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Operations and Supply Chain Management Commons™

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Air Force Institute of Technology

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Articles 61 - 90 of 395

Full-Text Articles in Operations and Supply Chain Management

Examining The Express Supportability Module: Implementing An Autoregressive Distributed Lag Approach With Air Force Maintenance Data, Troy J. St Peter Mar 2019

Examining The Express Supportability Module: Implementing An Autoregressive Distributed Lag Approach With Air Force Maintenance Data, Troy J. St Peter

Theses and Dissertations

Launched in 1996, EXPRESS (Execution and Prioritization of Repairs Support System) is a program integral to the Air Force reparable supply chain. Daily, EXPRESS relies on a number of data sources and individual modules like the Supportability Module to determine which necessary repairs can and should be made. The Supportability Module examines the prioritized list of repairs and checks four constraints in order to decide whether each repair can be made given current resources. According to the logic of the module, a single constraint failure means that subsequent resource checks are not made before evaluating the next repair. Unfortunately, this …

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Simulating Maritime Chokepoint Disruption In The Global Food Supply, Ryan B. Walton Mar 2019

Simulating Maritime Chokepoint Disruption In The Global Food Supply, Ryan B. Walton

Theses and Dissertations

The three food crops of wheat, maize, and rice make up almost two-thirds of the world's dietary energy needs. Of these three, just six countries provide 70% of the global supply. Furthermore, soybeans account for three-quarters of global livestock feed, and only three countries provide 80% of the global supply. Considering over half of the world's exported supply of these four commodities are exported via maritime means, the free ow of marine traffic becomes paramount. Current models lack the ability to capture the inherent variance displayed in the maritime transport system, which can lead to inaccurate assumptions about how the …

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Operations Research Methods For Multi-Domain Campaign Phase Planning, John A. Schlicht Mar 2019

Operations Research Methods For Multi-Domain Campaign Phase Planning, John A. Schlicht

Theses and Dissertations

In "Antiaccess Warfare as Strategy," Tangredi posits the question and need to consider multiple domains and governmental and warfighting functions in various phases of campaign execution. Multi-domain integration within and across various phases of the joint campaign presents a host of non-linear factors that are compounded and amplified by uncertainties. Colonel Blotto is a simple game that is suited to compare traditional force-on-force military engagements where mass wins the day, but have had limited application to more complex military planning. This thesis explores the formulation schema, data-driven parameters, methods of calculation, and scenarios applicable to a generalized Colonel Blotto (General …

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Turbojet Range, Loiter, And Altitude Tradeoff Estimations In Efficient Modeling And Optimization Formulations, Lauren M. Bramblett Mar 2019

Turbojet Range, Loiter, And Altitude Tradeoff Estimations In Efficient Modeling And Optimization Formulations, Lauren M. Bramblett

Theses and Dissertations

Identifying accurate tradeoffs between loiter time, range, and loiter altitude for jet aircraft are critical for mission planning, but current methods are cumbersome and time and labor intensive. This research introduces a new method for determining tradeoffs between loiter time, range, and loiter altitude for jet aircraft utilizing specific aircraft performance characteristics and the Bréguet range and endurance equations. Results from this new methodology are compared to the existing model used by the National Air and Space Intelligence Center for flight planning. This method is then extended and applied to several routing assignment problems, taking advantage of the incorporation of …

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Evaluation Of Rsaf Airworthiness And Applicability, Majed M. Altowairqi Sep 2018

Evaluation Of Rsaf Airworthiness And Applicability, Majed M. Altowairqi

Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on evaluation of Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) airworthiness processes and their applicability. The current RSAF airworthiness process is in accordance with internationally recognized best practice in the area of military aviation, this is achieved by benchmarking against European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. Airworthiness policy for the RSAF is developed on the basis that it will be as civil as possible and as military as necessary. For the purpose of this research, the current RSAF airworthiness process will be benchmarked against the United States Air Force (USAF) airworthiness process. That …

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Not All Tons Are Created Equal; Analyzing Aerial Port Capability To Define The Working Ton, Casey L. Owens Mar 2018

Not All Tons Are Created Equal; Analyzing Aerial Port Capability To Define The Working Ton, Casey L. Owens

Theses and Dissertations

United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) along with Air Mobility Command (AMC) provide airlift assets that accomplish thousands of missions around the world every week for cargo distribution. The current unit of measure is a short ton, which is the primary metric used in decision making. However, the short ton measurement does not adequately predict the amount of work necessary to properly prepare different cargo types for airlift. Utilizing the short ton metric leads to inadequate forecasting times for cargo preparation and aircraft loading, which leads to delayed missions. The root of the problem is that the metric used does not …

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Shop Around: An Experiment On Air Force Vehicle Parts Procurement, Melvin K. Boothe Mar 2018

Shop Around: An Experiment On Air Force Vehicle Parts Procurement, Melvin K. Boothe

Theses and Dissertations

Current procurement processes for vehicle parts vary substantially across the Air Force. Many of these parts are "commercial off-the-shelf" items that are procured through local vendors via a government purchase card. Understanding what guidance dictates various purchasing processes and how that guidance affects the behavior of purchasers is unknown. A mixed method approach of semi-structured interviews of purchasers at multiple bases and an experimental survey testing different sets of guidance are used to understand the effects of guidance, as well as produce recommendations for action and future research for leaders at the local and headquarters levels.

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Managing Supply Discrepancies: The Effect Of Performance Measurement And Feedback On Order Fulfillment Quality, Michael J. Weber Mar 2018

Managing Supply Discrepancies: The Effect Of Performance Measurement And Feedback On Order Fulfillment Quality, Michael J. Weber

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research on the impact of shipping and packaging errors in the private sector finds numerous negative outcomes, including reduced customer satisfaction, reduced customer loyalty, and lower profitability. However, little research has been done examining the impact of order fulfillment errors on military operations. The purpose of this research is to quantify the impact of supply discrepancy reports (SDRs) on military aircraft readiness metrics, including cannibalizations, not mission capable supply (NMCS) hours, aircraft availability and MICAP hours. Results show SDRs significantly impact aircraft readiness metrics in seven of the fifteen analyses conducted. Additionally, a quasi-experimental study is implemented at DLA …

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Resilient Aircraft Maintenance Constructs: Enhancing Repair Network Designs To Effectively Manage Risks And Supply Chain Interruptions, Thomas S. Bihansky Mar 2018

Resilient Aircraft Maintenance Constructs: Enhancing Repair Network Designs To Effectively Manage Risks And Supply Chain Interruptions, Thomas S. Bihansky

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to extend the understanding of supply chain resiliency by utilizing a simulation model of a U.S. Air Force aircraft engine repair network to evaluate the degree of resiliency built into the system. The study compares the recovery time of the disrupted current system to that of a fully-integrated repair network; the objective being the quantification of resiliency in the current networks design and gauging the effectiveness of various strategies in reducing recovery time. This contributes to current literature by bridging the explicit gap on how to quantify, measure, and compare resilient supply chain strategies and also provides …

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Flightline Heroics And The Façade Of A Healthy Common Support Equipment Fleet, Benjamin D. Bobic Mar 2018

Flightline Heroics And The Façade Of A Healthy Common Support Equipment Fleet, Benjamin D. Bobic

Theses and Dissertations

Access to serviceable support equipment enables aircraft maintenance crews the ability to efficiently keep assigned aircraft safe and mission capable. Current Air Force policy does not require formal management and enterprise fleet health reporting of serialized support equipment. As such, articulating funding requirements to replace equipment has been a challenge for equipment managers. To better articulate support equipment requirements, equipment managers need quantifiable support equipment data. A previous study examined the relationship between aircraft availability and support equipment availability. While finding no significant correlation, the author identifies the practices of "Frankensteining" and "Beg-Borrow-Steal" as possible reasons for the absence of …

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C-130j Inventory Control Point Location Determination, Joshua P. Casey Mar 2018

C-130j Inventory Control Point Location Determination, Joshua P. Casey

Theses and Dissertations

Since the first C-130J delivery in 1999, Lockheed Martin has managed the USAF’s C-130J “peculiar” parts inventory at Keesler AFB. Now with 193 aircraft assigned to 17 operating locations across the globe, effective supply chain management and recognized cost savings are essential components to mission success and fleet longevity. Previous research within the area of location analysis has shown that minimizing the average weighted distance of shipping products can assist in cost reduction efforts. Due to this, the goal of this study is to determine if alternative CONUS C-130J locations can be utilized as the Inventory Control Point to help …

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Critical Issues In The Air Force Medical Equipment Procurement Process, Samuel H. Pang Mar 2018

Critical Issues In The Air Force Medical Equipment Procurement Process, Samuel H. Pang

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force medical logistics community relies on multiple contracting offices to acquire medical equipment for the Air Force Medical Service. The perception is that burdensome regulations contribute to the challenges faced in the procurement process. This research takes a broader examination to understand the factors leading to long lead times and delayed procurements. Process mapping and interviews with the key stakeholders supporting medical equipment procurement determined that the critical issues were a lack of centralized medical equipment contracting authority, insufficient market research and inconsistent local knowledge on contracting processes. This research provides future recommendations for the Air Force Medical …

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Examining Regionalization Efforts To Develop Lessons Learned And Consideration For Department Of Defense Medical Facilities, Erik B. Schuh Mar 2017

Examining Regionalization Efforts To Develop Lessons Learned And Consideration For Department Of Defense Medical Facilities, Erik B. Schuh

Theses and Dissertations

The increase in competition locally and globally has forced companies to become more efficient. One way for companies to gain efficiency is by regionalizing their facilities by either consolidating or collocating to a particular location. A comprehensive literature review addressed the advantages and disadvantages organizations have used in the past when regionalizing. This insight was used on a case study looking at military hospitals in the National Capital Region. The case study was used to find potential cost savings for three surgical procedures by consolidating each procedure to the lowest cost hospital. Future years were then forecasted to find cost …

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Determining Field Requirements Of The Air Force Supply System: A Delphi Study, Dominic G. Baker Mar 2017

Determining Field Requirements Of The Air Force Supply System: A Delphi Study, Dominic G. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Supply System can be a convoluted network of organizations with different classes of supply being managed by different organizations. Individuals deployed to austere environments must interact with multiple organizations to get logistics support. Recent supply organizational changes have improved the Air Forces ability to present combat support capability to the combatant commands and deployed logisticians. This research focused on simplifying the process by identifying the need for and determining the ideal capabilities provided by a Logistics Command and Control support cell that would provide a touch point for logistics support to those in a deployed or austere …

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An Analysis Of Forecasting Methods On Supply Discrepancy Reporting, Cody S. Freeborn Mar 2017

An Analysis Of Forecasting Methods On Supply Discrepancy Reporting, Cody S. Freeborn

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DoD) tracks and records all cargo shipments as they move from one location to the next. Inevitably, there are mistakes that are made when dealing with these shipments. Currently the Air Force does not use any forecasting techniques to predict these shipping discrepancies, thus it has no way to prepare for them other than employing remedial measures after errors occur. The purpose of this research is to study the current Air Force shipping processes, specifically shipping discrepancies, and determine if any trends emerge. By examining historical shipment discrepancy data, a trend analysis was accomplished and from …

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Supply Base Reduction Efforts Regarding Laboratory Reagents Within Hospital Networks, Kelsie L. Hughes Mar 2017

Supply Base Reduction Efforts Regarding Laboratory Reagents Within Hospital Networks, Kelsie L. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Medical Operations Agency currently has contracts for laboratory reagents at approximately 75 Air Force medical treatment facilities; however, each medical facility has a separate means used to procure these reagents. AFMO Awants to know how other hospital networks are purchasing their reagents and see if it could be applied to the Air Force. The goal of this research was to use the case study methodology to showcase how other hospital networks applied supply base reduction to laboratory reagent purchases. We examine what drove the organizations to begin supply base reduction, how they transitioned to a smaller supply …

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Implication Of Additive Manufacturing On United States Air Force Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Supply Chain, Shane R. Veitenheimer Mar 2017

Implication Of Additive Manufacturing On United States Air Force Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Supply Chain, Shane R. Veitenheimer

Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing is mandated as a technology for the Department of Defense to consider to implement. Previous efforts have shown positive potential for additive manufacturing (AM) for United States Air Force Civil Engineering but do not explore the economic impact. This research examines implementation by investigating a specific Explosive Ordnance Disposal repair part supply chain in the current combat theater of operations. A framework to capture the basic financial savings AM could realize was developed to aid AM decision making. This research established a Scenario Planning and Monte Carlo simulation based framework to produce an estimated annual cost for a …

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Benchmarking Dod Use Of Additive Manufacturing And Quantifying Costs, Ryan C. Crean Mar 2017

Benchmarking Dod Use Of Additive Manufacturing And Quantifying Costs, Ryan C. Crean

Theses and Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing (AM), or three-dimensional (3D) printing as it is commonly referred to, is a rapidly developing technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way that firms develop and produce parts, as well as how they manage their supply chains. AM allows organizations to "print" prototypes, parts, tools, fixtures, tooling and a variety of other items at their production location. This can remove long lead times and high inventory levels for one-time or rare items. This research examines current AM use within the military services. Additionally, this study details the costs associated with fielding different levels of AM capability, …

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Improving Minuteman Iii Maintenance Concepts, Daniel W. Crouch Mar 2017

Improving Minuteman Iii Maintenance Concepts, Daniel W. Crouch

Theses and Dissertations

Since the end of the Cold War, the Air Force has sought out efficiencies across multiple processes to transform into a cost-effective force. However, processes applicable to the Minuteman III (MM III) weapon system have only recently seen efforts to increase effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to investigate whether the use of third generation maintenance concepts could benefit the sustainment of the MM III through its planned retirement around 2030. Primary and secondary sources outlining the history of the strategic missile force and its current state were collected. Themes from each era were analyzed using Prospect Theory as …

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A Condition Based Maintenance Approach To Forecasting B-1 Aircraft Parts, Joshua D. Defrank Mar 2017

A Condition Based Maintenance Approach To Forecasting B-1 Aircraft Parts, Joshua D. Defrank

Theses and Dissertations

United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft parts forecasting techniques have remained archaic despite new advancements in data analysis. This approach resulted in a 57% accuracy rate in fiscal year 2016 for USAF managed items. Those errors combine for $5.5 billion worth of inventory that could have been spent on other critical spare parts. This research effort explores advancements in condition based maintenance (CBM) and its application in the realm of forecasting. It then evaluates the applicability of CBM forecast methods within current USAF data structures. This study found large gaps in data availability that would be necessary in a robust …

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An Information Theoretic Investigation Of Complex Adaptive Supply Networks With Organizational Topologies, Joshua V. Rodewald Dec 2016

An Information Theoretic Investigation Of Complex Adaptive Supply Networks With Organizational Topologies, Joshua V. Rodewald

Theses and Dissertations

Supply networks exist throughout society in manufacturing and knowledge-intensive industries as well as many service industries. Organizations have been noted to behave as complex adaptive systems or information supply networks with both formal and informal structures. Thoroughly understanding supply network structure and behavior are critical to managing such organizations effectively, but their properties of complex adaptive systems make them more difficult to analyze and assess, forcing researchers to rely on unrealistic data or assumptions of behavior. This research proposes an information theoretic methodology to discover such complex network structures and dynamics while overcoming the difficulties historically associated with their study. …

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The Influence Of Education And Experience Upon Contextual And Task Performance In Warehouse Operations, Allen R. Miller Sep 2016

The Influence Of Education And Experience Upon Contextual And Task Performance In Warehouse Operations, Allen R. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Supply chain workers make observable, preventable errors while completing their assigned tasks in the shipping process. Previous research has indicated that individuals with a greater grasp of their work and better system knowledge are less likely to commit interpretation errors. We believe worker-performance may, likewise, be affected by an individuals knowledge of why and where they fit into a larger system defined as mission knowledge. To assess our research objectives, we conduct a controlled experiment with 100 workers in the Air Force supply career field to discern how mission clarity, that is, education, experience and subject characteristics affect pick and …

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Applying Lean To The Ac-130 Maintenance Process For The Royal Saudi Air Force, Fisal A. Alzahrani Sep 2016

Applying Lean To The Ac-130 Maintenance Process For The Royal Saudi Air Force, Fisal A. Alzahrani

Theses and Dissertations

The ideas expressed in this research come from the researchers experiences working in the AC-130 maintenance squadron in the Royal Saudi Air Force. The AC-130 maintenance process is not currently being used as effectively as it could be to make AC-130 fully mission capable. That can be done by improving communication, reducing distances needed to move or transport anything during the maintenance process and by efficient use of the available qualified workforces, tools and equipment. Consideration is given to applying an existing management technique to the Royal Saudi Air Forces AC-130 Maintenance Squadrons. The selected technique is the Lean management …

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Improving The Nuclear Reform Implementation For Success, Allen Y. Agnes Sep 2016

Improving The Nuclear Reform Implementation For Success, Allen Y. Agnes

Theses and Dissertations

This research identifies the method used for successful implementations. This method is critical to the nuclear enterprise as it will continually guide the program. Post-Cold War began an era of decline in the nuclear enterprise. Leaders were risk-averse in fear of being fired for making mistakes, the nuclear culture lost its experts, organizations were drawn to the conventional fight, and training lacked the priority necessary to rebuild the nuclear enterprise. In 2007 and 2008 two major incidents occurred, a necessary to bring focus and priority back to the nuclear enterprise. Several reports were accomplished to identify the issues and recommendations. …

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An Advanced Tabu Search Approach To The Dynamic Airlift Loading Problem, August G. Roesener, J. Wesley Barnes Jun 2016

An Advanced Tabu Search Approach To The Dynamic Airlift Loading Problem, August G. Roesener, J. Wesley Barnes

Faculty Publications

This research effort presents a tabu search algorithm to solve the dynamic airlift loading problem. Given a set of palletized cargo items which require transportation from an aerial port of embarkation to an aerial port of debarkation within a pre-specified time frame, the dynamic airlift loading problem seeks to partition the pallets into aircraft loads, select an efficient and effective subset of aircraft from available aircraft, and assign the pallets to allowable positions on those aircraft. The dynamic airlift loading problem differs from many partitioning and packing problems described in the literature because, in addition to spatial constraints, factors such …

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Determining The Degree Of The Routinization Of Additive Manufacturing In The Air Logistics Complexes, Candis A. Woods Mar 2016

Determining The Degree Of The Routinization Of Additive Manufacturing In The Air Logistics Complexes, Candis A. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Fiscal constraints have affected the USAF’s spending and sustainment of weapons systems that are being utilized beyond their programmed life cycle; therefore, it is imperative that processes be given the critical eye for improvement, innovative approaches, and/or best practice implementation. The AFSC, part of the AFMC, has embarked on a groundbreaking effort to transform operations and leverage industry best practices, while maintaining focus on warfighter support to create “The AFSC Way.” The AFSC Way is based on a shared leadership model that emphasizes speed, safety, and quality, which gives way to innovative ideas and new technologies in order to achieve …

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Simulation Modeling And Analysis Of Air Force Depot Engine Repair During Normal And Increased Operational Tempos, Changsung Kim Mar 2016

Simulation Modeling And Analysis Of Air Force Depot Engine Repair During Normal And Increased Operational Tempos, Changsung Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Maintaining an adequate level of aircraft availability through Agile Combat Support (ACS) is crucial for the Air Force to perform its mission. During normal day to day operations, demands for depot repair including spare parts and maintenance man-hours typically fall within a range supportable with current assets and capabilities. However, with increased flying operations during a conflict, demand at the depot level may likely exceed current capacity for timely support, resulting in backorders for spares and increased turnaround times. This thesis develops a discrete event simulation of the F-16 engine repair network to investigate the impact on engine availability (a …

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Consolidating Supply Chain Management Education Through Professional Certification, Christopher L. Clawson Mar 2016

Consolidating Supply Chain Management Education Through Professional Certification, Christopher L. Clawson

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force and Department of Defense can benefit from professional certification in supply chain management. Research addressed the benefits and impact certification can have on individuals and an organization. Without a defined and concise education plan for supply chain management, certification remains a viable option. Interviews with defense industry partners highlighted key aspects of successful SCM development and education programs.

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An Evaluation Of Forecasting Methods That Could Be Used In The Brazilian Air Force Uniform Distribution Process, Leandro Valviesse De Oliveira Mar 2016

An Evaluation Of Forecasting Methods That Could Be Used In The Brazilian Air Force Uniform Distribution Process, Leandro Valviesse De Oliveira

Theses and Dissertations

Every year the Brazilian Air Force (BAF) spends the equivalent of approximately 15 million dollars for uniforms. These purchases come from a tight budget, are executed through public procurement processes, and are tied to Brazilian acquisition regulations, which are often very strict. For this reason, lead times are unpredictable. It can take anywhere from one month to a year to replenish an item. The purpose of this research is to analyze the forecasting process performed at a BAF military organization named Sub-directorate of Supply (SDS) with the intent of building an algorithm comprised of a selection of forecasting models in …

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Supply Chain Interoperability Measurement, Christos E. Chalyvidis Jun 2015

Supply Chain Interoperability Measurement, Christos E. Chalyvidis

Theses and Dissertations

Academia recognizes that although supply chains have an inherent need to be validated for their performance, supply chain performance measurement systems are still inadequate and one of the major barriers to successful supply chain collaboration. In this research, theory of Systems Architecture is used to make the first step towards an innovative supply chain performance measure defined as supply chain interoperability. Interoperability is considered a similarity metric with regard to a set of deterministic and stochastic characters (criteria) describing supply chain participants, a methodology that adapts and expands an interoperability measurement tool initially developed in and for a military context. …

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