A CASE STUDY OF THE U.S. NAVY'S MESS BILL COLLECTION PROCESS FOR OFFICERS ON BOARD NAVY SHIPS

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to determine whether the current policy dictating the officer mess bill collection process on ships is efficient and cost effective, or whether the policy requires modification to reduce costs and improve efficiency. To assess the effectiveness of the current policy and process, this study drew from interviews conducted with members involved in the mess bill collection process on board a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. The interviews focused on gathering information about the entire cycle of the mess bill collection process and the amount of time, in hours, required to complete the process every month. In developing models to analyze the data collected and running simulations of these models, we developed estimates for man-hours and labor costs to administer the process both inport and underway. The findings indicated high man-hour and labor costs for the Navy, suggesting inefficiency in the current policy and process. These results suggest the need to modify policy and to update the process for the Navy of the 21st century to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Further research is needed to more accurately estimate costs for mess bill collection throughout the Navy, as well as additional administrative costs associated with the process off ships.