Convenience Food Logistics Model (CFLM)

ABSTRACT  In an effort to evaluate the impact of incorporating convenience food products into Navy menus, the U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center with the assistance of Information Technology Solutions, Inc., developed the Convenience Food Logistics Model (CFLM) for the Naval Supply Systems Command. This management tool generates an optimized menu by substituting a user selected percentage of Armed Forces Recipe Service (AFRS) items with convenience food products. The optimization tool is a stand-alone Windows application which allows for optimization based on food cost, labor hours, and dry, chilled and freezer storage requirements. The results obtained and their implications for developing strategies to minimize logistical requirements for existing ships and 21st Century Navy warships are presented in this technical paper.