GAO

United States General Accounting Office

Report to the Chairman and Ranking 

Minority Member, Subcommittee on 

Readiness and Management Support, 

Committee on Armed Services 

U.S. Senate

November 2000 DEFENSE 

ACQUISITIONS

Price Trends for 

Defense Logistics 

Agency’s Weapon 

System Parts

GAO-01-22

Page 1 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Contents

Letter 3

Appendixes Appendix I: Scope and Methodology 20

Appendix II: Consumable Item Transfer Program 23

Appendix III: Additional Information on Surcharges 24

Appendix IV: Average Percent Price Change as Measured

by the Mean 26

Appendix V: Sample of 100 Parts With Price Increases of 1,000 

Percent or More 27

Appendix VI: Price Change for All Items Managed 30

Appendix VII: Producer Price Index 31

Appendix VIII: Federal Supply Groups in Our Universe 32

Appendix IX: Comments From the Department of Defense 33

Appendix X: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 35
Page 2 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts
Page 3 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

United States General Accounting Office

Washington, D.C. 20548

Letr

November 3, 2000

The Honorable James M. Inhofe

Chairman

The Honorable Charles S. Robb

Ranking Minority Member

Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support

Committee on Armed Services

United States Senate

This is the second in a series of reports responding to your request that we 

review allegations of significant increases in prices the Department of 

Defense (DOD) pays for weapon system spare parts.1

 In particular, some 

military commands have asserted to the Congress that spare part prices 

have been increasing at a higher rate than inflation and have taken an 

unanticipated bite out of the limited funds available to meet readiness 

requirements. You requested that we examine the Defense Logistics 

Agency’s (DLA) spare part prices to (1) determine whether prices were 

increasing over time and (2) identify the factors that contributed to price 

increases. 

DLA provides parts and related services to the military services, DOD 

agencies, and other government entities. DLA purchases items from 

vendors and sells them to its customers at a standard price. This standard 

price is the amount that customers must pay to purchase the item and is 

computed by adding a surcharge2

 to the latest representative price that 

DLA paid to a vendor for the item. This surcharge is imposed by DLA to 

recover such costs as storage, transportation, and inventory loss. Each 

standard price appears in a computerized federal pricing catalog. Many 

customers use the catalog to review the prices of items they plan to buy. 

This report focuses specifically on “consumable” spare parts. These are 

parts that are consumed in use or discarded when worn out or broken 

because they cannot be cost-effectively repaired. To evaluate price trends 

1 Earlier this year we issued a report entitled Defense Acquisitions: Prices of Marine Corps 

Spare Parts Have Increased (GAO/NSIAD-00-123, July 31, 2000). 

2

 The surcharge is technically called the “cost recovery rate.”
Page 4 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

for consumable items, we selected for review weapon system spare parts 

with at least one DLA procurement in 1996, 1997, or 1998. For each part, we 

collected and analyzed its pricing history from 1989 through 1998. (Not all 

parts had a pricing history for the full 10-year period). In fiscal year 1998, 

for example, our universe consisted of 317,217 parts, of which about 

237,000 were requisitioned by DLA’s customers.3

 Requisitions totaled about 

$1.5 billion that year. Due to data limitations, we excluded from our review 

items that had been transferred to DLA from the military services.4

 We took 

several steps to address data quality and reliability; however, we did not 

validate or verify the pricing data provided by DLA.5

 See appendix I for 

details on our scope and methodology.

Results in Brief From 1989 through 1998, an average of 70 percent of parts requisitioned by 

DLA’s customers experienced an annual price change of less than 5 percent. 

This trend applied to all parts requisitioned as well as those in frequent 

demand and in specific supply categories, such as aircraft parts. 

A relatively small number of parts experienced significant annual price 

increases, that is, increases of 50 percent or more. However, this number 

has grown since 1994. A very small percentage experienced “extreme” 

increases in price, that is, 1,000 percent or more. In 1998, for example, 2,993 

of the 236,896 requisitioned parts we reviewed had a price increase of 

1,000 percent or more. Parts with these kinds of extreme price increases 

did not represent a large portion of DLA customer spare part spending and 

they generally did not include higher priced items. Nevertheless, because 

customers are often unaware of such increases until they actually purchase 

a part, they experience “sticker shock” and they have raised concerns 

about extreme price increases to DLA. Moreover, for some operating units, 

such price increases can potentially affect their ability to buy needed parts.

When we analyzed 100 weapon system spare parts with price increases of 

1,000 percent or more, we found that in 64 cases, price estimates that were 

3

 We used annual demand quantity, the best available data for the 10-year period. Annual 

demand quantity does not account for all canceled or unfilled requisitions. 

4

 Other studies have addressed this issue and results of these studies are included in app. II.

5

 Our recent testimony discusses long-standing problems with DOD’s ability to accumulate 

and report on the value of its inventories. See Department of Defense: Progress in Financial 

Management Reform (GAO/T-AIMD/NSIAD-00-163, May 9, 2000).
Page 5 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

made for new parts when a weapon system was fielded turned out to be 

inaccurate once the actual procurement was made. In other cases, we 

found that prices increased dramatically when there were long time 

periods—sometimes decades—between procurements and/or when there 

were substantial changes in the quantity of parts purchased. DLA 

purchasing officials also cited a range of other cost drivers that have lead to 

substantial price increases, including costs associated with retooling when 

there is a long time between buys and increased costs related to emergency 

procurements and raw materials.

We are making recommendations to encourage DOD to determine the 

cost-effectiveness of ensuring that catalog prices are more accurate and of 

making customers aware that certain prices may be inaccurate. In written 

comments on a draft of this report, DOD concurred with our findings and 

recommendations.

Background DLA, headquartered in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, provides consumable 

supplies, spare parts, and technical and logistics services to the military 

services, DOD agencies, federal civil agencies, and selected foreign 

governments. As part of its mission, the agency manages over 4.1 million 

consumable items for its customers to support their weapon systems and 

other assets. These parts range from low-cost commonly used items, such 

as fasteners and gasket material, to high-priced, sophisticated spare parts, 

such as microswitches, miniature components, and precision valves—all of 

which are vital to operating major weapon systems. Spare parts are 

received, stored, and shipped from 24 distribution depots. Three supply 

centers manage the consumable hardware items that are the subject of this 

report: the Defense Supply Centers in Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania; and Richmond, Virginia. 

DLA’s supply management operations are part of the Defense-Wide Working 

Capital Fund, which operates on a revolving fund principle. The goal of the 

revolving fund is to financially break even over the long term. Customers 

use appropriated funds to buy parts from DLA. DLA then uses revenue it 

receives from customers to procure parts from vendors. In principle, DLA 

should recover the acquisition cost of the parts it sells, as well as its own 

operating costs, from its customers while not making a profit or incurring a 

loss.
Page 6 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Most Spare Parts 

Incurred Small Price 

Change

About 70 percent, on average, of spare parts requisitioned by DLA’s 

customers experienced an annual price change of less than 5 percent from 

fiscal years 1989 through 1998. This trend was consistent for parts with 

frequent demand and all categories of parts examined. At the same time, 

we found that the number of parts with significant price increases—though 

relatively small—has steadily increased, and that, for some parts, price 

increases have been extremely high.

Most Spare Parts 

Experienced Price Change 

of Less Than 5 Percent 

Of the parts requisitioned in fiscal years 1989 through 1998, an average of 

about 70 percent experienced an annual price change of less than 5 percent 

across the 10-year period. The percentage of parts with annual price 

increases of 50 percent or more was relatively small during this time 

period, but it has grown in recent years. During this same period, the 

Producer Price Index ranged from a positive 2.6 percent to a negative 

0.4 percent. 

Figure 1 illustrates the percentage of price changes. As shown in the figure, 

the number of parts with requisitions in our analysis universe increased 

over the 10-year period. Figure 2 illustrates the median price change, which 

stayed within the 3-percent to 5-percent range in most years.6

6

 The median is the midpoint in a distribution. That is, it is the point above which and below 

which one-half of the data fall. The median is a useful measure of price change, but it is not 

an average. In our case, the mean was highly skewed due to the presence of items with 

extreme price changes (see p. 12). For this reason, we believe the median is a more 

appropriate measure of price change for the population as a whole.
Page 7 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Figure 1: Percentage of Price Change for Parts Requisitioned

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

< 0% 0 to < 5% 5 to < 50% 50% or more

1989-

1990

1990-

1991

1991-

1992

1992-

1993

1993-

1994

1994-

1995

1995-

1996

1996-

1997

1997-

1998

177,738 187,888 194,984 200,136 202,446 211,084 232,695 241,565 236,896

Fiscal year

Percent of spare parts
Page 8 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Figure 2: Median Price Change for Parts Sold

As illustrated in figures 1 and 2, there were 2 fiscal years in which prices 

did not follow the same trend. Specifically, prices increased substantially in 

fiscal year 1991 and decreased substantially in fiscal year 1993. The 1991 

price increase was attributable to a 1989 DOD decision to include supply 

operations costs (that is, the cost of purchasing, storing, and distributing 

items) in the surcharge. Prior to this decision, all operating costs of supply 

activities were financed through operations and maintenance accounts. 

DLA officials attributed the 1993 price decrease to a decline in operational 

costs at the supply centers and an increase in the sales base. The increase 

in the sales base was partly due to the transfer of consumable items from 

the military services to DLA in 1992. This transfer was intended to 

eliminate duplication in managing DOD’s consumable items by 

consolidating these items within DLA. Surcharge rates at DLA’s supply 

centers decreased as a result of the transfer since costs were spread over a 

larger number of DLA-managed items. Appendix II discusses this transfer 

in greater detail.

10%

-5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30% Percent

1989-

1990

1990-

1991

1991-

1992

1992-

1993

1993-

1994

1994-

1995

1995-

1996

1996-

1997

1997-

1998

Fiscal year
Page 9 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Parts in Frequent Demand 

Followed Same Trend

Our analysis also found that spare parts in frequent demand by DLA’s 

customers experienced price trends similar to the overall universe of parts. 

Of the spare parts included in our review, 160,016 had requisitions every 

fiscal year from 1993 to 1998. We used fiscal year 1993 as a base year 

because we wanted to review spare parts with recent, consistent 

requisitions. Our analysis showed that over 70 percent of the parts, on 

average, had an annual price change of less than 5 percent over the 6-year 

period. Additionally, the number of parts in frequent demand whose price 

increased 50 percent or more has grown steadily.

Figure 3: Price Change for Parts With Frequent Demand

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1993-1994 1994-1995 1995-1996 1996-1997 1997-1998

< 0% 0 to < 5% 5 to < 50% 50% or more

160,016 160,016 160,016 160,016 160,016

Fiscal year

Percent of spare parts
Page 10 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Price Trend for Parts in Six 

Supply Groups 

Because a number of military commands have been specifically concerned 

about high prices for aircraft parts, we reviewed spare part prices in three 

federal supply groups that contained these types of parts. In addition, we 

examined price trends in the three federal supply groups that had the 

highest dollar value of requisitions in fiscal years 1996 through 1998.7

Altogether, these six groups accounted for about 53 percent of the total 

value of requisitions in those years. 

Our analysis of price changes for the six groups revealed results similar to 

our other analyses. That is, an average of 70 percent of the parts 

requisitioned over our 10-year review period experienced an annual price 

change of less than 5 percent. As with the overall universe of parts 

requisitioned, the number of parts in these groups with annual price 

increases of 50 percent or more has grown. Table 1 illustrates this trend by 

specific federal supply groups. 

Table 1: Price Trends of Specific Federal Supply Groups for Fiscal Years 1989 to 

1998 

Finally, we analyzed the prices for all weapon system spare parts managed 

by DLA—regardless of whether they had requisitions in some or all of the 

fiscal years reviewed. Our analysis revealed that, on average, 72 percent of 

the spare parts had an annual price change of less than 5 percent over the 

10-year period. Again, the number of parts with annual price increases of 

7

 Federal Supply Groups are a broad designation, identifying the commodity area covered by 

the classes within the group. Each class covers a relatively homogeneous area of 

commodities, e.g., in respect to their physical or performance characteristics. 

Name of group 

Percent of parts with price change

of less than 5 percent

Aircraft and airframe structural components 71.6

Aircraft components and accessories 70.9

Aircraft launching, landing, and ground handling 

equipment

 73.3

Pipe, tubing, hose and fittings 69.9

Hardware and abrasives 66.1

Electrical and electronic equipment components 71.2

Average for the six groups 70.5
Page 11 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

50 percent or more has been growing. A figure depicting these data is 

included in appendix VI.

Percentage of Parts With 

Significant Price Increases 

Has Grown

As noted earlier, the number of parts with significant annual price 

increases—50 percent or more—represents a relatively small portion of 

DLA-managed parts. However, this number has grown steadily in recent 

years. By 1998, nearly 14 percent of the requisitioned parts fell into this 

category, compared with 8 percent in 1995. 

Most of the 32,394 items with price increases of 50 percent or more in 1998 

were relatively inexpensive. As shown in table 2, about half of the items 

cost less than $50 and only about 6 percent cost more than $1,000.

Table 2: Unit Prices of Items With Price Increase of 50 Percent or More in 1998

In addition, the items that have had these substantial price increases do not 

represent a large proportion of DLA’s business. In 1998, customers 

requisitioned a total of $1.5 billion for spare parts. About $193 million of 

this amount was for parts with price increases of 50 percent or more, 

whereas $944 million was for parts with price changes of less than 

5 percent.

Most parts that increased 50 percent or more did not experience this level 

of escalation in more than 1 year. Of the parts requisitioned by customers 

with increases at this rate in any given year from fiscal years 1989 through 

1998, 83 percent experienced an increase of this magnitude only once. 

Unit price range Number of items

Percent of total

items

Cumulative percent of

total items

Less than $1 1,512 4.7 4.7

$1 to $4.99 4,125 12.7 17.4

$5 to $19.99 6,449 19.9 37.3

$20 to $49.99 5,378 16.6 53.9

$50 to $99.99 4,216 13.0 66.9

$100 to $199.99 3,473 10.7 77.6

$200 to $999.99 5,261 16.2 93.8

$1,000 or more 1,980 6.2 100.0

Total 32,394 100.0
Page 12 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Sixteen percent experienced the increase twice over the 10-year period. Of 

parts with frequent demand, 91 percent increased at this rate only once 

from fiscal years 1993 through 1998, and 9 percent experienced the 

increase twice during the period.

Nevertheless, the extent of these increases was extreme in some cases. 

From fiscal years 1989 through 1998, the average percent change, as 

measured by the mean, was 344 percent. This number is skewed upwards 

because of the presence of parts with extremely high price increases—in 

some cases exceeding 1 million percent. In fiscal year 1998, 2,993 parts 

requisitioned by customers had a price growth of 1,000 percent or more. 

Appendix IV shows the mean percent price change.

Factors Contributing to 

Substantial Price 

Increases

A number of factors contributed to the substantial price increases in some 

weapon system spare parts. First, price estimates made for new spare parts 

during the initial stages of a weapon system procurement, which are 

entered into the DOD pricing catalog, often turn out to be far lower than 

the actual price. Second, prices increase dramatically when there are long 

time periods between procurements and/or when there are substantial 

changes in the quantity of parts being purchased. DLA purchasing officials 

also cited a range of cost drivers that can lead to substantial price 

increases, such as cost increases related to emergency procurements and 

raw materials. For some operating units, unexpected sharp price increases 

can potentially limit their ability to buy needed spare parts.

Many Extreme Increases 

Are Due to Inaccurate Price 

Estimates

Our analysis of a random sample of spare parts that had extreme price 

increases showed that most increases were caused by inaccurate price 

estimates. To determine the cause of extreme price increases, we selected 

a sample of 100 requisitioned spare parts whose prices had risen 

1,000 percent or more between fiscal year 1997 and 1998. (See app. V for a 

list of these parts.) At our request, DLA reviewed procurement data and 

contract files to determine the reasons for these extreme price increases. 

In 64 of the 100 cases, a contractor had provided the price estimate for a 

new part. When DLA procured the part for the first time, the price was 

substantially higher than the estimate. 

Some estimated prices are obviously inaccurate, but others appear logical, 

offering no hint that the actual price may be many times higher. In 1998, for 

example:
Page 13 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

• The initial estimated price of a washer was $0.05, but the actual price 

turned out to be $182.13.

• The estimated price of a digital microcircuit was $21.92, but the actual 

price turned out to be $802.75.

• The estimated price of a blind rivet was $67.83, but the actual price was 

$1,775.39. 

• The estimated price of a liquid indicator sight was $28.75, but the actual 

price was $4,214.70—an increase of 14,560 percent.

DOD officials cited several possible reasons for the discrepancies between 

estimated and actual prices. First, they stated that the military services do 

not have the manpower and resources needed to perform a thorough price 

scrub for all new items the contractor provides when the weapon system is 

initially delivered to DOD. (This is known as the “initial provisioning” 

process, under which the contractor and the military service identify the 

items that are needed to support and maintain a weapon system for an 

initial period of service.) The estimated prices are nevertheless entered 

into the DOD pricing catalog. In addition, DOD officials suggested that the 

contractors’ acquisition methods may differ significantly from DLA’s. For 

example, the contractor may obtain a discount on certain items due to a 

large quantity buy—resulting in a price increase if DLA’s initial 

procurement is for a small quantity of the same item. In other cases, neither 

the contractor nor DOD expects that the item will ever be procured again. 

In such instances, a “plug” factor of $0.01 or $0.99 is entered into the 

pricing catalog. 

Prices Are Not Identified as 

Estimates in Catalog

Estimated prices are not identified as “estimates” in the DOD pricing 

catalog for spare parts. As a result, customers checking the price of an item 

have no way of knowing that the price is merely an estimate and 

experience “sticker shock” when they learn that the actual price they must 

pay is substantially higher than the catalog price. DLA headquarters 

officials, as well as pricing specialists and buyers at the Defense Supply 

Centers, told us that they receive many complaints from customers 

regarding the large discrepancies between catalog prices and actual 

procurement prices and that this problem has existed for many years.

In 1998, a DLA employee submitted a quality improvement suggestion to 

specify whether the catalog prices were estimated or actual so that 

customers would know what price they could expect to pay. Although the 

Defense Supply Center-Philadelphia and the Defense Logistics Information 

Service approved this suggestion, it was rejected by the Defense Logistics 

Support Command on the basis of an estimated implementation cost of 
Page 14 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

$700,000 and a 6-year time frame. An official from the command told us 

that, because there is no placeholder in the catalog to identify price 

estimates, a system change request would have to be implemented. Such a 

system change would require the involvement of all military services.

The practice of not identifying estimated prices in the catalog has also 

hampered DLA’s ability to select apparent price anomalies for analysis and 

corrective action. For example, the Defense Logistics Information Service, 

which maintains the pricing catalog for all DOD spare parts, annually 

distributes a list of the 1,000 parts with highest percent price increases to 

each DLA Defense Supply Center and military service to aid them in 

purging incorrect prices from the system. However, pricing specialists at 

the centers told us that they generally make little use of the list because 

experience has shown that most price increases are due to estimates 

followed by actual procurements.

DLA officials stated that if price estimates were identified, customers 

would be more likely to call the item manager to obtain a more accurate 

price, a process that would assist them in managing their budgets. 

Furthermore, identifying price estimates would also assist the supply 

centers in their efforts to conduct price trend analyses. The officials also 

stated that an effort should be made to obtain more accurate prices in the 

first place. Recently, at our request, a provisioning policy group, a team of 

representatives from DLA and the military services, discussed the fact that 

price estimates in the catalog are often inaccurate and are not identified as 

estimates. The group plans to form a team to address these issues. In 

addition, DLA is developing a contract pricing tool to produce more 

accurate price estimates. If development goes according to plan, the tool 

may prove useful for evaluating initial provisioning price estimates for new 

parts. 

Long Time Between 

Procurements Causes 

Extreme Price Increases

DLA procures many of its spare parts infrequently. According to DLA 

officials, this is primarily because (1) DLA buys large quantities of an item 

when a new weapon system is fielded and has no need to buy the item 

again for many years and (2) there is reduced demand for selected items as 

older weapon systems are phased out of service. Because some parts are 

purchased infrequently, their prices may remain relatively unchanged for 

many years. When DLA procures these parts again, prices can increase 

substantially due to years of inflation and other factors such as a change in 

material, the need to retool, or a new technology. In addition, in many 

cases, DLA purchases initial spares in large quantities—sometimes at a 
Page 15 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

discounted price. Subsequent buys, sometimes many years later, may be for 

much smaller quantities to support a smaller number of units of a fielded 

weapon system. Historically, unit prices tend to be higher on purchases 

that involve smaller quantities.

When DLA has sufficient stock on hand to issue to customers without 

making a new procurement, the price the customer pays is the latest 

acquisition cost plus the current year’s surcharge rate, even if that 

acquisition cost was incurred many years before.8

 If such an item is no 

longer in stock and DLA must make a procurement, the customer, in most 

cases, will be charged the new, sometimes surprisingly higher, price.

Of the 100 parts in our random sample of parts, 30 were identified by DLA 

as having had 3 or more years between procurements. Of these items, 21 

experienced more than 10 years between buys. For example: 

• A set screw increased from $0.05 in 1997 to $17.72 in 1998, an increase 

of 35,340 percent. DLA had not procured this item for 31 years; its 1997 

price was based on a 1966 purchase.9

• A machine bolt increased from $0.46 in 1997 to $139.83 in 1998, a price 

jump of 30,298 percent. This item had not been procured in 21 years.

Some DLA officials are considering the feasibility of capturing inflation on 

an annual basis so that items with many years between procurements 

would have a more gradual price increase, mitigating sticker shock. 

According to officials in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense 

(Comptroller), military services have tried in the past to add an annual 

inflation rate to the prices of the items they manage, but the efforts were 

unsuccessful and resulted in overpricing. However, the officials stated that 

they are awaiting a DLA proposal that would measure the impact of this 

problem.

8

 The Defense Supply Centers do not have a uniform policy for updating prices; for example, 

the Richmond Center does not update prices—even to reflect the current surcharge rate—

for items that have not had customer demand in the past 2 years.

9

 DLA officials noted that for items with many years between procurements, quantity can 

also play a role in the price increase. For the set screw, for example, the 1966 procurement 

had been based on a purchase of 8,400 items, compared to only 50 items in the more recent 

procurement.
Page 16 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Quantity Changes 

Contributed to Substantial 

Price Increases

Of the 100 items in our sample, 26, according to DLA, had quantity changes 

that affected the unit price. In many cases, the quantity changes also 

occurred on items with a long time between procurements. For example:

• A change in the quantity of compression springs being purchased by 

DLA contributed to a 5,479-percent price hike. Specifically, in 1998, 

customers were charged $16.18 for each spring based on a DLA 

purchase of 60 units. Previously, they were charged 29 cents a spring 

based on a DLA purchase of 3,000 units. 

• A change in the quantity of electric connector plugs led to a 

1,127-percent price hike. In 1998, customers were charged $306.08 based 

on a DLA purchase of one connector. Previously, they were charged 

$24.94 based on a purchase of 10 connectors. 

• A change in the quantity of a transistor procured by DLA caused a 

1,525-percent price increase. In 1998, customers were charged $440.70 

based on a DLA purchase of three transistors. Previously, they were 

charged $27.12 based on a procurement of 250 transistors.

• A change in the quantity of a cable clamp adapter caused a 1,039-percent 

increase. In 1998, customers were charged $1,134.01 based on two 

small-quantity DLA procurements. Previously, they were charged $99.55 

for the item. 

• A change in the quantity of a threaded pin rivet caused a 2,032-percent 

price increase. In 1998, customers were charged $30.28 based on a DLA 

purchase of 15 rivets. Previously, they were charged $1.42 based on a 

procurement of 4,000 rivets.

DOD officials noted that, in some cases, it may be a wise business decision 

to purchase a limited quantity of some spare parts—even if the unit price 

was high compared to historical costs. For example, smaller quantities of 

some spare parts may be needed for an aging weapon system with a 

scheduled retirement date.

Other Factors Can Cause 

Price Increases

In addition to the reasons identified in our sample of 100 parts, DLA 

purchasing officials cited several other factors that can cause customer 

prices to increase. These include the following.

• Costs related to first article testing, which is performed on a new item or 

an item that has not been procured in many years to ensure that the 

contractor can produce the item to specifications.

• Costs related to emergency procurements, where delivery of a part must 

be accelerated if the customer needs an out-of-stock part quickly.
Page 17 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

• Increases in raw material costs. 

The officials emphasized that several factors can work in tandem to create 

a large price increase. For example, an air duct assembly, used on the 

Apache helicopter, increased in price from $220 in 1997 to $7,568—or 3,340 

percent—in 1998.10 This item, which was included in the Defense Logistics 

Information Services’ list of parts with extreme price increases, had been 

transferred to DLA from the Army. According to DLA officials, the price 

hike was attributable to the fact that (1) there were 9 years between 

procurements, (2) the vendor had to set up and retool machinery to make 

the part, (3) the part required first article testing, and (4) there was a 

quantity reduction from 61 in 1988 to 4 in 1997. 

Conclusions The majority of DLA’s weapon system spare parts experienced a relatively 

low annual price change—less than 5 percent—from fiscal years 1989 

through 1998. At the same time, however, a small but growing number of 

parts are increasing in price. Most of the extreme price increases are due to 

inaccurate price estimates, outdated prices, or changes in quantities 

purchased. Nevertheless, because the DOD pricing catalog does not 

identify estimated or substantially outdated prices, the customers buying 

these items are often surprised to find that they are paying significantly 

more than they expected for parts that are essential to maintaining their 

weapon systems. Moreover, for some operating units, this could have an 

adverse effect on their ability to buy needed spare parts.

Recommendations for 

Executive Action

We recommend that the Secretary of Defense determine (1) why initial 

provisioning price estimates differ significantly from the price DLA pays 

upon procuring the item and how to include more accurate initial 

provisioning estimates in DOD’s pricing catalog, (2) a cost-effective method 

of adjusting catalog prices to account for inflation for items that DLA has 

not procured in many years, and (3) whether estimated and outdated prices 

can be cost-effectively identified as such in the catalog so that customers 

will be aware that the prices may be incorrect. One way to make these 

determinations is to establish a task force with membership representing 

10 This item was not included in our data analysis because it was a consumable item transfer 

part, but it illustrates the effect of numerous factors on price.
Page 18 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the military services, and DLA. The 

task force could report its findings to the Secretary of Defense.

Agency Comments In written comments on a draft of this report, DOD concurred with our 

principal findings and recommendations. The Department also provided 

technical comments, which we have incorporated where appropriate. 

DOD’s written comments appear in appendix IX.

We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional 

committees; the Honorable William S. Cohen, Secretary of Defense; 

Lieutenant General Henry Glisson, Director, Defense Logistics Agency; the 

Honorable Richard Danzig, Secretary of the Navy; the Honorable F. Whitten 

Peters, Secretary of the Air Force; the Honorable Louis Caldera, Secretary 

of the Army; General James L. Jones, Commandant of the Marine Corps; 

and the Honorable Jacob J. Lew, Director, Office of Management and 

Budget.

Please contact me at (202) 512-4125 if you or your staff have any questions 

concerning this report. An additional GAO contact and staff 

acknowledgments are listed in appendix X.

David E. Cooper, Director

Acquisition and Sourcing Management
Page 19 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts
Page 20 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix I

Scope and Methodology ApApenednxidexiIs

To determine the extent to which consumable spare part prices have 

increased, we selected for review a “market basket” of items. Since the 

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) does not purchase every spare part each 

year, our market basket consisted of all the weapon system spare parts 

purchased by DLA during fiscal years 1996 through 1998—the most current 

data available at the time we initiated this review. Our initial market basket 

contained about 482,000 items representing 25 federal supply groups and 

184 federal supply classes.

We removed from further analyses about 85,000 parts that had been 

transferred to DLA from the military services because these parts generally 

had very limited price histories. Other items were removed that had unit of 

issue changes from one year to the next, missing prices, and zero quantity 

and/or dollar sales. We also removed those items with duplicate records. 

These steps left 391,217 consumable weapon system spare parts.

To ensure that our universe contained spare parts used by each military 

service, we identified the users of each of the 391,217 parts in our database 

for fiscal year 1998. Some parts were used by more than one service. 

Figure 4 shows the percentage of parts used by each of the military 

services.

Figure 4: Percentage of Spare Parts Used by Each Military Service

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Navy

Air Force

Army

Marine Corps

In percent
Appendix I

Scope and Methodology

Page 21 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

DLA provided us with 10 years of purchase and pricing data for each item 

in our market basket. DLA extracted the data, covering fiscal years 1989-98, 

from its Standard Automated Materiel Management System.1

 To determine 

if the prices of our selected items had increased, decreased, or remained 

unchanged, we calculated the average annual change in standard prices 

over our 10-year review period. 

To perform other price trend analyses, we refined our universe of 391,217 

spare parts into two other categories. The first contained 236,896 items 

customers had requisitioned in each of the paired fiscal years in our review 

period. The second contained 160,016 spare parts that customers had 

requisitioned every fiscal year from 1993 to 1998. We refer to these as parts 

in frequent demand.

In addition, to determine why some spare parts experienced extremely 

high price increases, we randomly selected 100 items from a universe of 

2,993 parts whose prices increased 1,000 percent or more between fiscal 

year 1997 and 1998. The reasons for these extreme price increases were 

determined by DLA through research of its centralized procurement history 

database, supplemented by a review of contract files located at the 

respective defense supply centers.

In developing our methodology, we worked extensively with DLA officials 

from the headquarters Procurement Management Directorate at Fort 

Belvoir, Virginia, and with analysts from the Office of Operations Research 

and Resource Analysis in Richmond, Virginia.

We did not validate or verify the pricing data provided by DLA. However, 

we took several steps to address data quality. We reviewed the data and 

performed various quality checks that revealed several errors and 

discrepancies in the composition of our database and in prices or quantities 

of specific spare parts. These errors and discrepancies were discussed with 

DLA officials, and the affected items were deleted from our universe of 

spare parts. We also asked DLA officials to complete a questionnaire 

concerning reliability of data contained in its Standard Automated Materiel 

Management System. This questionnaire covered such topics as frequency 

of system edits, audits, and historical reliability of each of the automated 

files from which our data were extracted. Results of this questionnaire 

1

 The number and composition of spare parts in our market basket varied in each fiscal year 

of our review period.
Appendix I

Scope and Methodology

Page 22 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

showed that extensive edits and validations were built into the structure of 

the computer system. In addition, the DOD Inspector General and GAO had 

conducted various reviews of the system, addressing such topics as 

configuration management, financial integrity, and year 2000 compliance.

We performed our work at DLA headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and 

at DLA’s Office of Operations Research and Resource Analysis, Richmond, 

Virginia. In addition, we interviewed officials and gathered documents from 

the Defense Supply Centers in Richmond, Virginia; Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania; and Columbus, Ohio, as well as the Office of the Under 

Secretary of Defense in Washington, D.C.

We performed our work from November 1998 to August 2000 in accordance 

with generally accepted government auditing standards.
Page 23 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix II

Consumable Item Transfer Program ApendxiI

In 1990, the Department of Defense (DOD) created the Consumable Item 

Transfer program to transfer management responsibility of most weapon 

system and nonweapon system consumable items from the military 

services to DLA. The objective of the program was to eliminate duplication 

of management of consumable items within DOD by consolidating 

management at DLA. The actual transfer of parts was performed in two 

phases. Phase I began in fiscal year 1991 and phase II was completed in 

fiscal year 1999. In total, management responsibility for about 915,000 

consumable items was transferred from the military services to DLA. 

Presently, these transferred items account for about 22 percent of DLA’s 

total inventory of spare parts.

Prior to the transfer, DLA managed about 67 percent of DOD’s consumable 

items. After the transfer, DLA managed about 4 million items, or 93 percent 

of the Department’s consumables. The military services retained 

responsibility for a small percentage of consumable items that met DOD 

retention criteria.

The program generated complaints from some military services, which 

contended that prices increased significantly after DLA assumed 

management of their consumable parts. We did not analyze price trends for 

these particular parts because the procurement history database for these 

items was too limited to make an accurate assessment. According to DLA 

officials, in many cases, the military services provided them with very 

limited historical procurement and pricing data for the transferred items. 

However, two DOD studies did find that prices for transferred parts 

increased substantially. First, a study1

 conducted by the Army in 1996 

revealed that DLA’s prices had risen by more than 20 percent from fiscal 

year 1991 to 1997, after the items had been transferred from the Army. A 

subsequent study, conducted by DLA in 1997, largely validated these 

findings and attributed some of the price increases to inaccurate initial 

provisioning price estimates and exceptionally long periods between 

procurements.

1

 “Customer-Focused Market Basket,” annotated DLA briefing dated July 1997. This briefing 

contains results of the internal Army study.
Page 24 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix III

Additional Information on Surcharges ApendxiI

Two types of surcharges are computed annually for each DLA hardware 

center—a composite rate and variable rates. As part of the annual DOD 

budget process, DLA’s Comptroller proposes a composite surcharge rate 

for each hardware center. This rate is determined by dividing the centers’ 

projected recoverable costs, such as operating costs, by the sales base. The 

proposed rates are adjusted as necessary by Office of the Under Secretary 

of Defense (Comptroller) officials, who may add costs that are not directly 

related to the supply centers’ operations. For example, Comptroller 

officials may direct that accumulated cash in the working capital fund be 

used to reduce rates or that the composite surcharge rate be increased to 

generate cash. 

Once the composite rates are approved, each supply center establishes 

variable surcharge rates for the different categories of consumable items 

managed. These variable rates are used to set the standard price that 

customers pay. The method for computing the variable rates varies by 

center and also from year to year.1

 However, each center’s variable rates 

must total up to the approved composite rate. Regardless of which method 

is used, the overriding goal of each center is to operate on a break-even 

basis.

Figure 5 shows the annual composite surcharge rate for each of the three 

hardware centers for our 10-year review period.2

1

 For example, the Defense Supply Center-Philadelphia computes its rates based on the type 

of part. It has one variable rate for nuts and washers and another rate for lumber. On the 

other hand, most variable rates at the Defense Supply Centers in Columbus and Richmond 

are based on the average dollar value of requisitions they receive.

2

 Due to the fact that variable rates differ by commodity, supply center, and fiscal year, we 

could not plot these rates.
Appendix III

Additional Information on Surcharges

Page 25 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Figure 5: DLA Composite Surcharge Rates, Fiscal Years 1989 to 1999

a

The Defense Industrial Supply Center was incorporated into the Defense Supply Center—Philadephia 

in July 1999.

b

The Defense Electronics Supply Center and the Defense Construction Supply Center were merged in 

January 1996 to create the Defense Supply Center—Columbus.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Fiscal year

Percent

a

b

Defense Supply Center-Richmond

Defense Industrial Supply Center

Defense Supply Center-Columbus

Defense Construction Supply Center

Defense Electronics Supply Center

b
Page 26 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix IV

Average Percent Price Change as Measured by 

the Mean ApendxiIV

Table 3 shows the mean percent price change for parts that had requisitions 

during our 10-year review period. Under the expenditure-weighted 

approach, parts with higher requisition value received larger weights and 

greater emphasis.1

Table 3: Mean Percent Price Change for Parts Requisitioned by Customers 

a

Numbers indicate percentage change from one fiscal year to the next.

Table 4 reflects the price changes, excluding parts with price increases of 

1,000 percent or more. 

Table 4: Mean Percent Price Change for Parts Requisitioned by Customers (Excludes Parts With Price Increases of 1,000 Percent 

or More) 

a

Numbers indicate percentage change from one fiscal year to the next.

1

 Weights were calculated by dividing the requisition value of each spare part into total 

requisition values for a given year. These weights were then applied to the percentage 

change in price from the prior year to determine the expenditure-weighted price changes.

Fiscal year 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98

Simple average 39a 315 103 90 68 306 1,476 388 309

Expenditureweighted average48 264 113 147 63 653 19,540 247 568

Fiscal year 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98

Simple average 11a 35 18 4 14 15 18 22 22

Expenditure-weighted 

average

15 40 19 7 14 15 18 18 20
Page 27 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix V

Sample of 100 Parts With Price Increases of 

1,000 Percent or More ApendxiV

The following is a list of the parts in our random sample of items that had a 

price increase of 1,000 percent or more in 1998.

Part number

Federal supply

class Name of part

1997 Unit

price

1998 Unit

price

000589364 5305 Setscrew $0.05 $17.72

004435450 5365 Shim 0.05 56.00

005990523 5331 O-ring 0.27 3.40

006283834 5310 Washer, flat 0.18 2.39

006388237 5306 Bolt, machine 0.28 5.88

006851133 5315 Pin, straight, headless 0.05 1.15

007167725 5305 Setscrew 0.16 5.74

007243439 5305 Setscrew 0.29 10.66

008025136 5360 Spring 0.29 16.18

008373641 5310 Washer, flat 0.02 1.89

008382767 5360 Spring, helical, compression 0.16 9.92

008859720 5306 Bolt, machine 0.46 139.83

009308643 5905 Resistor, variable 5.60 95.88

009372447 5355 Knob 2.36 31.96

009548952 5305 Screw, cap, socket head 1.86 23.32

010039704 3110 Ball, bearing 0.04 11.35

010086028 5961 Transistor 27.12 440.70

010272003 5305 Screw, close tolerance 0.95 24.01

010290061 1560 Plate, structural, aircraft 14.32 236.40

010313629 4710 Tube assembly, metal 348.30 6,989.18

010413070 4730 Tee, tube to boss, aluminum alloy 55.63 1,017.00

010460724 5320 Pin-rivet, threaded 1.42 30.28

010500591 5950 Transformer, radio 683.28 11,700.92

010597589 5340 Cover access 4.10 97.34

010619725 5935 Connector, plug, electric 24.94 306.08

011174774 4320 Plate, thrust, rotary pump 101.00 3,136.09

011212712 5305 Screw cap socket head 0.49 15.43

011288817 5315 Pin, straight headless 22.00 532.39

011312183 5306 Bolt, shear 1.16 17.94

011810876 4720 Hose, nonmetallic 11.65 414.94

011859759 5910 Capacitor 20.63 513.92
Appendix V

Sample of 100 Parts With Price Increases of 

1,000 Percent or More

Page 28 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

011931514 5320 Rivet, blind 67.83 1,775.39

011977638 5995 Cable assembly, electrical 43.76 1,214.70

011999015 5905 Resistor network, fixed, film 2.47 156.79

012421475 5340 Strap, retaining 0.02 8.01

012452182 5905 Resistor, fixed, wire wound 0.63 32.21

012555321 5935 Adapter, cable clamp 0.99 117.14

012555392 4320 Pump, hydraulic ram, hand driven 3.10 364.76

012598962 5340 Cap, protective, dust 0.05 15.75

012642986 5962 Microcircuit, digital 3.23 208.44

012644287 5360 Spring, helical, compression 3.09 202.43

012679232 5365 Shim 1.19 552.48

012691835 6220 Lens, light 5.25 65.90

012821586 5365 Spacer, sleeve 1.28 456.14

012939355 6680 Indicator, sight, liquid 28.75 4,214.70

012954939 5999 Shielding gasket 5.49 1,237.81

013023802 4710 Tube, vent, fuselage 81.25 10,080.61

013066164 3040 Hub, body 35.20 14,528.71

013082390 5342 Lock 20.52 358.81

013167468 1650 Block, tube support 0.01 161.83

013196936 5310 Nut, plain, hexagon 0.05 14.67

013366722 5330 Gasket 0.06 16.98

013388158 5305 Screw, shoulder 1.82 63.71

013393297 5305 Screw, machine 0.03 24.68

013395136 5935 Adapter, cable clamp 99.55 1,134.01

013410650 1680 Filter, aircraft 41.96 972.71

013498558 5970 Sleeving, textile 0.13 6.22

013538270 5305 Screw, tapping 0.03 21.68

013545776 5305 Screw, tapping 0.03 17.94

013575767 5310 Washer, slotted 0.02 18.94

013644415 4730 Tee, tube to boss 2.43 945.46

013685397 5340 Base, stand 0.01 871.81

013713142 5307 Stud, ball 0.30 5.05

013730005 5962 Microcircuit, memory 30.30 1,123.79

013777431 1005 Handle, breechblock 7.90 622.40

013787778 5305 Screw, machine 0.25 71.75

013801497 5340 Plug, expansion 0.01 5.06

(Continued From Previous Page)

Part number

Federal supply

class Name of part

1997 Unit

price

1998 Unit

price
Appendix V

Sample of 100 Parts With Price Increases of 

1,000 Percent or More

Page 29 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

013809147 5305 Screw, cap, socket 0.19 33.59

013818680 2540 Insulation, thermal 1.00 3,390.00

013819941 5306 Bolt, machine 0.45 10.56

013838808 5305 Screw, cap, hexagon 0.10 372.02

013913580 5305 Screw, close tolerance 0.46 136.33

013932944 2540 Anchor, drivers hatch 15.38 1,084.80

013958465 6680 Meter, flow rate indicating 5.00 1,511.94

013983743 5331 O-ring 0.09 26.53

013990465 5365 Spacer, sleeve 0.10 744.80

014060751 5962 Microcircuit, linear 0.11 5,788.76

014061680 5340 Bracket, mounting 5.00 3,139.16

014062881 5962 Microcircuit, digital 21.92 802.75

014062973 4730 Clamp, hose 0.32 91.66

014079021 5340 Bracket, mounting 4.57 73.58

014107601 5995 Cable assembly 11.50 5,978.18

014132049 5310 Washer 0.05 182.13

014156970 5310 Nut, plain, hexagon 0.02 1.04

014176659 4730 Tee, tube to boss 25.00 406.80

014180358 5355 Knob 1.20 1,132.20

014180555 5905 Resistor network 1.00 24.60

014207932 4820 Disk, valve 150.00 2,810.99

014218260 5930 Switch, sensitive 4.50 336.29

014250907 5306 Bolt, machine 40.00 1,886.62

014261187 1560 Stiffener, aircraft 125.00 3,416.08

014291232 5975 Panel, electrical 1.00 55.27

014339888 5305 Screw, cap, socket head 0.35 467.81

014350216 4730 Nipple, boss 1.00 1,498.38

014352372 5310 Nut, self-locking 2.69 2,185.50

014352820 3040 Bracket, eye, rotating shaft 0.76 273.35

014360190 5940 Terminal, lug 1.42 638.23

014397927 5963 Oscillator, crystal controlled 1.00 939.71

014442320 5962 Microcircuit, hybrid 10.00 2,745.90

014482771 5305 Screw, machine 0.01 9.34

(Continued From Previous Page)

Part number

Federal supply

class Name of part

1997 Unit

price

1998 Unit

price
Page 30 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix VI

Price Change for All Items Managed ApendxiVI

Figure 6 shows the annual price change for all items managed by DLA over 

the 10-year period. In fiscal year 1998, customers requisitioned only 236,896 

of these items. 

Figure 6: Price Change for All DLA-Managed Items

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1989-

1990

1990-

1991

1991-

1992

1992-

1993

1993-

1994

1994-

1995

1995-

1996

1996-

1997

1997-

1998

< 0% 0 to < 5% 5 to < 50% 50% or more

276,780 296,229 312,595 327,970 340,223 354,426 370,559 383,910 391,217

Fiscal Years

Percent of spare parts
Page 31 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix VII

Producer Price Index ApendxiVI

Table 5 shows the Producer Price Index inflation rate for the years included 

in our review. The data are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 

Producer Price Index commodity group “Intermediate Materials, Supplies 

and Components,” subgroup “Materials and Components for 

Manufacturing” (series wpusop 2140). 

The index for this group tracks commodities that have been partly 

processed but require further processing to reach the finished goods stage. 

The subgroup we selected includes items such as motor vehicle parts, 

electronic components and accessories, motors, and generators. It 

excludes such items as processed fuels, foods, and feeds. 

Table 5: Percent of Change in the Producer Price Index 

Fiscal 

year 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Producer 

Price 

Index

115.375 118.350 120.500 121.750 122.750 123.975 125.950 126.800 126.525 126.025 125.750

Percent 

change

0.0258 0.0182 0.0104 0.0082 0.0100 0.0159 0.0067 -0.0022 -0.0040 -0.0022
Page 32 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix VIII

Federal Supply Groups in Our Universe ApendxiVI

Group 10 Weapons

Group 12 Fire control equipment

Group 14 Guided missiles

Group 15 Aircraft and airframe structural components

Group 16 Aircraft components and accessories

Group 17 Aircraft launching, landing, and ground handling equipment

Group 18 Space vehicles

Group 20 Ship and marine equipment

Group 25 Vehicular equipment components

Group 26 Tires and tubes

Group 28 Engines, turbines, and components

Group 29 Engine accessories

Group 30 Mechanical power transmission equipment

Group 31 Bearings

Group 40 Rope, cable, chain, and fittings

Group 43 Pumps and compressors

Group 47 Pipe, tubing, hose, and fittings

Group 48 Valves

Group 53 Hardware and abrasives

Group 58 Communication, detection, and coherent radiation equipment

Group 59 Electrical and electronic equipment components

Group 60 Fiber optics materials, components, assemblies, and accessories

Group 62 Lighting fixtures and lamps

Group 66 Instruments and laboratory equipment

Group 95 Metal bars, sheets, and shapes
Page 33 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix IX

Comments From the Department of Defense ApendxiIX
Appendix IX

Comments From the Department of Defense

Page 34 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

See p. 17.

See p. 17.

See p. 17. See 
Page 35 GAO-01-22 DLA Spare Parts

Appendix X

GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments ApendxiX

GAO Contact Karen S. Zuckerstein (202) 512-6785

Acknowledgments In addition to the name above, Michele Mackin, William M. McPhail, D. 

Catherine Baltzell, Charles W. Perdue, Julia M. Kennon, Minette D. 

Richardson, and Richard S. Krashevski made key contributions to this 

report.

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