Date of Award

9-1994

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

Rodney P. Rice, PhD

Second Advisor

Craig M. Brandt, PhD

Abstract

This study examines the applicability of ISO 9000, a world-wide quality standard, to the quality assurance procedures being built into a new Foreign Military Sales FMS program. This new program, the Worldwide Warehouse, is an Air Force Security Assistance Center AFSAC attempt to assist FMS customers in reducing excess materiel inventories. Areas of investigation include ISO 9000s international acceptance, its ability to ensure quality products, and a case study of SHARE, a NATO initiative which employs ISO 9000 in quality assurance and is dramatically similar to the Worldwide Warehouse. The researchers conduct an exploratory study using a literature review and personal interviews with individuals possessing special insight in the subject areas. It is concluded that achieving ISO 9000 certification is very difficult, maybe even impossible for some Worldwide Warehouse customers. This difficulty often results in years of effort. Going further, the fact that the benefits to be gained by the Worldwide Warehouse are minimal even if successful implementation were achieved, leads to the conclusion that the value added does not justify ISO 9000 as the standard for Worldwide Warehouse quality assurance.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GLM-LAR-94S-13

DTIC Accession Number

ADA285300

Comments

Co-authored thesis.

The authors' Vita pages are omitted.

Presented to the Faculty of the School of Logistics and Acquisition Management of the Air Force Institute of Technology.

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