Strategies for Logistics in Case of a Natural Disaster

Sponsored Report (for Acquisition Research Program)The need to effectively and efficiently provide emergency supplies and services is increasing all over the world. We investigate four policy options''prepositioning supplemental resources, preemptive as well as phased deployment of assets, and a surge of supplies and services''as potential strategies for responding to a disaster. We illustrate the linkage between our four policy options and a disaster classification based upon disaster localization (dispersed or local) and speed of disaster onset (slow or sudden). We summarize our work by introducing a matrix that aligns logistics strategies with disaster types in order to assist policy-makers in their resource management decisions.Naval Postgraduate School Acquisition Research ProgramApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Defence logistics: an important research field in need of researchers

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJPDLM-03-2012-0079Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the special issue on defence logistics. To achieve this, an overview of the field of defence logistics is offered together with a discussion of the historical and contemporary issues that have confronted researchers and practitioners. Current research is described, and a research agenda for future work in the field is proposed. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based upon a conceptual discussion of defence logistics as it has been studied in the past and is being studied in the present, and a reflection on the ways in which past research can usefully inform future research agendas. Findings – The paper discusses the current state of defence logistics research, and proposes a research agenda for future work based upon the anticipated characteristics of future combat operations. Research limitations/implications - A future research agenda is proposed that is informed by recent transformations in the conduct of warfare, as well as through anticipated changes in the global strategic landscape. Comparisons are made between defence logistics operations and their commercial counterparts to illustrate where there may be opportunities for adaptation based on the underlying similarities. Originality/value - This paper discusses the major threads and themes of defence logistics research as a discipline, highlights the changing landscape of conflict in the 21st century and provides a future research agenda for those working in the field

Naval Expeditionary Logistics

Presented at Western Decision Sciences Institute (WDSI 2018) conference, 47th Annual Meeting - April 3-6, 2018In recent decades, the U.S. military has increasingly engaged in conflicts involving non-state actors. As a powerful maritime force, the U.S. Navy plays a critical role in these conflicts through its expeditionary warfare and logistics capabilities. The primary objectives of this research project are to develop better understanding of the challenges and current practices of expeditionary logistics and to develop recommendations for better managing expeditionary logistics in the Navy

An Analysis of United States Navy Disaster Relief Operations

Presented at Western Decision Sciences Institute (WDSI 2012) conference April 3 - 6, 2012Over the past decade, there have been numerous disasters for which the United States Navy (USN) has provided a significant amount of effective assistance due to its many unique and critical capabilities. During each disaster response the Navy has deployed many different types of ships, however, not all ships are equally suited to contribute effectively to each disaster. Currently, there is no mechanism for explicitly evaluating the utility of vessel types for disaster response.The purpose of this research is to determine which USN assets are best suited for specific disaster relief efforts based upon their capabilities and limitations. A firm understanding of which vessels are most appropriate for use during disaster response will help the USN make more effective decisions when considering the types of vessels it will procure in the future as well as in planning and executing humanitarian operations throughout the world. We discuss the characteristics of specific USN vessels in the context of three events – the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2005 U. S. Hurricane Katrina, and 2010 Haiti Earthquake – to illustrate their relative utility for disaster response

Estimates of Unit Cost Reductions of the F-16 Fighter as a Result of U.S. Arms Export Production

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1941658X.2013.766547Arms exports have increasingly become an attractive option for reducing escalating unit costs of new weapon systems to the United States Department of Defense. However, while there is no lack of conjecture, there is little data that show weapon system costs to the United States actually decrease when the same weapon is sold to a foreign buyer. The authors use the sale of the F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft to foreign nations as a case study to quantify the financial gains realized through learning and economies of scale attributed to export production. Using a rate-adjustment cost improvement analysis, the authors’ case study shows the unit costs the United States Department of Defense would have incurred without the concurrent export production of F-16s. Estimates suggest that the production savings resulting from export production were in excess of the research, development, test, and evaluation costs of the F-16 for the period 1975 to 1991. The potential benefits associated with keeping the F-16 production line “warm” through export production and the limits of applying the findings to other weapon systems are discussed.Office of the Undersecretary of DefenseAerospace Industries Associatio

Strategies for Logistics in Case of a Natural Disaster

Presented at Western Decision Sciences Institute (WDSI 2012) conference April 5 - 8, 2011The unpredictability of the timing of a disaster as well as the scope of its human and material destruction raises several serious questions for emergency planners and first responders. Decisions regarding the types of provisions that should be prepositioned, as well as their location, should be made well before a disaster strikes in order to provide quick response. We discuss a general framework for classifying disasters and then investigate several logistics policy options for effectively responding to them. The conceptual models developed in this work will serve as the theoretical base for future empirical work investigating appropriate policy options for different classifications of disasters

Beyond lean: production and inventory policy for the old economy

Lean manufacturing has fundamentally changed the way business leaders think about the production of manufactured goods and services. Over the past three decades, firms have dedicated considerable resources to reducing production setup times, shrinking inventories, and organizing work into cellular flows. Discrete parts manufacturing has benefited from production planning schemes that smooth production and levelload the plant to reduce idle time and overtime. But in the process industries, where production occurs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, what does it mean to level-load the production facility? In those industries, capacity stabilization is defined as creating production cycles that are predictable, and level-loading consists of stabilizing manufacturing lead times. In this article, we describe the differences between what we call inventory-centric versus capacity-centric modes of production and inventory control, and we present data collected from a large chemical plant operation that illustrates a mismatch between inventory policy and capacity characteristics. We also describe policies appropriate for old economy firms in the face of increasing consolidation and pressures to reduce costs and increase responsiveness

Selecting Maritime Disaster Response Capabilities

The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/joscmv6n2p40-58Using a structured, qualitative evaluation schema complemented by expert rating, we evaluate the capabilities and utility of ships in the United States Navy and United States Military Sealift inventory. We find that there are specifc types of vessels with significant disaster response utility and recommended a flotill atype that would be best suited for these types of operations. Utilizing an exploratory framework that evalutates three diverse disaster cases, we scale the utility of each vessel using subject matter experts. This work should be of interest to national policy-makers as well as international governing bodies and leaders of naval institutions for its recommendations on the type of ships most useful for contributing to effective disaster response. The capabilities identified in this research are found in various naval and maritime organizations throughout the world, and this work can help assist those organizations identify the types of capabiltiies that are most useful in the event of a disaster