Supply Chain Agility Of Combat Ration In Response To Urgent Military Mission: The Case Of Ethiopian Defense Logistics
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Supply chain agility is very essential to supply combat ration for any army unit. As it is known
combat ration is required when there is a field mission including war. Nowadays it is difficult to
obtain combat ration from the supply market when it is needed urgently. Because of this the
study aimed to investigate the gap of combat ration supply chain agility in response to urgent
military mission the case of Ethiopian defense logistics. Combat ration is a
fundamental thing for successful accomplishment of military mission on war front. The study
employed descriptive research design. The reason the researcher used descriptive research
design was to identify and describe the gap of supply chain responsiveness for uncertain demand
of combat ration for urgent military mission. The researcher also used descriptive research
strategy to determine the relationship between agile combat ration supply for urgent military mission
and the five supply chain agility dimensions stated in the study as dependent and independent
variables. Qualitative and quantitative data has been collected and analyzed using frequency
and percentage. The population of the study was selected by non-random data sampling
method/purposive data sampling from the supply chain members of combat ration. The sample
size was 106. From this sample size 5 top managers gave interview additionally. All respondents
returned their questionnaire. The study is conducted on the following specific conceptual frame
work of supply chain agility dimensions alertness, accessibility, decisiveness, swiftness and
flexibility. The research found that combat ration supply chain is not alert enough to respond
urgent demand, combat ration supply chain information is partially accessible, and combat
ration supply chain is not flexibility to respond the demand as per the military mission requires.
The supply chain is not agile enough to respond urgent requirement of combat ration during
urgent military mission. The proposed recommendation for the gap identified in the study is: to
establish an agile supply chain of combat ration by multiple sourcing, making a strong
relationship with existing supply chain members, advancement of supply chain information
communication technology and flexibility of using variety of combat ration through advanced
manufacturing technology.
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Keywords
supply chain., Agility, combat ration, Urgent military mission