If you type sequestration into Google News, you currently receive 13,100 links. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t know much about sequestration until about a year ago. I speak, of course, of the sequestration of funds that was set when a congressional super-committee could not reach agreement on more targeted budget cuts. It was [...]
This week the UDI (Unique Device Identification) proposed rule was released by the FDA. This represents a significant step forward for the FDA in managing medical devices throughout their lifecycle. Feedback from the community will come over the next 120 days. We will be providing ongoing interpretation of the rule as we review it and [...]
As I emerged from the cool, marble-floored corridors of the US Senate chambers into the sweltering heat of DC, only one thought came to mind – success! The past 24 hours had been filled with endless final preparation. Is the agenda perfect? Are the introductions scripted? Will I get the titles correct? Are the demonstrations [...]
AIM’s UID Supplier Alliance (USA) is hosting what may turn out to be a pivotal event in IUID adoption. Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who understands the broad spectrum benefits of IUID and has a particular interest in the problem of counterfeit parts in the military supply chain, has been instrumental in helping to support [...]
I shared my thoughts in a wide ranging interview with Rick Morgan for the new issue of SCAN: The Data Capture Report. Regarding the newly issued GAO Report on IUID, I said that I feel the GAO did a very good job of providing a broad perspective on IUID within the military services. I also [...]
Earlier this week the Senate Armed Services Committee released its Report on Counterfeit Electronic Parts. Various news items have since carried the sobering facts that counterfeit electronic parts from China are “flooding” into U.S. military systems, risking the performance and reliability of critical defense systems. Committee Chairman Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., launched the year-long investigation along [...]
The long awaited GAO report on IUID was published late last week. From my viewpoint, as a commercial provider, the GAO has honed in on areas that require considerable DoD attention. To summarize, these include the following: Oversight and enforcement of DFARs for new acquisitions and government furnished property Lack of progress toward legacy marking [...]
An October 13, 2011, DoD-wide memorandum, issued by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, directed the Department to accelerate key elements of the FIAR (Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness) Plan and to place greater emphasis on achieving key priorities. One of those priorities is effective management of mission critical assets, utilizing the unique item identifier to [...]
The need for property accountability for our US Department of Defense is extraordinary. The thinking is simple: how can you budget and maintain equipment when you don’t know what you’ve got in the first place? Mark an item, scan the item, and identify the location or custodian. As we progress through 2012 we’ll see more [...]
Property accountability, a phrase that the Department of Defense uses frequently, is tough to understand. I like to use a more simple reference: “What do I have and where is it?” IUID and barcode technology do a tremendous job of answering those questions, whether in a unit, a company or an enterprise. By way of analogy, I [...]