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Business Strategy

Essay
The Time to Prevent Shortfalls in Critical Materials Is Now
China's domination of the rare earth market is a matter of economic and national security concern. Existing plans to diversify the market and help the United States break its reliance on China likely don't go far enough or fast enough, and the clock is running.
Mar 20, 2023
Commentary
Will Logistics Be Russia's Undoing in Ukraine?
Russia's experience in Ukraine one year in is an example of what happens when a nation tries to fight a war without fully considering the logistics and sustainment that go alongside such a fight. The consequences for failing to fully consider these concepts drove Russia into a prolonged conflict for which it was already ill-prepared a year ago, with increasingly dire consequences for its future.
Feb 10, 2023
Blog
The War in Ukraine, Software Supply Chain Risk, 'Hacking Equity': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on lessons about defense strategy from the war in Ukraine, U.S.-France cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, software supply chain risk, and more.
Feb 3, 2023
Commentary
Software Supply Chain Risk Is Growing, but Mitigation Solutions Exist
Software supply chain security has emerged as a leading risk because of the massively fragmented and decentralized nature of modern software development. While we still have much to learn as a community about this risk, there are concrete steps we can take to better understand and mitigate it.
Jan 26, 2023
Report
Common Authorized Stockage Lists for the U.S. Army's Brigade Combat Teams
Mathematical optimization of a common, periodically updated authorized stockage list for each of the U.S. Army's three types of ground brigade combat teams provides improved performance in support of equipment readiness and reduced transition costs.
Jan 19, 2023
Report
Implementing Technology-Enabled Human Resources Capabilities in the U.S. Air Force: Insight from the Private Sector and Military Services
This report, one in a set aimed at helping the U.S. Air Force succeed in replacing its traditional human resources system with digital talent management systems, identifies steps to implement this technology and align skills with job requirements.
Dec 21, 2022
Report
How the U.S. Air Force Can Incorporate New Data Technologies into Its Talent Management System: Framework and Use Cases for Technology-Enabled Talent Management
The U.S. Air Force and the other military services have a long history of innovation in human resource management (HRM). This report describes how adopting HRM practices that are technology-enabled could lead to more-effective talent management.
Dec 21, 2022
Report
Critical Material Supply Chains Should Be More Resilient
The COVID-19 pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine highlight the vulnerabilities of supply chains that are dependent on foreign inputs. How can the U.S. Department of Defense increase the resilience of its supply chains for materials essential to national security?
Dec 15, 2022
Report
Improving U.S. Air Force Training Investments: Putting Proficiency First
The U.S. Air Force needs to make near-term investments in its operational training infrastructure to ready airmen for high-end conflict. This Perspective explores which investments are most appropriate and which should receive priority.
Dec 15, 2022
Commentary
Is Seabed Mining an Opportunity to Break China's Stranglehold on Critical Minerals Supply Chains?
China dominates global supply chains for nearly all critical mineral resources, including the rare earths that power decarbonization technologies. Seabed mining may be a way to diversify critical minerals supply chains and break China's stranglehold on supplies of some of the world's most important natural resources.
Nov 21, 2022
Commentary
Emerging Domestic Battery Supply Chain Should Be Wary of China's Information Ops
China has a huge stake in producing lithium-ion batteries, and is not above waging disinformation campaigns against U.S. firms involved in the battery supply chain. Extraction sector companies could work with cybersecurity experts and the U.S. intelligence community to educate their executives and local governments about any foreign disinformation risks.
Nov 15, 2022
Commentary
Enhance U.S. Rare Earth Security Through International Cooperation
Most rare earth elements and materials are sourced from overseas but China dominates extraction and processing. With closer multinational cooperation, the United States and its allies and partners could reduce vulnerabilities due to the dependency on China.
Nov 3, 2022
Commentary
The CHIPS Act Alone Won't Secure U.S. Semiconductor Supply Chains
The implementation of the CHIPS Act shows promise for revitalizing the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing industry via investments in research and development, workforce development, and incentive programs. But executing on these ambitions could take some time and may not resolve all semiconductor supply chain risks.
Oct 12, 2022
Commentary
The U.S. Has a Microchip Problem. Safeguarding Taiwan Is the Solution
Taiwan manufactures about 92 percent of the world's advanced microchips, which are used in almost all electronics, from cars to coffeemakers to combine harvesters. A Chinese attack on the island would imperil the world's supply of microchips. Here's how to offset that threat.
Oct 3, 2022
Report
Rapidly Detecting and Correcting Degradation of Military Supply Distribution Performance: Algorithms, Visualizations, and Case Studies
This report presents algorithms that monitor the U.S. Army logistics distribution system and automatically detect distribution issues that might affect equipment readiness. The report also offers recommendations for improved distribution monitoring.
Sep 20, 2022
Commentary
The Problem of Intra-Theater Lift: Moving Things Around in the Pacific Area of Responsibility
The U.S. joint force's ability to move materiel and people across oceans and continents is unique among militaries. But there are challenges all along the supply chain, addressed by different agencies and military commands in a complicated set of processes, and a collective reluctance to assume responsibility for the mission.
Sep 6, 2022
Report
America's 5G Era: Strengthening Current and Future U.S. Technical Competitiveness in 5G
Fifth-generation telecommunications technology (5G) offers a wide variety of potential applications. Authors discuss the global state of play in several aspects of the 5G ecosystem and raise several issues for policymakers to consider.
Jun 30, 2022
Report
Use of Predictive Analytic Tools to Assess Technological Emergences and Acquisition Targets
Using patent filings, the authors analyze the current position of the United States relative to China in selected technology areas of interest to the Department of the Air Force.
Jun 2, 2022
Report
Disclosure of Software Supply Chain Risks
This Perspective presents a set of proposed disclosure rules that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission could implement to help address software supply chain risks and improve security.
May 26, 2022
Report
Contractor Risk and Performance Indicators: Prototype Functional Specification and Developer Document
This report presents the technical design and architecture of a RAND-developed software prototype that assesses relative contractor risks in Department of the Air Force acquisition contracts and programs as described in two companion reports.
May 16, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Business Strategies

Topic Synonyms:
Business Strategy

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Salil Gunashekar

Senior Research Leader and Associate Director of Science and Emerging Technology, RAND Europe

Salil Gunashekar is a senior research leader and associate director at RAND Europe focusing on science and technology policy. With over a decade of experience of working in policy research, he has a particular interest in exploring the impact of digitalisation and emerging technologies, and in…
Sarah Weilant

Senior Policy Analyst

Sarah Weilant is a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation researching communities, systems, organizations, and individuals' needs for change. Topics of analysis relate to equity, well-being, resilience, workforce and organizational development, transportation, education, and national…

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