Applicability of Alternative Organizational Models to Army Laboratories A Preliminary E-Delphi Analysis

Numerous organizational models are considered for possible application to the Army Material Command laboratory system. This study documents a high-level investigation undertaken to help the Army improve its research and development capabilities. The work assesses the relative merits of 15 alternative organizational models for the Army Material Command (AMC) laboratory system. The assessment is essentially subjective, using an electronically implemented Delphi process to facilitate consensus formation among a panel of experts. Results from the panel are interpreted from a variety of perspectives, including those of Army laboratory customers and management. The Delphi methodology is found to be an effective tool for assessing the diverse range of organizational structures, with robust results obtained across the range of viewpoints considered. The analysis identifies a number of promising models that have the potential to improve AMC laboratory performance and are thus worthy of more detailed study. In particular, the benefits of augmenting the current AMC laboratory organization with 3smart outsourcing2 techniques and a venture capital fund appear very promising.