Performance-Oriented Logistics Assessment (POLA)

This Note describes models and procedures other than the Logistics Decision Model (LDM) that are part of POLA methodology — models and procedures used to estimate Combat Service Support (CSS) unit capacities from their equipment inventories, to estimate the costs of increasing those capacities by adding or replacing equipment, and to construct cases for analysis. To estimate the costs of logistics improvements to CSS units, a simple cost model is used that estimates nonrecurring and annual recurring costs of acquiring, maintaining, and operating an active Army unit (or collection of units) in peacetime. The model is then applied to a unit before it receives a logistics improvement and afterwards, with the cost of the improvement being the difference between "before" and "after" cost estimates. Defining cases for analysis requires first identifying CSS units to be considered, then describing each unit identified, both as it appears initially and as it may appear once it receives a logistics improvement, and finally combining unit descriptions into overall analysis cases.