Flight Line Supply Chain Solutions: A Cost Benefit Analysis
Abstract
Air Force mission capable rates have remained at 65 percent over the last few years. One researcher identified a bottleneck constraining the increase of aircraft mission capable rates the maintainer personnel shortage. The author argued that optimizing technology would allow more maintainer touch time performing maintenance with fewer personnel, and provide a possible benefit of increasing aircraft availability. This author derived this conclusion using the assumption that there is a shortage of transportation vehicles compared to transportation requirements on the flight line. Using the assumption that this flight line transportation bottleneck exists, the purpose of this research is to determine how the Air Force should relax this bottleneck. This research uses a cost benefit analysis (CBA) methodology to compare three alternatives that relax the flight line transportation bottleneck for maintainers. This research shows replacing the existing transportation solution with cargo cycles would decrease lost maintainer touch time, decrease operating and acquisitions cost, and have a net benefit on the environment in terms of metric tons of CO2 emissions. Although cargo cycles may not be the trendiest solution, they are the simplest and most cost effective.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 22, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1144169
Entities
People
- Kathryn E. Lopez
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology