Equipping army distribution organizations based on modeling and simulation Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • In recent years, the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) has made significant efforts to assess throughput capability and to improve the methodology for determining cargo handling equipment requirements in combat service support (CSS) units. CASCOM has developed a methodology to determine container and material handling equipment (CMHE) requirements to support theater distribution doctrine and the Army transformation. We have developed a deterministic program, the CMHE Assessment Tool, to determine the minimum required mix and quantity of CMHE required for a unit to perform a designated level of through-put. The tool provides insight for CSS combat developers as we move through the CSS transformation by helping determine baseline requirements for CSS units in all phases of the Army Transformation due to its ability to handle a variety of input data and processing sequences. Once the tool provides the baseline requirements, these quantities serve as a starting point for discrete-event simulation of the unit being modeled. Using Arena simulation software, unit processes and their associated uncertainties are documented. We then show the level of uncertainty in throughput capacity associated with the baseline organization. Additionally, using the capabilities of Arena we conduct sensitivity analysis to show the change in the level of performance caused by deviating from the baseline requirement. Arena Version 6.0. 2002. Computer Software. Rockwell Software Inc.

published proceedings

  • MILITARY OPERATIONS RESEARCH

author list (cited authors)

  • Graves, G. H.

citation count

  • 0

complete list of authors

  • Graves, GH

publication date

  • September 2005