Asia e University

Malaysia institute 0f logistics

Intermediate logistics officer course

(Executive bachelor in logistics management)

Assignment no3

Enhancing supply support

Ltcdr hamed Alghafri
Royal Navy of Oman

Date:23 MAY 2011

Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................ 3
Reliability.................................................................................................................... 3
Reliability modeling.................................................................................................... 3
Availability.................................................................................................................. 4
Maintainability............................................................................................................ 4
Factors Affecting RAM................................................................................................. 4
Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 5
References.................................................................................................................. 5

Introduction
Logistics engineering as a discipline is also a very important aspect of systems
engineering that includes reliability engineering. It is the science and process whereby
reliability, maintainability, and availability are designed into products or systems. It
includes the supply and physical distribution considerations above as well as more
fundamental engineering considerations. For example, if we want to produce a system
that is 95% reliable (or improve a system to achieve 95% reliability), a logistics engineer
understands that total system reliability can be no greater than the least reliable
subsystem or component. Therefore our logistics engineer must consider the reliability
of all subcomponents or subsystems and modify system design accordingly. If a
subsystem is only 50% reliable, one can concentrate on improving the reliability of that
subsystem, design in multiple subsystems in parallel (5 in this case would achieve
approximately 97% reliability of that subsystem), purchase and store spare subsystems
for rapid change out, establish repair capability that would get a failed subsystem back
in operation in the required amount of time, and/or choose any combination of those
approaches to achieve the optimal cost vs. reliability solution. Then the engineer moves
onto the next subsystem.

Reliability
To enhance supply support every system requires a different level of reliability. A
commercial airliner must operate under a wide range of conditions. The consequences
of failure are grave, but there is a correspondingly higher budget. A pencil sharpener
may be more reliable than an airliner, but has a much different set of operational
conditions, insignificant consequences of failure, and a much lower budget .
Reliability is the probability of an item to perform a required function under stated
conditions for a specified period of time. Reliability is further divided into mission
reliability and logistics reliability..

Reliability modeling
Reliability modeling is the process of predicting or understanding the reliability of a
component or system. Two separate fields of investigation are common: The physics of
failure approach uses an understanding of the failure mechanisms involved, such as
crack propagation or chemical corrosion; The parts stress modeling approach is an

empirical method for prediction based on counting the number and type of components
of the system, and the stress they undergo during operation 1.

Availability
Availability is a measure of the degree to which an item is in an operable state and can
be committed at the start of a mission when the mission is called for at an unknown
(random) point in time. Availability as measured by the user is a function of how often
failures occur and corrective maintenance is required, how often preventative
maintenance is performed, how quickly indicated failures can be isolated and repaired,
how quickly preventive maintenance tasks can be performed, and how long logistics
support delays contribute to down time.

Maintainability
Maintainability is the ability of an item to be retained in, or restored to, a specified
condition when maintenance is performed by personnel having specified skill levels,
using prescribed procedures and resources, at each prescribed level of maintenance
and repair.

Factors Affecting RAM

Many factors are important to RAM: system design; manufacturing quality; the
environment in which the system is running and skills of the people operating and
maintaining the system; the availability of materiel required to repair the system; and the
diagnostic aids and tools (instrumentation) available to them 2.

1 Logistic engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistic_engineering

2 DOD GUIDE FOR ACHIEVING.RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, AND MAINTAINABILITY

Reliability engineering. Page 1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_engineering. 18 Jun 2011.

Conclusion
To enhance supply support during the concept exploration phase, ILS requires that
reliability, maintainability, availability, and supportability (RMA&S) factors be considered
in the design of the any system. This phase entails the solicitation and evaluation of
alternative concepts designed to meet the requirements of the mission need.
Preliminary Logistics Support Analyses (LSA's) provide the vehicle by which the
systems and their components are evaluated.

References
Logistic engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistic_engineering
DOD GUIDE FOR ACHIEVING.
RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, AND MAINTAINABILITY
Reliability engineering. Page 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_engineering. 18 Jun 2011.

Reliability theory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_theory
Integrated logistics support
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Logistics_Support
Availability
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability