Analysis of Department of Defense (DoD) Overseas Shipment Operations to Japan

摘要

The objective of this thesis is to document, evaluate, and recommend processimprovements for transporting fresh produce product lines from the United States to mainland Japan. This thesis will review existing processes and strategies currently in effect for shipping fresh produce to Department of Defense (DoD) installations and other U.S. federal agencies in Japan. The shipment of fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV) will be examined in detail, since they pose the most difficult logistical challenge. Aside from the issues associated with shipping perishable products overseas, there are political and cultural issues that will ie examined as well. The entire process, from customer requirement order to delivery of product to destination will be documented and analyzed. The current strategy and methods of purchasing, shipping, and distributing FFV to resale customers in Japan will be analyzed, with recommendations for improvement, if applicable. A process management and decision chart of the entire process will be developed, in hopes of providing a decision matrix that will apply to all shipments destined for mainland Japan, and possibly to other Pacific Rim destinations. lessons learned and further research will be identified that may be applicable to other destinations in the region.