A Simulation Based Comparative Analysis of Alternatives for Tuition Assistance Organizational Structures

The military services have experienced enormous downsizing efforts in the last decade. With these initiatives, organizations have had to derive innovative ways to meet their objectives with fewer resources. An organization's structure is an avenue to address these challenges within the atmosphere of a shrinking capital budget. Organizational structure changes can affect every aspect of the organization. Such an impact suggests proposals for drastic organizational changes must meet the rigors of a full analysis.The intent of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of centralization options for Air Force Tuition Assistance efforts. This thesis effort involves the development and subsequent analysis of multiple simulation models. The models provide insight into whether or not centralization will produce savings in processing times, manpower, and cost.Results show that centralization will positively impact the Tuition Assistance organization in meeting their objectives while allowing the Air Force to take advantage of efficiencies through technological advancements.