The US military divides supplies into ten “classes” designated by Roman numerals. For Class IX, consumable repair parts (e.g., bolts, screws, washers, etc.) are procured and distributed to the services by the Defense Logistics Agency. Non-consumable spares, which are components and assemblies for Class VII end items (hence often referred to as “secondary” items), are maintained, repaired, overhauled, and upgraded by the services in their respective repair depots.
Published in Chapter:
Defense Supply Chain Operations: Analytical Architectures for Enterprise Transformation
Greg H. Parlier (North Carolina State University, USA & G. H. Parlier Consulting, USA)
Copyright: © 2019
|Pages: 24
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-7591-7.ch013
Abstract
This chapter explains the origination, evolution, emerging results, and potential long-term impacts of one particularly daunting enterprise transformation effort within the US Department of Defense. It offers a unique case study for a multi-disciplinary endeavor referred to as the project to Transform US Army Supply Chains (TASC Project). The TASC project pursued comprehensive and creative applications using a variety of Operations Research methods, advanced analytics, and management innovation to improve tactical, operational, and strategic decision making for the military's global sustainment enterprise. This chapter may be of interest to those confronting supply chain and other complex enterprise transformation challenges: national security officials; aerospace, defense, and industrial professionals; university graduate students and professors of engineering systems, operations research, and management. The strategy described herein offers potential solutions broadly applicable to other public institutions and government bureaucracies as well.