Business Commons^™

Continuous Process Improvement At Tinker Air Logistics Complex, Robert S. Rabon

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Logistics Centers (ALC) represent the Air Force's largest Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Operations. The ALCs strive to become leaner by reducing Work In Progress (WIP) inventory, reducing flow times, and increasing product quality to meet aircraft and engine demand levels. The Toyota Production System (TPS) is considered the best example of lean manufacturing by many. TPS utilizes the ingenuity of Toyota employees to generate Continuous Process Improvement (CPI). Achieving CPI can aid the ALCs in reducing operating capital while providing increased levels of service. The Air Force as a whole has made several attempts to get lean. …

An Empirical Investigation Of Usaf Logistics Readiness Officer Mission Sets, Matthew D. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

USAF Logistics Readiness Officers (LRO) operate in an evolving environment which necessitates growing multi-faceted LROs capable of succeeding across all mission sets. Because of this evolving nature, the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed in these mission sets may have changed. This study sought to validate the mission sets an LRO operates in, identify critical KSAs needed within each, discover overlap, and to determine if the KSAs are being adequately taught. The problem was addressed through qualitative content analysis of interviews and focus groups comprised of logistics practitioners in the Air Force. Analysis led to validating Deployment, Distribution, Materiel Management, …

Activity-Based Calculation Models For The Brazilian Air Force Cellular Unit Of Intendancy, Paula Ferreira Da Silva

Theses and Dissertations

During a military operation, besides providing technological infrastructure and specific weapons, it is also essential to have physical logistics to support the basic needs of troops. To provide this specific care, the Brazilian Air Force (BAF) has the Cellular Unit of Intendancy (CUI). Annually several support operations are planned, and events that cannot be predicted are estimated. Currently, the estimated budget and the report of total costs calculated after missions do not reflect the reality of the CUI expenses. The estimated budget presents values much lower than those presented in the reports of total costs, prepared after finishing each support …

Investigation Into Risk And Uncertainty: Identifying Coefficient Of Variation Benchmarks For Air Force Acat I Programs, Shaun T. Carney

Theses and Dissertations

Previous DoD cost growth studies found typical cost growth in defense acquisitions is around forty-six to sixty percent of the original estimate. The research in this study addresses the identification of risk and uncertainty benchmarks by providing decision makers with coefficient of variation ranges for cost estimates. The study recommends coefficient of variation (CV) ranges for Air Force Acquisition programs, determines if different CV ranges should be used based on platform type, and determines if CV decreases over the course of the program's acquisition lifecycle. The analysis found that the Air Force should enhance the CV review process to ensure …

Management Information Systems And The Age Of Social Media: An Investigation Of Social Network Research, Carissa M. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the up-rise of social media, social networking sites have increased in popularity and use over the last few years. During this time, research related to social networks has also escalated. This study presents social network research trends found in ISR, JMIS, and MISQ for a six year period, 2005-2010. The social network-related articles from these premier MIS journals were examined in terms of topical theme and research strategy employed. Furthermore, the most productive authors and affiliations were identified and presented individually, by state, and by region. An additional outcome of this research is the presentation of a preliminary …

Supplementary Computer Generated Cueing To Enhance Air Traffic Controller Efficiency, Laurienne Cibelle Rodrigues De Assis Santana

Theses and Dissertations

Air traffic controllers are often required to simultaneously communicate with several aircraft over multiple radio frequencies. As a result, during peak loading, it is common for the controller to receive multiple concurrent communications, each from a different aircraft, making it difficult to discern audio messages received from multiple pilots simultaneously. To address this problem, a modified air traffic control (ATC) interface was prototyped with the goal of increasing controller-to-pilot communication efficiency. This prototype included supplementary text cueing which was provided by a hypothetical automated text to speech system in an on-screen text box for controller reference in the event of …

Vehicle Minimization For The Multimodal Pickup And Delivery Problem With Time Windows, Benjamin A . Clapp

Theses and Dissertations

The algorithm proposed here is used for heuristic solutions for the Multimodal Multiple Vehicle Routing Problem with Unloading Capacity, Pickup and Dropoff, and Time Windows, solved so as to minimize the number of vehicles used, subject to varying objective function values for each vehicle. The MVRP is simplified and split into a routing problem and a scheduling problem. The routing problem is addressed by Dijkstra's Algorithm. This generates a new network for the second stage of the algorithm. It is assumed that the shortest path is the correct path to use, and shipments each travel unimodally. The scheduling problem is …

Strategic Consolidation Of Medical War Reserve Material (Wrm) Equipment Unit Type Codes (Utc) Assemblages, Chad W. Whitson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the strategic consolidation of medical WRM equipment UTC assemblages located within the contiguous United States. Following a 2003 consolidation assessment, the Air Force Medical Logistics Office (AFMLO) consolidated some of the medical UTCs at three Consolidated WRM Storage and Deployment Centers (CSDC) located at Kelly Field Annex, Travis AFB, and Charleston AFB. While many UTCs were consolidated at that time, currently only 17 of the possible 142 equipment UTC assemblages are entirely consolidated at one of those three locations. After adding three additional bases as possible consolidation locations, this study attempts to minimize the cost of full …

Usaf Aircraft Maintenance Officer Knowledge, Skills And Abilities And Commonalities Among The Logistics Officer Corps, David M. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated options to improve 21A training and education by first validating the Air Force's logistics mission sets as Deployment, Distribution, Supply Management, Repair Network Integration, Mission Generation, Lifecycle Logistics and Joint Logistics. Then, the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) considered important to execute each mission set were gathered from a representative sample of Air Force Logistics Officers via field interviews and focus groups. An analysis of results categorizes probable needs (high, medium, low) of KSAs for each mission set and assesses how well they are currently taught, if at all. Additionally, lists of KSAs that overlap multiple mission …

Analysis Of Effects Of Organizational Behavior On Evolving System Of Systems Acquisition Programs Through Agent Based Modeling, Klayton S. Bobsein

Theses and Dissertations

Every weapon system operates in context with one or more system of systems (SoS). It is the SoS that provides warfighting capability. Each system is managed independently by a program office with program-centric priorities. These systems must be interconnected and interoperable, so the program office must collaborate across the SoS. The SoS are always changing and evolving, triggered by variety of stimuli. Acquisition program offices can be characterized with a set of organizational behaviors that respond to the environment, are influenced by SoS architecture, and can be described by their fitness and contribution to SoS. Using Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions, …

A Comparison Of Earned Value Management And Earned Schedule As Schedule Predictors On Dod Acat I Programs, Kevin T. Crumrine

Theses and Dissertations

Earned Schedule, since it was introduced by Walt Lipke in 2003, has been studied extensively in a variety of different fields and on programs of all sizes. However, Earned Schedule's viability as an extension of Earned Value Management (EVM) in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP) has yet to be effectively answered. The first aspect of this research explores the breadth of Earned Schedule's adoption by the System Program Offices (SPO) of the United States Air Force. The second phase of this research explores whether Earned Schedule is a more accurate and timely schedule predictor than the EVM technique currently employed …

Cognitive Mentorship: Mediating Protégé Performance, Brian R. Mauntel

Theses and Dissertations

The role of cognitive apprenticeship has been emphasized in facilitating individual performance in the classroom, but there is limited quantitative research directly linking cognitive behaviors to mentoring relationships and workplace performance. This study investigates the characteristics of mentoring behavior that influence group performance using archival data from 52 different organizations. A mediation model is developed and the results indicate that the group-level of mentors' cognitive behavior plays a central role in the mentor-protege relationship. The findings suggest that the mentors' collective articulation of problem solving processes fully mediate the unit's performance, while reflection and exploration partially mediate the relationship. The …

Individual Resistance To Change, Jeffrey C. Sandusky

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines individual resistance to change and concludes that it is a constantly evolving process with many contributing factors. Defining resistance to change is a challenge within its own right. To account for the actions involved in change resistance is an even more complex undertaking. In this research, resistance to change is examined and explained using the influences of goals, participation, leadership effectiveness, and communication. These factors are expressed as the composition of what makes an individual resist or accept a change. Each of the four elements of resistance to change are examined independently and then synthesized into a …

Exploring The Dynamics And Modeling National Budget As A Supply Chain System: A Proposal For Reengineering The Budgeting Process And For Developing A Management Flight Simulator, Christoforos Kalloniatis

Theses and Dissertations

In the Science of Economics, there has been a debate about the optimal fiscal and budgetary policy that should be implemented by governments. On the one side, the advocates of the Keynesian Theory assert that in recession times governments should run budgets with deficits, in order to stimulate the economy, while the supporters of the Balanced Budget Theory, on the contrary, underscores the need to reduce and even eliminate the budget deficits. However, previous experience shows that both theories often failed to accomplish their goals, because they underestimated a very sensitive parameter: national budgets are not just an estimate of …

Using Predictive Analytics To Detect Major Problems In Department Of Defense Acquisition Programs, Austin W. Dowling

Theses and Dissertations

This research provides program analysts and Department of Defense (DoD) leadership with an approach to identify problems in real-time for acquisition contracts. Specifically, we develop optimization algorithms to detect unusual changes in acquisition programs’ Earned Value data streams. The research is focused on three questions. First, can we predict the contractor provided estimate at complete (EAC)? Second, can we use those predictions to develop an algorithm to determine if a problem will occur in an acquisition program or subprogram? Lastly, can we provide the probability of a problem occurring within a given timeframe? We find three of our models establish …

The Impact Of Supply Chain Business Processes On Competitive Advantage And Organizational Performance, John F. Perry Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational performance has routinely been viewed through a limited scope primarily focused on functions, practices, and resources directly controlled by the focal organization, but supply chain management (SCM) has broadened this scope to incorporate all organizations along the supply chain. This shifted the notion of competition from that of between individual organizations to between supply chains. Supply chain management is an ever growing field; multiple SCM frameworks exist today and are being further developed and defined. Successful firms must reside on the leading edge of management techniques, theories, and practices in order to stay competitive in an ever growing, more …

A Spreadsheet Model That Estimates The Impact Of Reduced Distribution Time On Inventory Investment Savings: What Is A Day Taken Out Of The Pipeline Worth In Inventory?, Serhat Saylam

Theses and Dissertations

In most of the literature dealing with inventory problems, either with a deterministic or probabilistic model, lead time is viewed as a prescribed constant or a stochastic variable that is not subject to control. But in many practical situations, lead time can be reduced by an extra crashing cost; in other words, it is controllable. This study proposes a repeatable spreadsheet optimization model that estimates the impact of reduced replenishment lead time on inventory investment savings at forward and strategic locations to motivate decision makers to support enterprise-wide distribution process improvement. The study provides users with a means of automatically …

The Effect Of Supply Chain Management Processes On Competitive Advantage And Organizational Performance, Ronald M. Salazar

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant changes in the paradigm of modern business management is that individual businesses no longer compete as solely autonomous entities, but rather as supply chains. In this emerging competitive environment, the ultimate success of the business will depend on management's ability to integrate the company's intricate network of business relationships. Effective supply chain management (SCM) has become a potentially valuable way of securing competitive advantage and improving organizational performance since competition is no longer between organizations, but among supply chains. This research conceptualizes and develops three dimensions of SCM practice (supplier relationship management, manufacturing flow management, …

Examining Express With Simulation, David R. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The Execution and Prioritization of Repair Support System (EXPRESS) is a database tool used by the Air Force to prioritize depot maintenance of reparable spare parts to maximize responsiveness to warfighter need. Many studies have examined individual portions of EXPRESS, though few have examined it as an entire system. This effort proposes a modeling approach for examining the overall system behavior of EXPRESS using discrete event simulation. The emphasis of the model is to be flexible enough to provide useful insight into system performance, while also remaining open-ended enough to provide a foundation for future expansion and analysis. A case …

The Relationship Between Key Supply Chain Process Implementation, Competitive Advantage, & Organizational Performance, Anthonelli White Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

In spite of an ever-accumulating body of research on the topic of supply chain management (SCM), an agreed upon definition or framework regarding its essential constructs or practices does not exist. There are, however, a few leading academic perspectives on SCM that have been bolstered by the acceptance of industry leaders. One such perspective is that presented by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). This study applies established survey methods to expand the body of knowledge pertaining to SCM by empirically validating the relationships conceptualized by the GSCF framework through an analysis of the perception of mid-level managers and senior-level …

An Analysis Of Turnover Intentions: A Reexamination Of Air Force Civil Engineering Company Grade Officers, Joshua D. Connell

Theses and Dissertations

A potential retention problem is facing company grade officers (CGOs) in the Air Force Civil Engineer (CE) career field. This is due to the stress caused by a demanding workload experienced during a prolonged period of conflict (Iraq and Afghanistan), which is compounded by a reduction in force. The possibility of reduced retention is thus a concern for CE leadership. Based on past research, and the prior study conducted by Riddel (2010), a new model of turnover intentions was developed. The new model expands on Riddel's simplified model of turnover and attempts to focus on key factors that may help …

Turnover Intentions: A Quantitative Analysis Of Comments From Air Force Civil Engineering Company Grade Officers, Tj E. Gabrielson

Theses and Dissertations

Voluntary turnover is a concern for the military and many other organizations from a financial and performance standpoint. This study applied grounded theory to code and network comments provided by CE officers in 2010. The results of this study found the most influential construct that predicts turnover intentions to be the relationship of OPSTEMPO influencing interrole conflict. This conflict is increased by the workload at home station due to under manning within CE. OPSTEMPO is an important aspect of a military member's decision to stay or leave the service because it was found to interact with a multitude of other …

High-Performance Work Practices: A Case Study Using The Phenomenological Approach, Aaron J. Zorn

Theses and Dissertations

The fast-paced work environment that exists today requires organizations to adapt quickly in order to sustain high performance. Research suggests that the use of high-performance work practices (HPWPs) in human resource management is a possible way to increase performance. As the United States Air Force continues to face decreasing budgets, possible fixes such as the use of HPWPs may be considered. This research used a phenomenological approach to collect data from civil engineer controllers throughout the Air Force about their experiences and perceptions. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether current human resource practices are potentially contributing to …

Modeling And Analysis Of Af Depot Business Practices For Supply, Jason A. Blake

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explored the impact of heroic actions on depot maintenance operations in terms of aircraft flow days through programmed depot maintenance and in terms of lost production hours. In an area of fiscal uncertaintly and reducing budgets, an understanding of the impact of heroic actions would lead to efficiency gains for the Air Force. Depots do not routinely report the associated impact of heroic actions on their operations and recent efforts to assess these impacts have not arrived to a definitive conclusion.

To assess the impact of heroic actions on depot processes, a discrete event simulation was developed for …

Value Focused Thinking In Developing Aerobatic Aircraft Selection Model For Turkish Air Force, Emel Bengoz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to lessen the potential human errors by using decision analysis and cost analysis techniques. This research uses Value- Focused Thinking in conjunction with Multi-Objective Decision Analysis and Cost Analysis. It creates a decision-making model that allows decision makers to interact with analysts by specifying his/her objectives, values and preferences. On the other hand, cost analysis process determines cost effective alternatives. Alternatives are scored using 17 evaluation measures that are identified by interviews with the decision maker and stakeholders. Robustness of the model is tested by sensitivity analysis. Results of sensitivity analysis on current weights …

Acquisition Program Problem Detection Using Text Mining Methods, Trevor P. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This research provides program analysts and Department of Defense leadership with an approach to identify problems in real-time for acquisition contracts. Specifically, we test the abilities of statistical algorithms using text mining techniques to detect unusual changes in acquisition programs’ cost estimates at the completion of the programs. Currently, the government purchases monthly written reports, an informational tool on status of an acquisition program, but has not been integrated into problem prediction analysis. We center our research on the following two questions: First, can we quantify the qualitative written reports? Second, can we use these quantifications of the texts to …

Evaluation Of Inventory Reduction Strategies: Balad Air Base Case Study, Aaron V. Glassburner

Theses and Dissertations

The end of military operations in Iraq brought a new set of challenges for Air Force supply professionals as they responsibly reduced levels of assets within the country while supporting on-going missions. This research evaluates two separate supply reduction plans that were implemented at Balad Air Base during the Air Force's final months in the area of operations. The logic of Air Force consumable inventory computations are modeled in detail and historical data from supply records are utilized to evaluate each plan's supportability to different notional fleet sizes. Each plan is evaluated under measures of backorders, backorder quantities, and customer …

An Evaluation Of The Argentinean Basic Trainer Aircraft Domestic Development Project, Guillermo A. Stahl

Theses and Dissertations

The Argentine Air Force (AAF) is facing increasing challenges in maintaining and sustaining trainer aircraft. The current trainer aircraft used by the AAF face obsolescence issues and decreased serviceability. Argentina used to have the largest aircraft industry among the Latin America countries, but a number of factors such as not maintaining objectives and policies over time undermined its consolidation and were instrumental in Argentina losing its leadership position. To meet AAF requirements and revive Argentina's domestic aircraft industry, an indigenous basic trainer aircraft project is proposed. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the project's viability using a multi-criteria …

A Benchmarking Study Of Air Force Program Manager Competencies, Kristy N. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade, the Department of Defense (DOD) has redesigned its acquisition process and the allocation of funding which in turned has had a major effect on the Air Force Acquisition program management workforce. The current acquisition workforce continues to face serious shortages of highly skilled program managers resulting in programs and projects overrun, undermanaged, and unexplained increased cost. Highly skilled talent with the necessary technology competencies is in high demand. These skills are critical to the success of programs and mission accomplishments.

The purpose of this benchmarking study is to determine if the Air Force are developing and …

Decision Analysis Using Value-Focused Thinking For Retention Of Long-Term Officers In The Korean Army, Jaebum Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The North Korean attacks on the South Korean naval vessel, the Cheonan, and on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in 2010 have resulted in the deterioration of the relationship between North and South Korea. The death of Kim Jong Il in December 2011 has raised serious concerns over the future of North Korea and political stability on the Korean Peninsula. Against this background, South Korea has continued its agenda of military reform to improve the retention and management of its military personnel. However, South Korea needs better methods and measures for evaluating its personnel to distinguish highly qualified officers …