Multiple Case Comparison of the in-Transit Visibility Business Process

Over the past decade, the Department of Defense has developed an In- transit Visibility capability. Despite significant funding and research in developing this capability, the initial deployment in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) in 2001 highlighted an ongoing problem to achieve ITV within the U.S. Air Force. Initial results from Headquarters USAF initiated studies point to a need to focus on business processes related ITV management. This research employed a multiple case study design embedded in a functional benchmarking process to solicit ITV management "best practices" from leaders in the civilian logistics industry and to identify gaps between their practices and those of the Air Force. The data collection method used electronic mail as a portal to conducting subject matter expert interviews. Using the data collected from the benchmarking partners, the research recognized 19 "best practices" and compared the civilian and military environments in 41 areas. This evaluation highlighted gaps between practices used in the civilian industry and those used by the Air Force. These gaps served as areas of opportunity in which the Air Force can evaluate alternative management practices in an effort to improve the ITV process. Using these gaps as a foundation, the research proposed fourteen recommendations for action.Air Force Inst of Tech Wright-Patterson AFB OH School of Engineering and Management is the author of 'Multiple Case Comparison of the in-Transit Visibility Business Process', published 2003 under ISBN 9781423502418 and ISBN 1423502418.