John J Bailer

Army Business Transformation: The Utility of Using Corporate Business Models Within the Institutional Army John J Bailer

This thesis investigates the utility of transforming the Institutional Army through the use of corporate business models. Through a survey of the literature of published corporate business plans and models, military reports, Army depot case studies, and comparative analysis of emerging computer software technology, factors fundamental for successful transformation within the Institutional Army are identified. This study finds that working corporate models, such as Lean Six Sigma (LSS), are available which are already enabling the transformation of a very specific aspect within the institutional Army. However, the study has also discovered that this model does not possess the capability to serve as an all-encompassing model facilitating the total transformation within the institutional Army, implying that the application of several models in conjunction with LSS is a better use of resources. The research has also shown that other civilian models can be applied to the Institutional Army as well. They include enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) and information networks (IN). Clearly, each one of these civilian models brings different capabilities to the Institutional Army.