NASA and Logistics-A Match for the 21st Century

Abstract : This research evaluated current NASA organizational and logistical strategy processes to compare them with current academic theory and make recommendations to improve the processes. Various strategy theories were explored, resulting in a model synthesizing the various elements. The organizational, cultural, and political environment surrounding NASA was studied. Personal interviews were conducted and various NASA strategic plans and other documents were analyzed. From these activities emerged six recommendations: (1) Create a formal strategy process for NASA logistics (and NASA), (2) Tie logistics strategies directly to organizational strategies/goals, (3) Get logisticians from different functions/programs/centers to crossflow information, (4) Identify redundancies in logistics functions at centers and consolidate where possible, (5) Change the culture and tradition of NASA by infusing trained logisticians, and (6) Evaluate each program not in terms of the program itself but in terms of the goal for that program.