A supply chain is the network of organizations—be they military, government, or private sector—involved in creating and delivering a product or service to a customer or consumer. RAND research on the management of supply chains has focused on both the efficiency and the security of civilian and military supply chains, with reports covering freight modernization, rail capacity and security, fuel taxes, and container inspection at ports.
REPORT
Congestion within the U.S. freight system has increased dramatically in the past few decades, costing travelers, consumers, and businesses billions of dollars each year. A federal policy is offered to address the challenges faced by the U.S. freight network in an environment dominated by declining revenues and public resistance to increasing taxes.
REPORT
In 2002, the Air Force initiated a program called Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), which seeks to manage relationships with suppliers to reduce the total cost of logistics operations and improve their performance. This report reviews the literature on best practices in SRM, assesses how the Air Force has implemented SRM, and recommends actions, based on lessons from the private sector, that the Air Force could take to improve its…
RESEARCH BRIEF
Describes the methodology used to develop resource allocation and forward positioning recommendations for the sustainment stock portion of Army pre-positioned stocks, given a specific scenario and budget.
REPORT
The Army desires a distribution system for home station units that provides timely and low-cost delivery of needed supplies. A critical part of this system is the scheduled truck service provided by the Strategic Distribution Platforms. Although this system is relatively strong, researchers explored ways to improve it by adding new units and posts to the truck network and taking other steps to reduce "leakage" from the truck network.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Examines whether there is a less costly medical distribution structure for U.S. Central Command that would maintain or improve performance.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Discusses how to design a distribution network that takes advantage of the respective strengths of different modes of transportation to meet combatant command needs while minimizing total supply chain costs.
REPORT
This study examined whether there is a less costly medical distribution structure for U.S. Central Command that would maintain or improve performance. The assessment considered five options, evaluating each one's likely performance and cost implications as well as any effects on activities not related to distribution. Three of the options were found to preserve or improve performance while maintaining or lowering costs.
REPORT
The ability to rapidly deploy forces into austere locations is essential to the global power projection concept of operation. Materiel used by such expeditionary forces often does not deploy with the unit but is instead sourced from a global network of prepositioning storage locations. Alternative approaches to storing combat support materiel might provide better support to deploying forces in an expeditionary environment.
REPORT
The long-term efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. freight transportation system is threatened by bottlenecks, inefficient use of some parts of the infrastructure components, vulnerability to disruptions, and crucial environmental and energy concerns.
REPORT
For shipping supplies to sustain troops overseas, airlift or sealift can be used with differential speed and cost. This documented briefing lays out a construct for designing a distribution network that takes advantage of the two transportation modes' respective strengths to meet combatant command needs while minimizing total supply chain costs.
REPORT
One tool the Air Force is using to improve its logistical support to the warfighter is purchasing and supply-chain management (PSCM). Is PSCM doing what it was intended to do? If so, how well? Are other factors influencing its intended outcomes? The authors have developed an econometric model that helps examine all these things. While data availability and quality can be a challenge, the model may also be useful in other contexts.
REPORT
Purchased goods and services are a large and increasingly important proportion of enterprise budgets. The authors review literature describing how private enterprises have addressed this issue. While noting that no one process is likely to fit all circumstances, they offer a set of steps synthesized from the literature for analyzing an enterprise’s total spending on commodities and developing purchasing strategies for specific…
NEWS RELEASE
May 9, 2007 news release: RAND Supply Chain Policy Center to Research Critical Issues in Freight Transportation.
PROJECT
The RAND Supply Chain Policy Center conducts research that helps the public and private sectors address critical issues in freight transportation to the U.S., North American, and international economies.
REPORT
The U.S. Air Force plans to improve procurement through the implementation of additional purchasing and supply chain management practices. This monograph begins with background information organized around the process for conducting market research and proceeds through the how-to steps for conducting this research. The authors highlight lessons learned from both a literature review and from interviews with personnel at leading commercial…
REPORT
The authors describe spend analyses they conducted in 2002 for the first phase of a purchasing and supply management demonstration at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center for of F100 jet engine spares and repair services and jet engine bearings. The authors detail required data and processes for a spend analysis and discuss the implications of their findings for F100 purchasing and supply-chain management for future spend analyses.
COMMENTARY
Published commentary by RAND staff:Securing U.S. Supply Chain appearing in United Press International.
REPORT
For the past several years, the U.S. Air Force has been using data from the Individual Contracting Action Report form, also known as the DD350, to analyze its goods and services expenditures. For this study, the authors collected data from Air Force contracting officers on a sample of fiscal year 2002 (FY02) DD350 records to assess the adequacy and accuracy of DD350 data for conducting expenditure analyses. The authors then extrapolated…
REPORT
An integrative approach to improving the responsiveness, reliability, and efficiency of the Army’s inventory-management and component-repair processes. Three key issues are identified: (1) impact of uncertainty and variability in customer demands on long-term planning; (2) need for near-term replanning for execution; and (3) inability of repair responsiveness to meet changing requirements. Alternatives for improving both planning and…
REPORT
This monograph describes how Army forces were sustained during Operation Iraqi Freedom, examines how well this support performed, and discusses the effects on operations with an emphasis on the period from the start of ground combat to the fall of Baghdad. The findings have implications for the design of the logistics system, logistics process improvement efforts, future force design and warfighting concepts, and the acquisition of end…
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