Advanced MRO Multi-Echelon Planning and Scheduling

Many Department of Defense (DoD) weapon systems are operating beyond their original design specifications, resulting in failures requiring unplanned parts, materials and sustainment procedures. Such U.S. Air Force weapon systems are collectively denoted as aging aircraft. A large number of aging aircraft in conjunction with newer weapon systems are overhauled, repaired and reused directly or indirectly to aid the war-fighter in the existing Global War on Terrorism. Therefore, reducing the number of aircraft undergoing repair and overhaul at a given time to increase weapon system availability is a challenge DoD has faced increasingly since the launch of the current war effort. For these reasons, ensuring optimal fleet readiness by creating and adopting new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) strategies has become primary initiatives of DoD Air Logistic Centers (ALCs) across the United States. Some of the previously adopted initiatives that have added value by producing immediate results, such as reduction in turnaround time and maintenance cost, include Lean Transformations and Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) techniques. Although these initiatives have successfully transitioned current MRO practices into an improved position of effectiveness, they have also managed to highlight the remaining inefficiencies that pose challenges in the present MRO environment.