OPTIMAL DECISION RULES FOR THE PROCUREMENT, REPAIR, OR DISPOSAL OF SPARE PARTS

Abstract : A theoretical analysis of a fundamental Air Force logistics problem is presented, namely the procurement-repair-disposal tradeoff. This study should be of interest to mathematicians and other technical analysts concerned with the use of mathematical techniques in programming and planning problems. This study contains an unusual application of dynamic programming. In most such applications, the programming problem is to determine the value of a single policy variable; whereas in this study, the values of two policy variables are simultaneously determined. The simplifying assumptions used in th model do not distort the problem unduly, and it is possible to relax them if future research indicates the desirability of doing so. (Author)