SBIR-STTR Award

The objective of this proposal is to develop inventory flow tools based on Just In Time (JIT) principles and integrate them into the Manufacturing Repair Overhaul (MRO) environment. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC) current processes vary greatly based on the specific needs of an aircraft and the condition of the aircraft’s parts. Properly planning for both the routine and ad hoc requirements is essential to inventory management concepts and their application within the MRO environment. Depot MRO has its own unique set of challenges that make it different then traditional manufacturing. The age of their aircraft and the different operating environments of each aircraft further compound issues not addressed in traditional manufacturing. To address the unique needs of the MRO environment, we propose to develop inventory optimization and flow tools that address both the inventory aspect of the MRO environment and the JIT delivery concepts. These tools will utilize optimization theory and be designed to enable the OC-ALC to react to the short lead-time environment common with its unpredictable repairs.

Keywords:
Just In Time, Scheduling, Inventory Management, Mro, Resource Planning, Optimization

The objective of this proposal is to develop inventory classification and bin sizing rules based on Just In Time (JIT) principles and integrate them into the Manufacturing Repair Overhaul (MRO) environment. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC) current processes vary greatly based on the specific needs of an aircraft and the condition of the aircraft’s parts. Properly planning for both the routine and ad hoc requirements is essential to inventory management concepts and their application within the MRO environment. Depot MRO has its own unique set of challenges that make it different then traditional manufacturing. The age of their aircraft and the different operating environments of each aircraft further compound issues not addressed in traditional manufacturing. To address the unique needs of the MRO environment, we propose to develop demand evaluation and classification tools along with bin sizing proposals that address both the inventory aspect of the MRO environment and the JIT delivery concepts. These tools will be designed to perform in the OC-ALC environment characterized by short lead-times, uncertain (and sometimes intermittent) demand patterns, and unpredictable repairs.

Benefit:
By integrating JIT concepts and principles into our part classification and bin sizing models, our tools will minimize inventory while at the same time improving service levels. Our tools also enable production to understand the impact unpredictable repairs have on the overall system and to better plan for addressing these situations. Developing methods for addressing intermittent demand and “forward looking” inventory management will support the development of JIT concepts at the OC-ALC. These tools can be applied to any environment that has unpredictable demand situations and short lead-times for addressing the situation. Outside DOD, health care and utilities contain many similar opportunities. Other opportunities exist within many different types of repair organizations, disaster response, and custom manufacturing companies.

Keywords:
Agile, Mro, Optimization, Heuristic, Multi-Echelon, Logistics Management, High Velocity Maintenance