy, if logistics break down, everything grinds to a halt. Rugged tablets allow for accurate, real-time inventory, tracking, and confirmation of supplies, parcels, and mail, providing a streamlined system that can keep everything rolling smoothly.