DLA Distribution Korea successfully launches new Warehouse Management System

NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. - Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Korea has successfully transitioned to the new Warehouse Management System, marking a significant milestone in modernizing logistics operations and ensuring uninterrupted logistics support to U.S. Forces Korea and the Pacific theater.

The WMS Go-Live, which began in late August, represents a major advancement in Department of Defense supply chain modernization. Within 48 hours of implementation, DLA Distribution Korea successfully scheduled and processed multiple truck and express parcel shipments, demonstrating system stability and mission continuity.

"This transition is a testament to the months of preparation and the dedication of our workforce," said Army Lt. Col. Celina Pargo, commander, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Korea. "Our team ensured that the cutover was seamless and that warfighter support remained our top priority throughout the process."

Planning for the transition began in January under the direction of DLA Distribution Korea Operations Chief Marcus Ridgeway. In coordination with DLA Distribution Anniston, Alabama, and DLA Distribution Yokosuka, Japan, WMS Power Users were deployed to provide hands-on training and knowledge transfer. These efforts produced robust training plans, instructional videos, and standard operating procedures, laying the groundwork for a smooth transition.

"Power Users were carefully chosen based on their demonstrated expertise and leadership within their functional areas such as receiving, warehousing, packing, preservation, inventory or transportation," Ridgeway said. "Candidates were selected because they were subject matter experts in daily operations and had the ability to quickly learn new processes, then effectively teach and mentor the rest of the workforce."

Cho Yong-a, DLA Distribution Korea, was selected as a power user and received training at DLA Distribution Yokosuka, Japan.

"As an inventory team leader, I trained to receive the overall teaching of WMS in advance and train other team members before changing to the new system," Cho said. " We learned how to deal with real-life situations and then were about to train our fellow DLA Distribution Korea employees on the basic usage and processing procedures. It was a good way to learn by sharing the direct experience with other employees here."

Additionally, a WMS Transition Notice was distributed to customers across the region to ensure stakeholders were fully informed. Pre-Go-Live training events included multiple phases of classroom and on-site instruction at DLA Distribution Anniston, Alabama, DLA Distribution Yokosuka, Japan, and DLA Distribution Korea, as well as Go-Live observation and sustainment training sessions. A multi-functional team from DLA Distribution headquarters was also on-site before and after Go-Live to help troubleshoot any immediate issues. The team remained on-site providing hyper care for two weeks after Go-Live, which is standard for all WMS implementations.

"DLA Distribution Korea is continuing to increase employee knowledge and competencies through additional training sessions, reinforcing the commitment to sustainment and long-term system proficiency," Pargo said.

A transportation assistant in the DLA Distribution Korea Transportation Division, Mun Ho-sik, believes the training was thorough.

"The training provided was very thorough, and I did not notice any gaps. I was able to take the knowledge I gained and transfer it to production on the first day," Mun said.

According to Mun, DLA Distribution Korea employees were somewhat apprehensive of the new system at first, but leadership-provided training from the experience gathered by power users provided confidence and proficiency amongst the workforce.

According to Ridgeway, detailed screenshot-based training videos for each major distribution process, including receiving, storage, packing, preservation, inventory, and transportation, were created as part of the system training and implementation. These step-by-step demonstrations provided employees with an easy-to-follow visual guide.

"We wanted the training videos to simulate over-the-shoulder type training within a classroom," Ridgeway said. "We also simplified explanations and emphasized navigation basics since many DLA Distribution Korea employees had never used an SAP-based system before. This helped reduce the learning curve and built user confidence."

However, Ridgeway said being mindful of the language barrier was important to ensure U.S. personnel and Korean National staff members at DLA Distribution Korea could simultaneously grasp the WMS system terminology and system process.

"We developed content that was clear and accessible to both English- and Korean-speaking team members," Ridgeway said. "By using straightforward terminology, visual cues, and bilingual personnel to teach the training material in class, we ensured training was inclusive and transparent."

DLA Distribution Korea leadership actively sourced employee feedback to improve training and implementation processes.

"Certain processes are now more streamlined with clearer accountability," Ridgeway said. "Employees also provided constructive feedback on functions that aren't currently available in WMS, requiring workarounds."

Currently, system performance is tracked using QLIK for key metrics and Extended Warehouse Management Monitor to oversee workload, process flow, and sustained operational efficiency, Ridgeway said. Since Go-Live, WMS has been functional in most processing and has been successful in shipping material from inception.

"DLA Distribution Korea's successful transition to WMS demonstrates the power of preparation, cross-organizational teamwork and proactive problem-solving," Pargo said. "By leveraging training, communication and leadership engagement, the organization achieved a smooth cutover with minimal impact to warfighter support."