โ Scribed by William M. Young
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
The purpose of any priority system is to provide a method of more efficiently utilizing scarce resources. That the Naval priority indicator is designed to perform this function f o r the Navy is shown by the following quotation:
The priority indicator system is designed to provide a means whereby supply activities may process requests and ship the most important requirements first at such times as the capacity for processing and shipping.may become limited.2 The two points of most importance in this statement are: first, the definite statement that the system is concerned with the shortage of what we may call indirect resources (processing and delivery resources of the system) rather than with shortages of the direct resources (end-use materials) and, second, the term "most important requirements." In the first part of this paper we shall devote ourselves to an examination of the problems raised by these different types of resource shortages and of meanti suitable for coping with them. We shall then pro- ceed to a more detailed discussion of sorne of the particular features of the present system, and finally we hope to end up with some constructive suggestions concerning what a r e the desirable features of a priority system.
Before commenting in detail on the problems involved, it may be well to give a brief description of the present system as it ia currently ~p e r a t i n g . ~
The Naval priority indicator system has four classes of indicators labeled A , B, C and D, which may be roughly described a.s Emergency, Overhaul and Maintenance, Allowance and Interim, and Routine, respectively. The rules and guides for'their proper application are summarized:
operation, for materials seriously required for health and hygiene, and for the support of special programs a s designated by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).
carkying out of essential phases of operational tests and for allowance list materials required for overseas movements. The A indicator is to be used for putting inoperative activities o r installations into The B indicator is to be used for maintenance, construction, o r overhaul, for the ' 1 should like to acknowledge my indebtedneea to Professor 0. Morgenstern of Princeton University for first indicating the problems in the fields of priorities and allocationa. I must also exprese my appreciation to Mr. Kozak, Issue Control Branch Supervisor at NSD Bayonne, for the kindness he has shown in familiarizing me with the institutional background for this
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