Duplicate class IV (lumber) ordering within Defense Logistics Agency and its impact in each combatant command

Abstract

The Department of Defense must give great emphasis to the supply chain of Class IV (lumber) resources to sustain successful operations worldwide because this is critical to the success of forward units. The rapid buildup of resources and capabilities in a forward location is dependent upon the timely arrival and accumulation of forces. Lumber is the medium that allows for this transition, from arrival to prolonged sustainment. Missions come in many shapes and forms; however, the one sustainable item that links them all together is lumber. Through a statistical sampling and data analytics, this research has identified that there is a duplicate ordering problem prevalent within the Defense Logistics Agency’s ordering system. The problem becomes more prevalent given variables such as unit ordering, time of order, quantity of orders, and days between each order. These duplicates can lead to congestion through the supply chain management system. Further, this duplicate ordering problem can lead to unnecessary costs associated with holding and shipping lumber as well as the lumber itself. Due to lumber’s unique dimensions and weight, the cost with shipping it are much larger than other traditional DLA products. Identifying the frequent occurrence of duplicate orders can in turn provide the next step in finding a solution to the problem.