Exploring Options to Improve Supply Chain Operations: A Review of Current Approaches and New Opportunities in Demand Forecasting, Robotic Process Automation, and Cyber Integrity

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has had long-standing concerns about its supply chains and their potential for degradation. Given the varied types of resources for which USAF manages the supply chains and opportunities for degradation, RAND Project AIR FORCE researchers identified technology and investmen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2024
Main Authors: Leftwich, James A, Goldfeld, Dahlia Anne, DeBlois, Bradley, Heitzenrater, Chad, Muggy, Luke, Prier, Shannon, Steier, Joshua, Maerzluft, Christopher E, Newberry, Sydne J
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Automation
Cybersecurity
Military strategy
Supply chains
Technology
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has had long-standing concerns about its supply chains and their potential for degradation. Given the varied types of resources for which USAF manages the supply chains and opportunities for degradation, RAND Project AIR FORCE researchers identified technology and investment options to mitigate supply chain degradation, focusing specifically on forecasting the demand for legacy aircraft spare parts, applying robotic process automation (RPA), and mitigating risks associated with cyber security. The researchers conducted extensive literature reviews, held discussions with subject-matter experts, and employed various analytical methods. For demand forecasting, these methods included analysis of recent forecast accuracy data to identify drivers of forecast error and an assessment of ongoing efforts to address known issues. For RPA, the analysis included a characterization of bot development and identification of potential application areas in the logistics, engineering, and force protection community. For cyber integrity, the analysis involved applying a mission assurance approach to identify potential risks and mitigations.