SOLE - The International Society of Logistics ('SOLE' or 'the Society') is a non-profit international professional society composed of individuals organized to enhance the art and science of logistics technology, education and management. The Society is in no way sponsored by any group, company or other association. SOLE was founded in 1966 as the Society of Logistics Engineers "to engage in educational, scientific, and literary endeavors to advance the art of logistics technology and management." SOLE has a presence in more than 50 countries throughout the world. Individual members and/or chapters can be found in: The Society sponsors an Annual Logistics Conference and Exposition which brings together several hundred members and non-members from all over the world, in a three-day technical meeting in which a large number of technical papers are presented by the leaders in the field of logistics. These papers are available to conference attendees and to others in a bound volume of Proceedings. The Proceedings have proven to be valuable reference sources. The Society believes that the maximum interchange of knowledge between all elements of the logistics community is vital to the continued development of the logistics profession. For this reason, SOLE works very closely with other professional societies and is co-sponsor of important technical symposia. One of these is the Annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium (RAMS). SOLE also works very closely with educational institutions throughout the world. The Society, through its individual members, local chapters and its Education Committee has fostered the development and implementation of logistics oriented courses and graduate and undergraduate curricula.