Improving the Army's Management of Reparable Spare Parts

Making the Army's inventory-management and component-repair processes more efficient and responsive to customer requirements: an integrated approach. An integrative approach to improving the responsiveness, reliability, and efficiency of the Army's inventory-management and component-repair processes. Three key issues are identified: (1) impact of uncertainty and variability in customer demands on long-term planning; (2) need for near-term replanning for execution; and (3) inability of repair responsiveness to meet changing requirements. Alternatives for improving both planning and repair activities are presented, and it is suggested that a pilot effort be undertaken to develop and test alternative approaches.