A Decision Support System for Assessing and Controlling the Effectiveness of Multi-Echelon Logistics Actions

We designed a decision support system (DSS) to help logistics managers assess wartime readiness and to identify resource and policy changes that could improve it. The DSS, known as the weapon system management information system (WSMIS), detects situations where theater wartime sortie capability might be jeopardized and by what resource shortages or logistics processing bottlenecks. The WSMIS is designed to distinguish between planned and actual logistics support capabilities. Typically logistics resources are acquired and functional processing capabilities are developed far in advance of their actual application. As a result, many intervening factors can invalidate those support plans. WSMIS provides users with the capability to revalidate or revise those plans when needed.