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Supply Chain Management

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.

Testimony

Taking Action Against U.S. Import Dependence

When a country that controls its materials production dominates the supply chain for a critical material—as China does with tungsten—it's harder for American manufacturers to compete. But the United States can take steps to help mitigate this issue.

Dec 12, 2017
Commentary

Campaign for Fair Food Makes a Real Difference

The Fair Food Program protects farmworkers while providing corporations with transparency in their supply chains and tremendous brand protection. It has been widely recognized for improving agricultural working conditions and for changing the culture of America's farm fields.

Aug 25, 2017
Report

Report

Army Stock Positioning: How Can Distribution Performance Be Improved?

This report analyzes how the U.S. Army can improve its distribution of heavy secondary items that account for a small proportion of the overall number of items the Army must ship to users but comprise a large proportion of the weight it ships.

Aug 14, 2017
Report

3D Printing: Downstream Production Transforming the Supply Chain

This Perspective describes potential uses of 3D printing in a military context to help the U.S. Department of Defense understand future impacts on the supply chain and the structural and policy changes that might be required to support these efforts.

Aug 11, 2017
Dissertation

Dissertation

Let There Be Light: Green Industrial Policy and Energy Access in India

Explores the competitiveness of India's domestic manufacturing across the supply chain; barriers and enablers to developing a domestic industry; and the cost of industrial policy support.

Feb 27, 2017
Report

Report

Developing a Capacity Assessment Framework for Marine Logistics Groups

This report provides a capacity assessment framework to assist each of the Marine Logistics Groups, or any size unit, in determining the ability of logistics units to meet current and projected tasks.

Feb 20, 2017
Report

Report

Identifying Efficiencies in the Supply Chain for Training Ammunition: Methods, Models, and Recommendations

Examines the U.S. Army's training ammunition supply chain to determine where efficiencies could be realized while maintaining or improving service levels.

Oct 13, 2016
Testimony

Testimony

Critical Materials, U.S. Import Dependence, and Recommended Actions: Addendum

Document submitted on May 26, 2015 as an addendum to testimony presented before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on May 12, 2015.

May 27, 2015
Testimony

Critical Materials and U.S. Import Dependence

The United States is vulnerable to export restrictions that limit access to raw materials that are critical to manufacturing. This can hinder the competitiveness of U.S. manufactures and create pressure to move manufacturing out of the country. But there are ways to address the potential for supply disruptions of critical materials.

May 12, 2015
Report

Measuring and Managing Army Supply Chain Risk: A Quantitative Approach by Item Number and Commercial Entity Code

Provides background on supply chain risk management, strategic sourcing, and management of the supplier relationship. Presents a methodology to estimate Army supply chain risk and identifies factors that increase risk.

May 7, 2015
Report

Report

Identifying and Managing Acquisition and Sustainment Supply Chain Risks

Examines supply chain risk management, including evolving commercial and Air Force practices, and recommends modifications to Air Force practices.

Mar 4, 2015
Journal Article

Journal Article

A Fruitful Application of Static Marginal Analysis

This paper describes the application of the technique of simple "marginal analysis" to an Air Force problem and suggests that a similar application may be useful in many industrial situations.

Feb 20, 2015
Dissertation

Dissertation

Critical Rare Earths, National Security, and U.S.-China Interactions: A Portfolio Approach to Dysprosium Policy Design

Examines how the U.S. can pursue a portfolio of policies to reduce American vulnerability to the supply disruption of one critical heavy rare earth, dysprosium.

Jan 19, 2015
Report

Improving Defense Logistics Agency Supply Chain Agility

The DLA supplies common military items to the armed services and others while seeking to achieve customer service goals and minimize cost. When demand for an item rises unexpectedly, providing effective customer service is challenging, and when demand falls, the DLA can be left with the sunk cost of excess inventory. Continuous attention to supply chain agility is needed.

Jan 5, 2015
Commentary

'Product of Mexico': Why Have Corporate/Social Responsibility Programs Failed?

The Fair Food Program has been a leader in using cooperation, visibility, and accountability to meet the needs of workers, growers, and buyers. Can it be a model for addressing these critical issues in Mexico as well?

Dec 12, 2014
Report

Report

Findings from Existing Data on the Department of Defense Industrial Base

Existing federal data can identify subcontractors in the defense supply base, their socioeconomic status, and the vulnerability of contractors and subcontractors to environmental risks and changes in their federal prime and subcontract revenue.

Nov 6, 2014
Report

Transforming Compliance: Emerging Paradigms for Boards, Management, Compliance Officers, and Government

These proceedings summarize the discussions and include the white papers from a symposium about compliance as a field, factors that are likely to contribute to its transformation, and practical implications for key stakeholder groups.

Sep 15, 2014
Report

Report

Small Business and Strategic Sourcing: Lessons from Past Research and Current Data

Department of Defense (DoD) goals may conflict as DoD attempts to apply strategic-sourcing practices to reduce total costs and improve performance while maintaining a goal of spending about 23 percent of prime-contract dollars with small businesses.

Aug 26, 2014
Commentary

Should the U.S. Rely on Russian Rocket Engines?

One of the two launch vehicles that lift U.S. satellites into orbit depends on a rocket engine made by a company located in Russia. Russia's recent clashes with Ukraine and its claims on the Crimean peninsula have caused friction with the United States and thereby raised questions among U.S. policymakers about the potential for an interruption in the supply of the engines.

Jul 16, 2014
Testimony

Does Reliance on Foreign Component Supply Chains Put U.S. Launch Vehicles at Risk?

While there are both risks and benefits of using foreign components in the U.S. Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, the risk of potential supply interruption of most foreign components is manageable. To mitigate those risks, trade-offs of costs, schedules, and mission significance must be considered.

Jul 16, 2014

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