3D Printing: How Much Will It Improve the DoD Supply Chain of the Future
Abstract
Star Trek fans might recall these lines from the second episode of the original Star Trek television series that aired in 1966. The show, produced by Gene Roddenberry, challenged the audience with a string of science fiction technologies that many thought simply impossible. A handheld device that allows individuals to talk with each other over vast distances without the use of wires; an elevator that is voice activated; and a fan favorite, a machine (the replicator) capable of making any object that you need (including meals). Now this last technology is really over the top. Those of us who live in the Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain management arena, however, are keenly aware that throughout the Star Trek series, there is never an appearance by the Enterprise supply officer. The absence of a supply officer may be a bit unnerving, but then again, Star Trek is science fiction and certainly not the harbinger for the end of supply officers and the supply chains they manage. There will always be storerooms filled with inventories and always a need for a supply officer or logistics officer who can master DoDs labyrinth of a supply chain. If history teaches us nothing else, it tells us that while there will always be a need for a supply chain, the chain itself will constantly be changingconsider it a state of evolution or, in some cases, revolution.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- AD1015790
Entities
People
- Duane Mallicoat
- Jim Davis
- Mark Dobson
- Robin Y. Brown
Organizations
- Naval Air Systems Command