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Logistics Management

Commentary
Will Logistics Be Russia's Undoing in Ukraine?
Russia's experience in Ukraine one year in is an example of what happens when a nation tries to fight a war without fully considering the logistics and sustainment that go alongside such a fight. The consequences for failing to fully consider these concepts drove Russia into a prolonged conflict for which it was already ill-prepared a year ago, with increasingly dire consequences for its future.
Feb 10, 2023
Report
Rapidly Detecting and Correcting Degradation of Military Supply Distribution Performance: Algorithms, Visualizations, and Case Studies
This report presents algorithms that monitor the U.S. Army logistics distribution system and automatically detect distribution issues that might affect equipment readiness. The report also offers recommendations for improved distribution monitoring.
Sep 20, 2022
Commentary
Thinking Through Rapid and Scalable Rollout of Healthcare Innovations for Public Health Challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that rapid innovation in the face of public health emergencies is possible. In only 15 months, 15 vaccines have been approved or authorized for use in various parts of the world. What thinking is required to support uniform rapid rollout for future public health emergencies?
Jun 14, 2021
Commentary
The Pivotal Role of Remote Working in the Journey to Jab the Nation
Pulling the UK COVID-19 vaccination program together was an immense logistical and technical effort. Had it not been for the working practices mandated by the lockdown, it would have been even more difficult. What changed over the pandemic to allow this to happen?
May 13, 2021
Commentary
Target Vaccine to 'High-Contact' People
Actively seeking out people with lots of contacts for vaccination could bring the epidemic under control much more quickly than vaccinating people at random. Vaccinating just 15 percent of the population would be enough to crush the epidemic—so long as it was the right 15 percent.
Apr 9, 2021
Commentary
How Game Theory Could Solve the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Puzzle
The health systems behind the vaccine rollout are attempting to create order from chaos, sometimes with mixed results. Rather than relying on on-the-fly decisionmaking, state authorities should consider turning to game theory as a tool that could be the key to more efficient, faster vaccine distribution.
Mar 11, 2021
Commentary
Keep the Vaccine Moving to Save the Most Lives
The United States is waiting to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and millions of doses wait for arms. Policymakers at the national, state, and local levels have been stockpiling the shots for many reasons. While supply ramps up, policymakers could push to deliver vaccine to people instead of freezers.
Jan 19, 2021
Commentary
Getting COVID-19 Vaccines to Pennsylvania Residents
Pennsylvania state and county health departments have a number of options that could speed the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to make sure Pennsylvania residents at high risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes are vaccinated as soon as possible.
Jan 19, 2021
Report
Analysis of Global Management of Air Force War Reserve Materiel to Support Operations in Contested and Degraded Environments
The Air Force's current system of war reserve materiel management is positioned more for efficiency than effectiveness. What do case studies reveal about the trade-offs and best practices for a centralized versus decentralized management approach?
Jan 14, 2021
Commentary
COVID-19 Options for 2021
The disorganized public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States helped ensure that the nation led the world in infections nearly from the beginning of the pandemic. With vaccines now becoming available, are we over the problem? Not necessarily.
Jan 12, 2021
Blog
As the Vaccines Arrive, So Do the Questions
As the first COVID-19 vaccines are being administered across the United States, countless questions have arisen about what comes next. Is one vaccine better than another? Can the United States both speed up inoculation and overcome some people's hesitance to get the shot? RAND experts offer insights into the historic vaccine rollout.
Jan 11, 2021
Commentary
COVID-19 Vaccination: Expect the Unexpected
With emergency use authorization for the first COVID-19 vaccine now in place, states and localities have turned their focus to the logistics of dispensing it as quickly as feasible. Still, uncertainties abound. It is essential to build a process of learning into the plan.
Dec 15, 2020
Report
Logistics Analysis of Puerto Rico: Will the Seaborne Supply Chain of Puerto Rico Support Hurricane Recovery Projects?
Puerto Rico's seaborne logistics capacity is assessed in the context of recovery efforts following the Hurricane Maria. Key constraints are identified along with actions to mitigate potential bottlenecks.
Sep 30, 2020
Report
Enhancing Air Force Materiel Command Support to the Warfighter
This analysis recommends ways the Air Force Materiel Command and its centers, specifically the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) and the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC), can adapt and improve support to the warfighter.
Jun 7, 2018
Report
Developing a Capacity Assessment Framework for Marine Logistics Groups
This report provides a capacity assessment framework to assist each of the Marine Logistics Groups, or any size unit, in determining the ability of logistics units to meet current and projected tasks.
Feb 20, 2017
Journal Article
A Fruitful Application of Static Marginal Analysis
This paper describes the application of the technique of simple "marginal analysis" to an Air Force problem and suggests that a similar application may be useful in many industrial situations.
Feb 20, 2015
Report
Improving Defense Logistics Agency Supply Chain Agility
The DLA supplies common military items to the armed services and others while seeking to achieve customer service goals and minimize cost. When demand for an item rises unexpectedly, providing effective customer service is challenging, and when demand falls, the DLA can be left with the sunk cost of excess inventory. Continuous attention to supply chain agility is needed.
Jan 5, 2015
Report
Strategic Distribution Platform Support of CONUS Army Units
Examines ways to improve the Army's system for the distribution of supplies to home station units via the scheduled truck service from the Strategic Distribution Platforms.
Dec 7, 2011
Research Brief
Is There a Cheaper and Faster Way to Distribute Medical Supplies?
Examines whether there is a less costly medical distribution structure for U.S. Central Command that would maintain or improve performance.
Nov 29, 2011
Report
Assessment of the USCENTCOM Medical Distribution Structure
Examines whether there is a less costly medical distribution structure for U.S. Central Command that would maintain or improve performance.
Mar 8, 2010

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Researcher Spotlight

Endy M. Daehner

Director of Operations, Global Research Talent, Senior Physical Scientist

Endy Daehner (she/her) is the director of operations for global research talent and a senior physical scientist at the RAND Corporation. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry from California Institute of Technology and her B.A. in human biology from Stanford University. At RAND, she conducts…
John F. Raffensperger

Operations Researcher, Adjunct

John F. Raffensperger is an adjunct operations researcher at the RAND Corporation, Professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Visiting Professor of Operations Management at Simon Business School, University of Rochester, NY.

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