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Full-Text Articles in Business

Aerospace Ground Equipment Management's Impact On Home-Station Sortie Production, Michael A. Bayer Mar 2003

Aerospace Ground Equipment Management's Impact On Home-Station Sortie Production, Michael A. Bayer

Theses and Dissertations

Since the Air Force began its evolution into an Expeditionary Air Force, much effort has been expended in attempt to optimize the compositions of each Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) and the manner in which an AEF deploys. Air Force plans were previously based upon deploying 24-ship Unit Type Codes (UTC), although a 12-ship deployment is more prevalent in today's environment. In an effort to eliminate the anomalies between planned and actual deployment composition, the Air Staff directed in 2002 that all fighter UTCs be right-sized to reflect current, planned requirements (Headquarters United States Air Force, 2002), The directive stipulated the …

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A Comparative Study Of The Warrior Support Tool And The Agile Munitions Support Tool, John C. Lofton Iii Mar 2003

A Comparative Study Of The Warrior Support Tool And The Agile Munitions Support Tool, John C. Lofton Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to ascertain if the United States Air Force (USAF) is duplicating effort with the development of the two IT applications, the Warrior Support Tool (WST) and the Agile Munitions Support Tool (AMST), or if one will effectively meet requirements. Specifically, this thesis sought to answer four research questions addressing customer needs for a munitions IT application, identifying the capabilities of the two research IT applications, determining how well each application met the needs of the customer, and determining how supportable each application was in terms of information needs versus existing munitions systems. A mixed …

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Utility Assessment Of Specificity In Upward Feedback Instruments For Leadership Development, Theresa M. Wardak Mar 2003

Utility Assessment Of Specificity In Upward Feedback Instruments For Leadership Development, Theresa M. Wardak

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, organizations have been modifying performance appraisal systems to collect data from multiple sources to guide the development of supervisors. Upward feedback programs focus on development rather than appraisal by supplementing traditional downward feedback with subordinate feedback. The utility of two upward feedback instruments was assessed in this study; one is a commercially available instrument, the Leadership Practices Inventory (Posner & Kouzes, 1988) and the other is the recently developed, non-proprietary Upward Feedback Instrument (2002). The Upward Feedback Instrument was designed to measure leadership behaviors at a more specific level. It was thought that greater feedback specificity world lead to …

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Developing A Leadership Commitments Inventory, Abigail L. White Mar 2003

Developing A Leadership Commitments Inventory, Abigail L. White

Theses and Dissertations

Organizations have been modifying performance appraisal systems to collect data from multiple source to guide supervisor development. Multiple rater programs provide leaders with more than one source of feedback, and give them a more complete, and possibly more accurate picture of their performance, which can facilitate meaningful behavioral change. The purpose of this thesis was to develop and validate a Leadership Commitments Inventory (LCI) from a 360-degree feedback approach that reflected a six-factor leadership taxonomy composed of twelve distinct indices, Using successive content adequacy tests, 48 items were validated and the web-based LCI was administered to 278 participants. Internal consistency …

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Participation's Effect On Organizational Readiness For Change: An Empirical Study, Jonathon F. Flanders Mar 2003

Participation's Effect On Organizational Readiness For Change: An Empirical Study, Jonathon F. Flanders

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational change management is a principal issue in virtually every organization. This cross sectional correlation study examined an array of variables (i.e., process, personality, and context -specific) that influence organizational readiness for change. Participation (process variable) was related to higher mean scores in each of the four distinct readiness for change scales and explained a significant amount of incremental variance in appropriateness, valence, and efficacy.

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An International Study Of Organizational Change: A Simultaneous Analysis Of Process, Context, And Individual Attributes, Hee-Hyung Jung Mar 2003

An International Study Of Organizational Change: A Simultaneous Analysis Of Process, Context, And Individual Attributes, Hee-Hyung Jung

Theses and Dissertations

Few studies in the organizational change literature have examined differences in the change process in different cultures. This cross-cultural study is designed to take a comprehensive view of change using a dynamic model that integrates content, process, context, and individual attribute factors simultaneously. The model is used to compare perceptions of organizational change held by members of military organizations in the United States and in Korea. The U.S. sample consisted of 264 employees who were members of Department of Defense organizations. There were two Korean samples: 280 employees of the Women's Military School and members of the Women's Battalion, and …

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A Decision Support System For Effective Scheduling In An F-16 Pilot Training Squadron, Davut Aslan Mar 2003

A Decision Support System For Effective Scheduling In An F-16 Pilot Training Squadron, Davut Aslan

Theses and Dissertations

Scheduling of flights for a flight training squadron involves the coordination of time and resources in a dynamic environment. The generation of a daily flight schedule (DFS) requires the proper coordination of resources within established time windows. This research provides a decision support tool to assist in the generation of the DFS. Three different priority rules are investigated for determining an initial ordering of flights and a shifting bottleneck heuristic is used to establish a candidate DFS. A user interface allows a scheduler to interact with the decision support tool during the DFS generation process. Furthermore, the decision support tool …

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An Analysis Of Information Referenced Testing As An Air Force Assessment Tool, Eric D. Larson Mar 2003

An Analysis Of Information Referenced Testing As An Air Force Assessment Tool, Eric D. Larson

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DOD) has placed a great deal of importance on training and education, throughout all areas of infrastructure development and force implementation. A more knowledgeable operating unit, in any situation, is consistently the deciding factor for success. The United States Air Force, too, has emphasized this ideal and sought to employ those persons most qualified for the required task. Yet, problems within the classroom and various training venues are always present and should be continually marked for improvement. Existing assessment techniques should provide an accurate account of the quality of information learned by DOD personnel. This is …

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The Effects Of Perceived Overqualification On Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Turnover: A Study Of Afit Graduates, Thomas E. Hoskins Mar 2003

The Effects Of Perceived Overqualification On Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Turnover: A Study Of Afit Graduates, Thomas E. Hoskins

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Air Force provides multiple program to increase the educational skills of its workforce. This study focuses on the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) graduate level, in-residence degree program. The Air Force is making a significant investment in the education of its members. Studies on perceived overqualification, overeducation, and match quality suggest that utilization plays a role in an individual's job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment levels can be used as predictors of turnover. This research studies the levels of perceived overqualification in AFIT graduates and how it effects their job satisfaction, organizational commitment, …

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A Delphi Expert Assessment Of Proactive Contracting In An Evolutionary Acquisition Environment, Gary L. Wellman Mar 2003

A Delphi Expert Assessment Of Proactive Contracting In An Evolutionary Acquisition Environment, Gary L. Wellman

Theses and Dissertations

This study used structured group discussions (The Delphi Method) among three groups of contracting professionals from the Air Armament, Aeronautical Systems, and the Electronic Systems Centers in order to identify potential roadblocks to implementation of Evolutionary Acquisition strategies. The Delphi groups also tackled the problem of identifying and exploring potential business strategies that may counter the identified challenges. Discussions revealed that current laws, regulations, and internal processes pose challenges in an evolutionary acquisition environment. No single business strategy emerged as the best way to implement the EA strategy. Participants suggested that all three Centers concluded that robust business planning, pre-contract …

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An Analysis Of The Implementation Of Acquisition Reform Initiatives And Contract Cost Variance, Mark A. Holbrook Mar 2003

An Analysis Of The Implementation Of Acquisition Reform Initiatives And Contract Cost Variance, Mark A. Holbrook

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the impact of acquisition reform initiatives implemented since 1993 on contract cost performance. Many initiatives implemented during the 1990s focused on saving the government money in procuring weapon systems. For decades, cost overruns have plagued Department of Defense weapons systems development and procurement costing the government money. The passage of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994 and the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, marked significant congressional action on aiding the Department of Defense develop and procure systems cheaper. Conclusions drawn in this thesis may aid leadership in supporting current initiatives and drafting new changes.

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An Investigation Of Air Force Communities Of Practice: A Descriptive Study Of Evolution Through Assessment Of People, Process, And Technology Capabilities, Jason R. May Mar 2003

An Investigation Of Air Force Communities Of Practice: A Descriptive Study Of Evolution Through Assessment Of People, Process, And Technology Capabilities, Jason R. May

Theses and Dissertations

A variety of theories state that communities of practice (CoPs) "evolve" or "mature" through various stages over time. Such theories posit that each stage is characterized by different people, process, and technology attributes/capabilities that ultimately necessitate differing strategies for achieving effectiveness (Gongla and Rizzuto, 2001). A primary goal of AFMC/DRW, AFMC Electronic Learning (eLearning) Knowledge Management Integrated Project Team, and the office of the Air Force Chief Information Officer is to increase CoP participation and effectiveness. This descriptive, cross-sectional research, surveyed all CoP managers of all CoPs "hosted" by AFMC/DRW with a quantitative/qualitative, 86 question, 5-point Likert, survey. This research …

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Onward Movement Transportation Mode Selection Study, Seong Kyun Lee Mar 2003

Onward Movement Transportation Mode Selection Study, Seong Kyun Lee

Theses and Dissertations

As a result of global security environmental changes, the U.S. Army's posture has changed from forward deployment to power projection and resulted in the reduction of the Army force structure. These changes also reduce the possibility of the United States' involvement in a large-scale war, but require rapid and reliable deployment to stabilize a hostile area. Force projection is the demonstrated ability to alert, mobilize, deploy rapidly, and operate effectively anywhere in the world, and consists of three deployment segments: fort to port, port to port, and port to foxhole. Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration (RSO&I) is a detailed …

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Multiple Case Comparison Of The In-Transit Visibility Business Process, Michael L. Horsey Mar 2003

Multiple Case Comparison Of The In-Transit Visibility Business Process, Michael L. Horsey

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, the Department of Defense has developed an In-transit Visibility capability. Despite significant funding and research in developing this capability, the initial deployment in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) in 2001 highlighted an ongoing problem to achieve ITV within the U.S. Air Force. Initial results from Headquarters USAF initiated studies point to a need to focus on business processes related ITV management. This research employed a multiple case study design embedded in a functional benchmarking process to solicit ITV management "best practices" from leaders in the civilian logistics industry and to identify gaps between their practices …

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The Air Mobility Planner's Calculator Improvements, Verification, And Validation, Frank W. Watson Jr. Mar 2003

The Air Mobility Planner's Calculator Improvements, Verification, And Validation, Frank W. Watson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

In today's Air Force, we are constantly faced with meeting the mission under limited budget and equipment constraints. Any tools that make completing the mission easier are highly sought after, and rightfully so. The Air Mobility Planner's Calculator (AMPCALC) is one such tool. It gives the mobility planner flexibility in planning by allowing several different situations to be modeled. This paper recommends improvements to the model and provides the verification and validation of the model in an attempt to prove that the model is a useful tool for Air Mobility Command and the United States Air Force.

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A Correlation Study Of Second Destination Transportation Funding And Vehicle Movement, Stephen D. Wier Mar 2003

A Correlation Study Of Second Destination Transportation Funding And Vehicle Movement, Stephen D. Wier

Theses and Dissertations

HQ AFMC has consistently experienced problems with the Second Destination Transportation budget being under funded. This under funding causes the command to implement control actions on how funds are allocated to ensure that enough funds are available. This research effort was intended to show the relationship between spending restrictions and how vehicles move between theaters. By identifying whether or not and how the control actions on Second Destination Transportation funding affects inter-theater vehicle movement capabilities, this research seeks to assist those decision makers in making fully informed decisions when allocating scare fiscal resources. The results of this research indicate that …

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Utility Of The Logistics Officer Career Path Pyramid In Promotion Prediction, Gregory T. Ogorek Mar 2003

Utility Of The Logistics Officer Career Path Pyramid In Promotion Prediction, Gregory T. Ogorek

Theses and Dissertations

As part of the major restructuring of the United States Air Force, the officer career fields of transportation, supply and logistics plans have been merged into a new career field, the logistics readiness officer. The purpose of this research was to perform a statistical analysis of the career path pyramid for the logistics plans, supply, and transportation officer career fields. This will provide a baseline for the newly created logistics readiness officer, a combination of the three aforementioned career fields. Specifically, this thesis answered research questions addressing the career guidance provided by the United States Air Force, the factors involved, …

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Joining The Department Of Defense Enterprise Resource Planning Team: The Air Force's Role In The Enterprise, Coreen R. Mueller Mar 2003

Joining The Department Of Defense Enterprise Resource Planning Team: The Air Force's Role In The Enterprise, Coreen R. Mueller

Theses and Dissertations

Over time, the Air Force (AF) built customized legacy logistics data and information systems, which have evolved into an inflexible network of obsolete systems that are costly to maintain and upgrade, and struggle to share data in a timely and coherent manner. The Department of Defense (DoD), to include the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the US AF, the US Army, and the US Navy, have all recognized the need to modernize and integrate their legacy systems to improve warfighter support. The DLA, the US Army, and the US Navy all see Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technology as a commercial best …

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Developing A Web-Based Developmental Feedback Program, Matthew A. Douglas Mar 2003

Developing A Web-Based Developmental Feedback Program, Matthew A. Douglas

Theses and Dissertations

Developmental feedback programs provide an opportunity to improve leadership practices by giving leaders feedback about their performance from a number of sources, This thesis expanded on Capt Doug Patton's pilot study (2002) that developed and validated an upward feedback instrument (UFI) for Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) and Air Force Security Assistance Center (AFSAC) supervisors. Specifically, the purpose of this thesis was to develop a web-based developmental feedback collection, reporting, and analysis tool-set.

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A Service Life Analysis Of Coast Guard C-130 Aircraft, Jonathan B. Duff Mar 2003

A Service Life Analysis Of Coast Guard C-130 Aircraft, Jonathan B. Duff

Theses and Dissertations

The U. S. Coast Guard, much like the rest of the Armed Services, is facing a dramatic transformation of its forces to meet current and future service requirements. The Coast Guard has responded to this transformation by initiating the Deepwater System, a complete review of the offshore mission requirements and the modernization of its infrastructure. In particular, Deepwater will review and modernize the Coast Guard's aviation assets, improving aircraft systems, airborne sensors, and communications and information management systems. However, these capability advancements will take time and money to implement, and will require careful management of the current resources to ensure …

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A Study Of The Efficacy Of Unit Contingency Contracting Training, Jesse A. Kirstein Mar 2003

A Study Of The Efficacy Of Unit Contingency Contracting Training, Jesse A. Kirstein

Theses and Dissertations

This research is a follow-on effort to Capt Pete Lasch's thesis, which examined the Air Force training needs of contingency contracting officers (CCOs). Through this study, Lasch (2002) identified a list of critical training tasks for CCO training. This study investigates how units currently conduct training and to what extent the recommended tasks are being addressed in training. Interviews, surveys, and archival training logs were used to capture data for the study. CCO demographic information and recommendations were collected through these interviews and surveys. Interviews were used as a pre-test and later were combined with the electronic survey responses. Surveys …

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Exploring The Diversification Discount: A Focus On High-Technology Target Firms, Donald F. Adkins Jr. Mar 2003

Exploring The Diversification Discount: A Focus On High-Technology Target Firms, Donald F. Adkins Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

When firms choose to acquire others, those acquisitions can either be considered diversifying or non-diversifying. Whether the firm diversifies or not has been shown to affect the post-acquisition performance of that firm. Past merger and acquisition (M&A) research has identified a "diversification discount" when firms diversify through M&A activity. However managers continue to diversify, posing the question, "Why do firms continue to diversify in the face of research indicating negative post-acquisition performance"? The answer may be found in that much of the past research has treated all acquisitions the same by analyzing a wide cross-section of acquisitions from industries of …

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Evaluation Of Personnel Parameters In Software Cost Estimating Models, Steven L. Quick Mar 2003

Evaluation Of Personnel Parameters In Software Cost Estimating Models, Steven L. Quick

Theses and Dissertations

Software capabilities have steadily increased over the last half century. The Department of Defense has seized this increased capability and used it to advance the warfighter's weapon systems However, this dependence on software capabilities has come with enormous cost. The risks of software development must be understood to develop an accurate cost estimate.

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Information Sharing And Interoperability In Law Enforcement: An Investigation Of Federal Criminal Justice Information Systems Use By State/Local Law Enforcement Organizations, David R. Dethlefs Mar 2003

Information Sharing And Interoperability In Law Enforcement: An Investigation Of Federal Criminal Justice Information Systems Use By State/Local Law Enforcement Organizations, David R. Dethlefs

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the frequency of use and perceptions of usefulness of federal criminal justice information systems among state and local law enforcement personnel and certain IS environmental factors that affect usage. The study is predicated by a demonstrated need for increased information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration among the three tiers of law enforcement as public safety threats within U.S. borders increase in complexity; e.g., the Murrah Federal Building bombing, Columbine High School shooting, 9/11 terrorist attacks, and D.C. sniper case. The results of this research indicate high usage and perceived usefulness of the National Crime Information Center Network (NCIC …

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Deception Detection In A Computer-Mediated Environment: Gender, Trust, And Training Issues, Monica A. Dziubinski Mar 2003

Deception Detection In A Computer-Mediated Environment: Gender, Trust, And Training Issues, Monica A. Dziubinski

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense is increasingly relying on computer-mediated communications to conduct business. This reliance introduces an amplified vulnerability to strategic information manipulation, or deception. This research draws on communication and deception literature to develop a conceptual model proposing relationships between deception detection abilities in a computer-mediated environment, gender, trust, and training. An experiment was conducted with 119 communications personnel to test the proposed hypotheses. No relationship between gender or trust and deception detection accuracy was found. Partial support was found showing that training improves deception detection accuracy. The most significant finding was that individual’s deception detection abilities deteriorate in …

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The Effect Of Interactivity And Instructional Exposure On Learning Effectiveness And Knowledge Retention: A Comparative Study Of Two U.S. Air Force Computer-Based Training (Cbt) Courses For Network User Licensing, Matthew J. Imperial Mar 2003

The Effect Of Interactivity And Instructional Exposure On Learning Effectiveness And Knowledge Retention: A Comparative Study Of Two U.S. Air Force Computer-Based Training (Cbt) Courses For Network User Licensing, Matthew J. Imperial

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force (USAF) currently employs the use of computer-based training (CET) across a host of requirements. One such requirement is in the Information Assurance (IA) arena and involves the training/licensing of over one-million computer network end-users. USAF use of CETs has been shown to possess a potential for substantial fiscal savings. However, studies investigating the learning outcomes of learning effectiveness (initial learning) and knowledge retention (sustained learning) associated with USAF CETs are lacking.

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An Analysis Of Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity Among Air Force Information Management Professionals, Michele E. Johnson Mar 2003

An Analysis Of Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity Among Air Force Information Management Professionals, Michele E. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The role of enlisted Air Force Information Management professionals has been expanded beyond traditional boundaries to include a new area of responsibility called workgroup management. Workgroup management duties include front-line support for the life-cycle management of information, maintenance of desktop computers and networks, development and management of web pages, performance of initial system diagnostics, and management of client workstation configuration and software. Anecdotal evidence suggested the new, broader role of workgroup manager, combined with the fact that the majority of these individuals are assigned to positions in non communications units, may promulgate role conflict and role ambiguity. Role theory literature …

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A Group Theoretic Tabu Search Methodology For Solving The Theater Distribution Vehicle Routing And Scheduling Problem, John R. Crino Jun 2002

A Group Theoretic Tabu Search Methodology For Solving The Theater Distribution Vehicle Routing And Scheduling Problem, John R. Crino

Theses and Dissertations

The application of Group Theory to Tabu Search is a new and exciting field of research. This dissertation applies and extends some of Colletti's (1999) seminal work in group theory and metaheuristics in order to solve the theater distribution vehicle routing and scheduling problem (TDVRSP). This research produced a robust, efficient, effective and flexible generalized theater distribution model that prescribes the routing and scheduling of multi-modal theater transportation assets to provide economically efficient time definite delivery of cargo to customers. In doing so, advances are provided in the field of group theoretic tabu search and its application to difficult combinatorial …

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A Large Scale Integer Linear Program As A Decision Support Tool For Force Mix Selection, Craig A. Punches Mar 2002

A Large Scale Integer Linear Program As A Decision Support Tool For Force Mix Selection, Craig A. Punches

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, organizations have been modifying performance appraisal systems to collect data from multiple sources to guide the development of supervisors. Upward feedback programs focus on development rather than appraisal by supplementing traditional downward feedback with subordinate feedback. The upward feedback instrument developed in this study was designed to measure effective leadership behaviors utilizing an existing five-dimension leadership taxonomy and a new dimension that represents creating a fun workplace. The developed instrument and a proven commercial instrument utilizing the same theoretical framework were administered to samples of N = 391 and N = 417 respectively, and tested for reliability and validity. …

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Interim Brigade Combat Team (Ibct) Munitions Distribution Study, Todd S. Bertulis Mar 2002

Interim Brigade Combat Team (Ibct) Munitions Distribution Study, Todd S. Bertulis

Theses and Dissertations

This research sought to describe an alternative way for calculating expected back order (EBO) for reparable inventory systems. The high costs associated with reparable items management, together with its importance for system's availability, make the assessment of back orders of great importance in supporting decisions of what-to-buy and where-to-locate those items. Starting at the point that existing models (METRIC, MOD-METRIC, and VARIMETRIC) rely on some assumptions that often cannot be met in real life, the proposed method (called P-METRIC), which is a mix of simulation and mathematical analytical model, relaxes assumptions about Demand, Time to Repair (TTR), and Ordering & …

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