logistics management in disaster

Logistics management and SCM in Disaster

مديريت لجستيک و زنجيره تامين در حوادث غيرمترقبه

احسان اردستانی رستمی

بسمه تعالی


Keywords

• Disaster Management• Humanitarian Logistics• Relief Logistics• Emergency Logistics• Humanitarian Relief Chain• Humanitarian supply Chain


Outline

• Concept of disaster• Concept of relief logistics• Relief chain• Humanitarian logistics subsystem• A paper review


What is disaster?• Situation or event, which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to

national or international level for external assistance.

• An unforeseen and often sudden event that causes great damage, destruction and human suffering.

• The event becomes a disaster when the community’s capacity to cope is overwhelmed and the status quo becomes untenable. [Akkihal,2006]

• The term “natural disaster” is commonly used when describing the impact of a natural hazard on a community.[Russell,2005]

• A disaster is defined as a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses that exceed the ability of affected society to cope using only its own resources.[(UNDHA, 1992) cited at atRussell,2005)]

• They are the outcomes of human settlement patterns, land use decisions, and the use of risky technologies. [Russell,2005]


• The earth system is comprised of a host of subsystems which dynamically impact one another, and humankind can be considered one of these subsystems.

• Similarly, some phenomena – earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, slides, volcanoes, waves and wildfires – can be grouped together as flows of the geological and climate subsystems.

• Natural disasters occur only when civilization is unable to absorb ashock stemming from natural fluctuations in the geological and climate subsystems.

What is natural disaster? [Akkihal,2006]


Natural Disasters at the Intersection of Nature’s Subsystems

What is disaster? [Akkihal,2006]


natural

disasters

can

b

natural disasters can be thought of as dependent upon the local relationship between two aggregated variables:

A. The magnitude and frequency of fluctuations in the geological and climate systems at a specific time and place

B. Vulnerability, or the capacity of civilization at a locality to absorb geological and climate shocks

when A > B at the same location and time, a hazard is born.




Natural Fluctuations and Civilization’s Threshold


Type of disaster (from www.ifrc.org/what/disaster/types/)

1. Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons2. Floods3. Drought4. Earthquakes5. Volcanic eruption6. Epidemics7. Famine and Food insecurity8. Man-made disaster9. Population movement10. Technological Disaster


Type of disaster [Whybark,2007]

• The event that triggers the need for disaster relief can be natural or political/economic.

• Natural disaster includes volcanic eruption, wildfires, floods, earthquake, epidemics and other disturbances to the natural environment.

• political/economic disasters arise when people displaced by war, genocide, political insurrection or other failures of government.


Importance

• Disaster have risen about 50 percent on average each decade between 1900 and 1990, accelerating significantly since 1950 [(Kreimer & Munasinghe, 1991) cited at Russell,2005)].

• Data show a steady rise in the number of disasters from an average of 150 a year in 1980 to over 450 a year today.

• Disaster related costs rose from an average of $4 billion per year in the 1980s to $40 billion annually in the 1990s [(Vellinga & Mills, 2001) cited at Russell,2005)].

• While the annual deaths from disaster fell by 30% in the previous two decades, the number of people affected by disaster has risen by 59% [(Walker, 2005) cited at Russell,2005)].


The significance of natural disasters is increasing due to variables such as

population growth, climate change, and global connectivity.[Akkihal,2006]


Main effects of disaster

• Loss of human life• Environmental damage• Disruption of infrastructure• Economic Loss [Nezih,walter,Green,2005]

Indian Ocean tsunami killed in excess of 225000 people and

dislocated millions more.


Main effects of disaster [Humanitarian Supply

Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


Stakeholders in the relief process[Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• Donors• Humanitarian organizations• Military• Governments• Beneficiaries


Disaster Management CycleThe phases of disaster management include preparedness, impact, response, recovery, development, and mitigation.[(Carter, 1991) cited at (Russell,2005)]


This does not mean that activities during a disaster are divided from each other and separated in time.

Often they overlap.[(Carter, 1991) cited at (Russell,2005)]


(Beamon ,2004)

Life cycle of a relief mission


Disaster operation life cycle(2)

• Mitigation• Preparedness• Response• Recovery

[(Green,2002;Waugh,2000;Godschalk,1991) Cited at (Nezih and walter and Green,2005)]

In the United States comprehensive emergencymanagement is commonly described in terms offour programmatic phases:


Disaster operation life cycle• Emergency response efforts consist of two stages; pre-event and

post-event response.

• Pre-event tasks : predicting and analyzing potential dangers and developing necessary action plans for mitigation.

• Post-event response: locating, allocating, coordinating, and managing available resources.

• an effective emergency response plan should integrate both of these stages within its objective.

• Separating pre- and post-loss objectives may lead to suboptimal solutions to the overall problem.[(Tufekci and wallace,1998) Cited at (Nezih and walter and Green,2005)]


Basic task of Logistics System

To deliver the appropriate supplies,in good condition, in the quantities required, and at the places and time

they are needed.[UNDP,1993]


Which one is correct?

Relief operation activity = logistics

Relief operation activity > logistics


logistics is often the largest and most complex

element of relief operations.

[UNDP,1993]


Leanness or Agility

A military supply chain will never be able to achieve the kind of “lean” efficiency found in commercial supply chains because of the higher degree of flexibility a military operation requires. [(Edmonson, 2005) cited at (Davidson,2006)]

A key characteristic of military supply chains is that they must be both agile and flexible


Trade-off between leanness and agility

BusinessOrganization

LeannessAgility


Trade-off between leanness and agility

Humanitarian& Military

organization

Leanness

Agility

It doesn’t mean that there are not trade-off between leanness and agility in these organization, but it means that the weight of agility

is greater than leanness.


Relief/Humanitarian Logistics

Humanitarian logistics involves delivering the right supplies to the right people, at the right

place, at the right time, and in the right quantities .[Cottam, Roe, & Challacombe, 2004]

An effectively structured and managed relief supply chain can save lives.


LOGISTICS IN DISASTER OPERATIONS [Federal Federal Emergency Management Agency,2001Emergency Management Agency,2001]

• Meet disaster victims’ needs quickly.• Provide assistance, services, materiel, transport and

facility support to responders. • Integrate into the Federal logistics system where the

disaster occurs.• Control and account for property.• Maintain full logistics readiness during disaster and non-

disaster periods.


Relief/Humanitarian Logistics

In emergency relief operations, logistics are required to support the organization and implementation of response operations in order to ensure their timeliness and efficiency.

Mobilizing the staff, equipment and goods of humanitarian assistance organizations, the evacuation of the injured or the resettlement of those directly affected by the disaster, requires a logistics system to maximize effectiveness.


• Logistics is central to humanitarian relief.

• The speed and efficacy of relief programs depends on the ability of logisticians to procure, transport, receive, and distribute supplies to the site of relief efforts.

• logistics serves as a bridge between disaster preparedness and response, between procurement and distribution, and between headquarters and the field. [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


Humanitarian Logistics subsystems

• Planning subsystem• Procurement subsystem• Inventory subsystem• Distribution subsystem• Transportation subsystem• Maintenance subsystem• Control subsystem• Human resource subsystem• Information &Communication subsystem• Management subsystem


Relief Chain

[(Thomas, 2004) modified by Mizushima cited at (Russell,2005)]

Anisya Thomas, Managing Director of the Fritz Institute, subdivided the humanitariansupply chain into the following process. It was further modified by Mitsuko Mizushima, Chief Logistics Officer of the Fritz Institute.


Comparison and Contrast: Humanitarian Relief Chains versus Commercial Supply Chains[Beamon,2004]

Challenging due to the nature of the unknowns (locations, type and size of events, politics, and culture), and

“last mile” considerations.

Well-defined methods for determining the number and

locations of distribution centers.

Distribution Network

Configuration

Approximately zero lead times requirements (zero time between

the occurrence of the demand and the need for the demand), but the actual lead time is still determined

by the chain of material flow.

Lead time determined by the supplier-manufacturer-DC-

retailer chain.Lead Time

Demand is generated from random events that are unpredictable in terms of timing, location, type, and size. Demand requirements

are estimated after they are needed, based on an assessment

of disaster characteristics

Relatively stable, predictable demand patterns. Demands

occur from fixed locations in set quantities.

Demand Pattern

Humanitarian Relief ChainCommercial Supply Chain


Comparison and Contrast (continued)[Beamon,2004]

Humanitarian Relief ChainCommercial Supply Chain

Supplies and People.Products.What is “Demand”?

Primary focus on output performance measures, such as the time required to

respond to a disaster [Thomas (2002)] or ability to meet the needs of the disaster

(customer satisfaction).

Traditionally: focused on resource performance measures, such as maximizing profit or minimizing

costs.

Performance Measurement

System

Minimize loss of life and alleviate suffering. [Thomas (2003)]

Typically: to produce high quality products at low cost to maximize

profitability and achieve high customer satisfaction.

Strategic Goals

Information is often unreliable, incomplete or non-existent.

Generally well-defined, using advanced technology.Information System

Inventory control is challenging due to the high variations in lead times, demands, and demand locations.

Utilizes well-defined methods for determining inventory levels based on lead time, demand and target

customer service levels.

Inventory Control


Supply chain flow [Russell,2006]


Physical flows [Russell,2006]

Physical flows occur between the following relief chain processes:

resource mobilization, procurement, transportation, stock asset

management, and extended point of delivery.


Information flows [Russell,2006]

Information flows connect the following relief chain processes: preparedness; assessment & appeal; track and trace; monitoring, evaluation, & reporting; and communications.


Financial flows [Russell,2006]

Financial flows take place during the subsequent processes: preparedness; assessment & appeal; procurement; and monitoring, evaluation, & reporting.


Planning subsystem


Planning and preparedness

• Before a disaster, logistical procedures and activities must be planned.

• Improvised procurement and transportation activities are less effective.

• A plan includes what tasks are to be done, what part of the organization will be responsible, and how to procure needed resources.

It is not possible to anticipate how crises evolve, butit is advantageous to have a plan.


Planning and preparedness activity

• Zoning and land use controls to prevent occupation of high hazard areas• Maintenance and Preparing Transportation system• logistical support in the area• having a national or regional plan based on the vulnerabilities of the infrastructure• Risk analysis to measure the potential for extreme hazards• Insurance to reduce the financial impact of disasters• Recruiting personnel for the emergency services and for community volunteer

groups• Development of mutual aid agreements and memorandums of understanding• Training for both response personnel and concerned citizens• Budgeting for and acquiring vehicles and equipment and other goods• Development of communications systems• Threat based public education(Nezih and walter and Green,2005)


Paying attention to Social, Environmental and Cultural Features of the Affected Population and Region [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• Identifying the population’s dietary habits, including the types of food they will not consume for religious, cultural, or traditional reason

• Identifying local and regional producers before asking for food assistance or negotiating the acquisition of food in other regions;

• Finding out what type of clothes are used, and which ones are not worn due to cultural or environmental reasons

• Identifying the most common types of housing and construction materials, including the cultural or environmental reasons,


Uncertainty in disaster

• Degree of uncertainty in disasters are higher than business condition.

• In business condition uncertainty arises in timing and quantity.

• Disaster uncertainties arise in timing and quantity plus location and size.


Assessment[Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

Without performing a basic assessment, it is difficult to know what is needed, how

much is needed, when it is needed, and where it is needed.

Assessment fulfills the roles of demand planning in the relief chain.


Assessment activity [Russell,2006]

• Survey and data collection• Interpretation• Forecasting• Reporting• Monitoring


Assessment establishes

• The needs of the population• The local infrastructure capacity• The level of damage to the infrastructure• The local resources available

Assessment [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


What Are Emergency Supplies? [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

The World Health Organization (WHO), in consultation with

other international organizations, has adopted a standard classification

that places humanitarian supplies in 10 different categories.


• 1. Medicines;• 2. Water and environmental health;• 3. Health supplies/Kits;• 4. Food;• 5. Shelter/Electrical/Construction;• 6. Logistics/Administration;• 7. Personal needs/Education;• 8. Human resources;• 9. Agriculture/Livestock;• 10. Unclassified.

What Are Emergency Supplies?[Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


Sample form for estimating required food quantities


shift in technique from push to pull [whybark,2007]

Managing disaster relief inventories requires that they be first ‘‘pushed’’ out to their storage locations as part of the disaster planning activities.

As the actual conditions at the disaster area are determined and much better estimates of the needs can be made,managers at the site ‘‘pull’’ the needed items to the area.

This shift in technique from push to pull is virtually unknown in enterprises.


Assessment of Local Capacity [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

It involves not only the physical resources available at the site of an emergency, but any factors that may help emergency supply management, such as local knowledge of the terrain or weather patterns ,or social capital in the form of community organizations, formal and informal communications channels, and the like.


Local Infrastructure Capacity[Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• The state of roads, waterways, and other transport infrastructure needed to guarantee the arrival of emergency supplies in the region or country that has been affected.

• The existence and availability of supply storage facilities• The existence and availability of means of transport• The state and capacity of points of arrival (airports, ports,

borders,and so on)


Procurement subsystem


Resource Mobilization [Russell,2006]

Financial resources must be mobilized to begin procurement, to send personnel across

the globe, and to acquire vehicles, warehouses, and other tangible parts of the relief supply chain.


Procurement [Russell,2006]

Emergency supplies enter the relief chain through different sources, forms, and locations.

They can be storage,purchasing,donations and loans.

Donations can be solicited or unsolicited

A large relief organization such as the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) tries to source supplies locally at the disaster site as much as possible.

The IFRC also pre-sources by region through the following regional supply headquarters: Africa (Johannesburg); Europe (Turkey); Asia (Kuala Lumpur); Middle East (Geneva)[?]; and the Americas (Panama).


Procurement [Russell,2006]

This regional procurement is done to obtain the low prices and high value

while minimizing shipping costs.

The IFRC also maintains strategic agreements with international suppliers for items used consistently in

disasters, such as blankets, tents, tarps,certain emergency rations, and WHO medical kits


Donations [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the

Health Sector,2001]

When they comprise items that have not beenrequested, are not a priority, or do not meet the needs generated by the emergency, they often complicate unnecessarily the logistics of relief operations.

they can not only be of value to the affected population, but also provide budgetary relief for the often cash-strapped disaster relief organizations.


Loans [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health

Sector,2001]

Some people, organizations, and private firms lend equipment or their services and expertise during a particular phase of the emergency.

it is important to identify potential lenders before disaster strikes and, if possible,establish agreements for these services during the planning stage.


Pros and cons of different kinds of acquisition [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


Sending Supplies [Humanitarian Supply Management and

Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• One way of easing the task of those who take delivery of emergency supplies, is to pack the supplies correctly following standardized procedures.

• Another key principle of effective assistance is to send only those supplies that have been actually requested.


Volume, Weight, and Size of the Packages [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• In principle, the size, weight, and shape of the packages should be such that each one can be handled by one individual without mechanical aid.

• Weight: The packages should weigh between 25 kg and 50 kg;

• Volume: The volume should be such that it can be handled manually. Sometimes the weight may be all right but the size of the package makes it hard to handle;

• Shape: Packages should have the most symmetrical shape possible,


Transportation subsystem


Transport [Russell,2006]

• During the disaster, lack and fail of transportation infrastructure exists and causes problem.

• Transportation makes it possible for assistance to reach those in need.

• Getting emergency supplies from their point of origin to their final destination involves the combined use of different means of transport over air, land, or water.

• It can involve global sourcing, drop shipment, military transport, commercial transport, non-commercial transport, third-party logistics firms, freight forwarders, charter aircraft, or even local transportation such as mules and donkeys.


Transport [Russell,2006]

For example, during the Tsunami international an illustrative relief shipment could have arrived in Indonesia in Jakarta through commercial transport by sea from Singapore. From Jakarta, it was flown by charter aircraft to Medan in Sumatra and stored in an organizations regional warehouse. When it was needed, the shipment was loaded on an International Organization for Migration (IOM) caravan headed to Banda Aceh. In Banda Aceh, it was unloaded from the large IOM trucks and delivered by smaller vehicles to the beneficiaries.


Characteristics of different means of transport [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


Commercial vs. Non-commercial Transport [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• Non-commercial or free transport, sometimes offered by other organizations or volunteer groups, reduces the cost of the operation.

• The owners of the transport do not assume responsibility for the safety of the goods.

• commercial transport is a for-profit business like any other. When hiring such transport, it is important to consider not only the price but also the reliability, safety, speed and quality of the firm.


Inventory subsystem


Despite decades of enterprise inventory research, little literature is available on

disaster relief inventories. [Whybark , InPress]

Given the importance of disaster relief, it is surprising that very little research is available on the role inventories play in

responding to a disaster.


Types of Warehouse

• Central warehouse• Regional warehouse• Entry point• Collection site


Entry Points [Russell,2006]

• These are transit points for the supplies before they arrive at their ultimate destination.

• Since final recipients are often not identified as such by the senders, it is often the local or national government that takes over the handling of the emergency consignment from the entry point.

• supplies should be registered as soon as possible at the entry points and reception sites using a standardized system that includes tools for control and follow-up.


Reception(collection) Sites [Russell,2006]

• These are the sites installed by disaster relief agencies, private firms, or civil society groups to receive donations.

• They can also function as transshipment points, places for preparing and packing consignments, and central warehouses.


Using Standards for Estimating Storage Needs and Capacity [Humanitarian

Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


One example of Estimating storage capacity needed[Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


Warehouse sectors and movement zones [Humanitarian Supply

Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


[Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]


Sorting and labeling by priority[Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• The organization in charge of handling the supplies should establish priorities for the different kinds of items based on the most urgent needs.

• For instance, in the event of an arthquake, medical supplies and equipment for treating injuries and fractures may be a priority.

• Sorting by priority makes it possible to expedite the processing of the most urgently needed supplies.

• All boxes and packages should be labeled clearly, indicating their priority.


Sorting and labeling by priority[Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• For instance, the SUMA system uses the following levels

• Priority 1: Urgent—for immediate distribution. Identified by a red label.

• Priority 2: Non-urgent distribution. goods that are not immediately required but will be useful at a later stage.Identified by a blue label.

• Priority 3: Non-priority goods—non-urgent distribution. Items that have been damaged, have expired, are unknown, useless, or of doubtful value. Identified by a black label.


Sample Beneficiaries Record


Control subsystem


Monitoring and Evaluation [Russell,2006]

• Monitoring is the regular collection, analysis, and utilization of information about the supply chain performance.

• Evaluation is the periodic assessment of the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the supply chain.

• The establishment of key performance measures enables the alignment of an organization’s strategic objectives to its logistics strategy.

• To ensure this, humanitarian organizations could measure their relief chain’s budget performance, velocity performance, efficiency, and quality.


Measuring relief chain performance[Davidson ,2006]

• A disaster response operation involves trade-offs of speed, cost, and accuracy with regard to the type of goods that are delivered and their quantities.

• The faster that goods are delivered to beneficiaries after a disaster, the less likely these goods are accurately meeting the needs of the beneficiaries, and the more likely the operation will be costly.

• Balancing these trade-offs requires a means of measuring supply chain performance.

• Today in IFRC, software that was co-developed with the Fritz Institute makes it possible to capture the necessary data which will inform the IFRC of their supply chain’s performance.


Measuring relief chain performance [Davidson ,2006]

• Four indicators measure logistic performance in terms of the trade-offs of speed, cost and accuracy. They include

• Appeal Coverage • Donation-to-Delivery Time • Financial Efficiency • Assessment Accuracy

• Taken together, these indicators create a “scorecard” that will help the logistics department gauge performance both during and after a relief operation.


Appeal Coverage [Davidson ,2006]

• This indicator is comprised of two specific metrics :• percent of appeal coverage

• percent of items delivered

These two metrics together indicate how well an organization is both finding donors and delivering goods to the destination country at a specific point in time.


Donation-to-Delivery Time [Davidson ,2006]

This indicator is a measure of how long it takes for an item to be delivered to the destination country after a donor has pledged to donate it.

Both the mean and median number of days are reported on the scorecard


Financial Efficiency [Davidson,2006]

Three metrics comprise the indicator of financial efficiency.


Assessment Accuracy [Davidson,2006]

Assessment accuracy indicates how much the operation’s final budget changed over time from the original budget.


Data element used [Davidson ,2006]


Final Scorecard [Davidson,2006]


Information & Communication subsystem


Communication [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics

in the Health Sector,2001]

• During a disaster, communication is as important as food and water.

• A disaster can damage telecommunication infrastructure.

• If an event happens in a densely populated area, thousands of people can try to make calls at the same time overloading the system.

• For example, the American Red Cross, has created mobile communication trucks. The telecom trucks, once positioned, provide “48 phone lines, high-speed internet access, e-mail and satellite-enabled communication with national headquarters”


The most practical communication options[(Cutts & Dingle, 1998) cited at (russell,2005)]


Tracking and Tracing [Russell,2006]

• Tracking and Tracing describes the process of gathering information about the current position or status of shipments.

• This is an area where the software can contribute.

• For example, Humanitarian Logistics Software (HLS), developed by the Fritz Institute for use by the IFRC, is a web-based solution that providevisibility from the shipping origin to the destination.

• The web-based nature of HLS speeds up information sharing and allows logisticians the opportunity to plan appropriately for customs,off-loading labor, and transportation requirements.


Humanitarian Logistics Software (HLS) [Davidson,2006] and [Russell,2005]

• Humanitarian Logistics Software (HLS) was implemented by the IFRC in 2003, to track information procurement and distribution of goods for all major emergency operations.

• It has been in use for all major emergency IFRC operations sincelate 2003.

• IFRC, is a web-based solution that proved visibility from the shipping origin to the destination. This allows both the donors and the organization to have overall pipeline visibility.


Humanitarian Logistics Software (HLS) [Davidson,2006] and [Russell,2005]

• Humanitarian Logistics Software consists of four main modules:

• Mobilization• Procurement

• Transportation and Tracking• Reports

It connects to financial systems to Provide real-time visibility for costs, purchases and in-kind donations in the relief pipeline.


Strengths and Weakness of Commodity Tracking Systems.[(Lee, 2004)cited at (Russell,2005)


The Application of New Technologies [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• GIS provides critical information to relief agency staff about how humanitarian support efforts are progressing and helps ensure agencies are acting in a coordinated and efficient manner.

• Today many options are available for the monitoring and control of consignments.

• Bar codes, magnetic strips, and optical character recognition,to name a few, make it easy to capture and convey relevant information with near-perfect precision.

• While these technologies are chiefly used in the trade sectors, it is not unrealistic to expect that humanitarian agencies will also employ them eventually to follow up on their consignments in the field and, in general, to keep track of their humanitarian assistance operations


Bar Codes [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health

Sector,2001]

• Bar code labels make it possible to represent alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers) by means of bars and blanks of varying widths that can be "read" automatically by optical scanners.

• The system recognizes and processes these symbols, compares their patterns with those already stored in computer memory, and displays the information it has interpreted.


Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) [Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector,2001]

• RFID tags are attached to pallets, trucks, and large containers to monitor the location of shipments en route.

• RFID Interrogators, or tag readers, are positioned along the delivery route and can read the tags or labels as they go through each position.

• The tags "wake up" and report their specific ID number to the 644 MHz interrogator, which reports the time, date, and label details to a common server.

• The distribution warehouse of the Defense Logistics Agency, in Pennsylvania (United States), was the site of the first test of RFID.


Military Logistics

• The military continues to provide humanitarian assistance along side NGOs.

• Due to its well-defined command structure and size, the military has the ability to respond faster to large-scale emergencies than humanitarian organizations .[(OECD, 1998) cited at (Russell,2005)]


A paper review in this area OR/MS research in disaster operations management [Nezih and walter and Green,2005)

Their search resulted in 109 articles with 77 of them published in OR/MS related journals, and 42 of them in main stream OR/MS outlets.

Keywords ‘‘disaster’’, ‘‘emergency’’, ‘‘catastrophe’’,‘‘extreme event’’and their extensions such as ‘‘disastrous’’ and ‘‘catastrophic’’ were searched

Disaster research in medicine, geophysics, forensic science, oceanography, meteorology , biology, and psychology were filtered .


A paper review in this area [Nezih and walter

and Green,2005]


A paper review in this area [Nezih

and walter and Green,2005]


A paper review in this area[Nezih and walter and Green,2005]


Reference• Anup Roop Akkihal (2006) Inventory Pre-positioning for Humanitarian

Operations, Edgar E. Blanco, Ph.D, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Timothy Edward Russell(2005) The Humanitarian Relief Supply Chain: Analysis of the 2004 South East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami, Jarrod Goentzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Anne Leslie Davidson (2006), Key Performance Indicators in Humanitarian Logistics , Edgar Blanco , Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Clay Whybark, D., Issues in managing disaster relief inventories. Int. J. Production Economics (2007),doi:10.1016/j.ijpe.2006.12.012


Reference• Beamon, B.M. (2004) Humanitarian Relief Chains: Issues and

Challenges. 34th International Conference on Computers and Industrial Engineering

• Altay, N., Green, W.G. (2005) OR/MS research in disaster operations management.European Journal of Operational Research.

• Humanitarian supply management in logistics in the health sectorWashington, D.C. PAHO, 2001

• www.ifrc.org/what/disaster

logistics management in disaster

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