Heinz H. Huester

Improving Performance Analysis of the Distribution Segment of the Air Force Logistic Pipeline Heinz H. Huester

Agile Combat Support is focused on providing fast, flexible, responsive, and reliable support as the foundation of all Air Force operations. Combined with the current Air Force focus on ensuring Time Definite Delivery (TDD) and reducing Customer Wait Time (CWT), this new mind-set will place ever-increasing emphasis on supply chain performance as a determining factor in overall campaign effectiveness of future conflicts. An improved methodology for the systematic performance analysis of the distribution segment of the logistics pipeline may aid AFMC transportation personnel (AFMC/LSO) in the quick identification of system bottlenecks, identification of root causes of performance shortfalls, and the recommendation of corrective actions, resulting in improved material flow times, reduced Customer Wait Times, more accurate Time Definite Delivery. Recommendations offered by this thesis are designed to provide the basis for developing the current methodology and to identify future research areas. The recommendations offered include the development of the current methodology across all AFMC logistics functional areas, the development of a more pro-active analysis procedure to identify problems before they affect TDD and CWT, modification of the current analyses procedure to derive more relevant performance information and present the results in a more digestible format, the automation of the pipeline analyses process, and the initiation of an AFMC-wide logistics pipeline analysis cell staffed by the various functional specialists.