An Exploratory Case Study of Information-Sharing and Collaboration Within Air Force Supply Chain Management

This research sought to identify key elements of the Air Force supply chain as it relates to industry, determine how techniques of information-sharing and collaboration are used to make Air Force Supply Chain decisions, and examine how the resulting impacts on operational readiness may be measured. A multiple case study research design was used to investigate the application of information-sharing and collaboration in two distinct Air Force supply chains. Cross-case comparative analysis of the supply chains supporting the PTO shafts on the F-15 engine and the T-38 engine evaluated each supply chain's characteristics and levels of information-sharing and collaboration. The research highlighted one example of proactive sharing of information and collaborative decision-making to avoid supply chain inefficiencies, and one example of using information-sharing to recover from a decision made without using a collaborative approach. Specifically, the research identified that proactive sharing of information and collaborative decision-making for the T-38 avoided supply chain failures, while the F-15 supply chain was reactive, failing to collaborate or share information, resulting in a failure of the supply chain and an increase in the MICAP rate. The F-15 community used information-sharing to recover from this failure. The culmination of this effort provided insight into the interactions and complexities of the Air Force supply chain and highlighted a need for a more thorough evaluation of the impact of supply chain relationships, information-sharing, and collaborative decision-making on operational readiness.