U.S. Marine Corps Equipment Readiness Information Tool: Usage and Decision-Support for Performance Based Logistics

摘要

The Marine Corps is transforming its automated logistics programs to meet the increasingly complex operational requirements of the 21st Century. One program that is part of this transformation is the Marine Corps Equipment Readiness Information Tool (MERIT). Our research analyzed: how can MERIT be used as a decision support tool for performance based logistics (PBL) and what areas of MERIT are recommended for improvement. Included in the analysis is a description of current readiness procedures used in the Marine Corps, providing a point of comparison for how well MERIT enables the logistics transformation. The basis of our analysis was user perceptions, assessed by a user survey and focus groups. The conclusions of our analysis determined: MERIT has not received official Marine Corps endorsement for its continued use; MERIT is a valuable material readiness information tool used by the Marine Corps; there is a general lack of understanding by users regarding MERIT's logical architecture and operation; and there is a lack of training on MERIT throughout the Marine Corps.