A couple of upcoming professional development opportunities you might be interested in. They are provided here for information purposes only, so this blog post should not be construed as official DoD or DAU endorsement of either of these events.

The Chapters of District 02, SOLE–The International Society of Logistics (SOLE) are hosting a Professional Development Forum at the Omni Newport News Hotel in Newport News, Virginia from 13-14 April 2011. This day and a half professional development event will offer a series of workshops on various aspects of logistics in a joint/interagency environment. Wednesday’s offering includes a 4 hour workshop on Modeling & Simulation for System of System Analyses and will look at several examples of how Monte Carlo simulation, and the use of various models can help decision makers better evaluate alternatives and perform “what-if drills” around operational availability, inventory investment, and reliability investment. In addition to introducing the theoretical underpinnings of these modeling approaches, specific software tools will be introduced and demonstrated to illustrate the breadth of application of each approach, including a reliability and maintainability simulation; and both readiness-based sparing and reliability investment models. Thursday’s planned offerings will include four 2-hr workshops on “The Role of Product Support in Joint Logistics,”“Information Assurance & Data Protection in a Joint Environment,”“A Joint Logistics Practical Exercise, ”and “IT Supportability for Joint Systems.” Further information at  SOLE - The International Society of Logistics, 8100 Professional Place, Suite 111, Hyattsville, MD 20785-2229; FAX 301-459-1522; or call 301-459-8446 for registration by phone/questions.

The Council of Logistics Engineering Professionals in conjunction with US Army Materiel Command Logistics Support Activity (LOGSA) are hosting a 2011 Life Cycle Logistics Tools Workshop and User’s Group from May 23-26, 2011 at the Von Braun Center at 700 Monroe Street in Huntsville, Alabama. According to their site, “the 2011 Life Cycle Logistics Tools Workshop and Users Group Symposium will focus on the use of  the LOGSA-developed Life Cycle Logistics Tools.  LOGSA’s Logistics & Engineering Center is a  World Class leader recognized for developing standards, analytical tools, and performing logistics engineering analysis, as well as providing training for Logistics Engineers and Analysts in the use of the Life Cycle Logistics Tools. Get the latest information on life cycle logistics decision support tools, emerging logistics support concepts, policies and lessons learned. Users Group Training and Workshop Sessions include Systems Planning and Requirements Software (SYSPARS), PowerLog-J Logistics Data Support System, Post Fielding Support Analysis tools (PFSA), Computerized Optimization Model for Predicting and Analyzing Support Structures (COMPASS), Cost Analysis Strategy Assessment (CASA), and Optimal Retrieval for CASA Analysis (ORCA).”