Measuring humanitarian supply chain performance in a multi-goal context

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ira Haavisto ◽  
Jarrod Goentzel
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Humanitarian Operations ◽  
Setting Theory ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to deepen the understanding of supply chain performance objectives in the humanitarian context by striving to understand the underlying goals and conceptual variables behind the measurement of performance, such as efficiency. Design/methodology/approach – The research is an in-depth case study with one humanitarian organization. The data are gathered with mixed methods over a two-year period. Interviews were conducted in August 2010 and April 2012, and a survey conducted in October 2012. Findings – Misalignments are detected among different groups in humanitarian operations and between their goals and processes. These misalignments could possibly be corrected through long-term thinking in short-term operations by considering sustainability aspects throughout humanitarian assistance, for example. In addition, efficiency was a commonly identified objective in the case organization, although the definition varied widely and extended beyond the traditional definition of productivity to include planning, accountability and quality. Practical implications – Better communication and definition of terms is necessary to align goals and the power hierarchy in humanitarian supply chains, where operations seem to be structured more according to donor requirements then beneficiary needs. Originality/value – This is an in-depth case study, applying goal-setting theory to study supply chain performance. The study further responds to the public “aid efficiency” discussion by striving to recognize how efficiency is understood and how it can be measured in a humanitarian supply chain.

The Humanitarian Supply Chain Assessment Tool (HumSCAT)

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-249
Author(s):  
Ruth Banomyong ◽  
Puthipong Julagasigorn ◽  
Paitoon Varadejsatitwong ◽  
Pairach Piboonrungroj
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Recovery Phase ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Preparation Phase ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

Purpose An understanding of the “AS-IS” stage of a relief operation is the basis for further action in humanitarian supply chain management. The purpose of this paper is to develop a toolbox called the Humanitarian Supply Chain Assessment Tool (HumSCAT). This toolbox is comprised of a set of basic tools which can be classified into each phase of disaster relief. Design/methodology/approach The HumSCAT is proposed by paralleling frequently used tools in commercial supply chains with the objectives and characteristics of relief phases. A case study was used to validate the HumSCAT along with six tools provided in the preparation phase. Findings The HumSCAT consists of seven tools in the preparation phase, nine tools in the response phase and ten tools in the recovery phase. The case study illustrates how to use the HumSCAT and the six tools. The latter were found to be useful for improving the relief chain. Research limitations/implications The list of tools is not exclusive. Other tools might be applicable as long as they meet the objectives and characteristics of the phase. A tool should be adjusted accordingly to the contexts. Tools in other phases should be validated in future research. Practical implications The HumSCAT may serve as a reference toolbox for practitioners. Its output can be used for further designing of the “TO-BE” status of humanitarian relief chains. Originality/value The HumSCAT is proposed as a toolbox for academics and practitioners involved in humanitarian supply chains.

The potential role of philanthropy in humanitarian supply chains delivery: the case of Thailand

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Banomyong ◽  
Puthipong Julagasigorn
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Multinational Firm ◽  
Supply Chain Collaboration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Strategic Philanthropy ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework on how strategic philanthropy can be included in humanitarian supply chains delivery. This framework explains the modalities where strategic philanthropy can be successful when collaborating with key humanitarian supply chain actors. Design/methodology/approach A philanthropy delivery framework is developed based on the literature related to strategic philanthropy and humanitarian supply chains. The delivery framework is further validated with the real-life case study of a multinational firm during the 2011 Thai floods. Findings Procter and Gamble (P&G) was involved in the Thailand flood 2011 relief efforts in three phases: preparation, immediate response, and reconstruction phase. The company supported and distributed a water purifier through a non-governmental relief agency, the Princess Pa Foundation, under the Thai Red Cross Society, that enabled P&G to not only gain the trust of the targeted community during all the phases but in the continued usage of their water purifier after the event. Community leaders and P&G’s modern trade retailers played an important role in collaborating in this humanitarian supply chain to enable the successful delivery and usage of the donated water purifier. Research limitations/implications This proposed delivery framework is appropriate for in-kind products and services philanthropy. The case study describes how strategic philanthropy can be implemented in a specific case, i.e. flood disaster. Practical implications Academia, practitioners, and companies who are involved in humanitarian reliefs may adopt and adapt this framework in order to enable a win-win situation for all stakeholders in the humanitarian supply chain. Originality/value The delivery framework suggests that firms can develop successful strategic philanthropy through systematic humanitarian supply chain collaboration. It explains how a company can operate its philanthropic programs through collaboration with others as well as describes how these different actors can work together.

A bottleneck analysis in the IFRC supply chain

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrietta Buddas
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Theory Of Constraints ◽  
Analysis Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Operations ◽  
Bottleneck Analysis ◽  
Wide Perspective ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of bottlenecks occurring when preparing for humanitarian operations in the humanitarian supply chain. The focus in this paper is set on the activities of aid supply procurement and aid consolidation into standardised deliveries of humanitarian aid. Design/methodology/approach – The paper follows a qualitative case study and builds a theoretical bottleneck analysis framework, using, e.g. the theory of constraints as an important building block. The case study as such involves the IFRC supply chain. Findings – The findings in the empirical study show that there is a need for long-term planning (practical and strategic planning) of the supply procurement, as well as organisational commitment in order to remove bottlenecks in a humanitarian operation. Research limitations/implications – The research framework built for the case study is applicable in similar future analyses of humanitarian supply chain operations and projects, as well as modifiable to other types of project or operation analyses. Practical implications – This paper gives a wide perspective insight into constraining bottleneck areas as well as areas of improvement in disaster preparedness. Additionally the paper provides an applicable tool for humanitarian practitioners to use for analysing process bottlenecks, to decide on corrective actions. Originality/value – The paper constructs a bottleneck analysis framework, which can be utilised beyond the humanitarian setting. Bottleneck analyses have not previously been conducted within the humanitarian context.

Exploring critical success factors (CSFs) of humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) in flood disaster management (FDM)

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Sakyi Damoah
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Flood Disaster ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Operations ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

PurposeThis study explores the critical success factors (CSFs) in humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) by focussing on flood disaster management (FDM) in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth semi-structured interview and questionnaire surveys in a sequential data collection approach were used to collect data from definitive stakeholders of humanitarian organisations. The data was analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factors analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques.FindingsSeventy-four factors were identified as success factors of HSCM of flood disaster management. However, 41 of these factors were statistically significant and considered as critical. In descending order, these factors relate to management practices, education and training, stakeholder involvement and cooperation, infrastructure, innovation and technology, materials and resources, administrative practices, socio-cultural and economic. Whilst some factors are internal to the humanitarian organisations, others are external factors that are beyond the control of humanitarian organisations.Research limitations/implicationsEven though this study offers empirical results that could guide policymakers in their decision-making about humanitarian operations, care needs to be taken since the data is within one country and within a specific disaster context – hence, policymakers need to consider the local contextual dynamics. Future studies could look at different disasters context to make a comparative analysis of various types of disaster operations.Practical implicationsInstitutions such as World Health Organization, Red Cross organisations and UN seeking to curbs global-warming-related disasters and the reduction of the effects of flood disaster can use findings as a guide during the formulation of HSCM policies and strategies.Originality/valueUnlike previous studies of humanitarian operations that focussed extensively on theoretical expositions, simulations, conceptual frameworks and models, this present study offers empirical evidence of humanitarian operations in the context of SCM. Further, by highlighting on the HSCM CSFs, this study contributes to disaster reduction and their effects on humanity in the context of FDM. This research could be used as guide by governments and FDM organisations to make informed decisions on SCM areas to focus the most during FDM.

scholarly journals Designing Sustainable Humanitarian Supply Chains

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen S.Y. CHEN
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Sustainable Operations ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Humanitarian Operations ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

This is a multidisciplinary study on operationalizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in humanitarian operations through supply chain management methods. It is motivated by the belief that for SDGs to be pursued in humanitarian operations, they need to be contextualized in the idiosyncratic settings and approached systematically. Towards this end, this paper develops and operationalizes a strategic sustainable humanitarian supply chain framework using the design science approach. The study starts with analyzing the humanitarian operations characteristics and identifying the critical supply chain capabilities required for sustainable operations. It then re-conceptualizes sustainability in the humanitarian context and proposes a formula of sustainability performance in humanitarian operations. After that, the humanitarian supply chain structural components are delineated and decomposed into operational elements in order to identify the configurations that lead to optimal sustainability performance. The findings then converge into a framework to enable the identification of context-contingent sustainable supply chain strategies in humanitarian operations. This paper makes three contributions to SDG research: 1) it contextualizes sustainability in the humanitarian setting through postulating the concept and formula of net sustainability value as the single bottom line in humanitarian operations; 2) it increases operationality of SDGs in the humanitarian sector through the design of a strategic framework for sustainable humanitarian supply chains; and 3) it increases the interdisciplinarity of SDG research by using a generic supply chain framework that can be applied to integrate multilevel multidisciplinary sustainability studies.

Digitizing the field: designing ERP systems for Triple-A humanitarian supply chains

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-260
Author(s):  
Ioanna Falagara Sigala ◽  
William J. Kettinger ◽  
Tina Wakolbinger
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Level Structure ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Erp Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Operations ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Embedded Case Study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore what design principles need to be considered in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems for humanitarian organizations (HOs) to enable agile, adaptive and aligned (Triple-A) humanitarian supply chain capabilities and digitize humanitarian operations.Design/methodology/approachThis study follows an embedded case study approach with a humanitarian medical relief organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which engaged in a multiyear ERP design at its humanitarian field missions.FindingsThis research shows that ERP systems for humanitarian organizations should be designed as unique systems addressing humanitarian organizations' challenges and unique missions, their value generation processes, and resource base in an effort to improve organizational performance. This study presents 12 general design principles that are unique for humanitarian organizations. These design principles provide a high-level structure of guidance under which specific requirements can be further defined and engineered to achieve success.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study are based on a single case study limiting generalizability. However, the case study was analyzed and presented as an embedded case study with five autonomous subunits using different business processes and following different adoption and implementation approaches. Therefore, the findings are derived based on considerable variance reflective of humanitarian organizations beyond MSF.Practical implicationsThis study recognizes that HOs have unique routines that standard commercial ERP packages do not address easily at the field level. The primary contribution of this research is a set of design principles that consider these unique routines and guide ERP development in practice. National and international HOs that are planning to implement information systems, private companies that are trading partners of HOs as well as vendors of ERP systems that are looking for new opportunities would all benefit from this research.Originality/valueThis study fills the gap in the humanitarian literature regarding the design of ERP systems for humanitarian organizations that enable Triple–A supply chain capabilities and it advances the knowledge of the challenges of ERP design by HOs in the context of humanitarian operations.

scholarly journals Performance management practices in humanitarian organisations

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-168
Author(s):  
Hella Abidi ◽  
Sander de Leeuw ◽  
Wout Dullaert
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems

PurposeWe examine how design and implementation practices for supply chain performance management that have proven successful in commercial organisations apply to humanitarian organisations (HOs) to guide the process of designing and implementing performance management in humanitarian organisations.Design/methodology/approachWe identify from the literature ten successful practices regarding the design and implementation of supply chain performance management in commercial businesses. We apply these, using action research over a four-year period, at Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium and draw conclusions from this.FindingsWe find that tools and techniques, such as workshops and technical sheets, are essential in designing and implementing supply chain performance measurement projects at HOs. Furthermore, making a link to an IT project is crucial when implementing performance measurement systems at HOs. Overall, our case study shows that performance management practices used in business can be applied and are relevant for humanitarian supply chains.Originality/valuePrevious research has argued that there are few empirical studies in the domain of performance management at humanitarian organisations. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to provide a longitudinal understanding of the design and implementation of supply chain performance measurement at HOs.

An environmental balanced scorecard for supply chain performance measurement (Env_BSC_4_SCPM)

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1398-1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Miguel D. F. Ferreira ◽  
Cristóvão Silva ◽  
Susana Garrido Azevedo
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Balanced Scorecard ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Novel Model

Purpose – Companies need to excel in many areas to achieve a competitive advantage. This, together with pressure imposed by regulators and customers regarding sustainability concerns, leads companies to address sustainability in an integrated fashion across all management processes. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a model for the assessment of the environmental performance of a supply chain, based on four perspectives used in the balanced scorecard. Performance indicators are proposed based on the literature, as well as on the ISO 14031 and GRI standards, and were validated by a panel of experts. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature review on models for environmental performance management a novel model to assess the environmental performance of the supply chains (Env_BSC_4_SCPM) is proposed. Data collected from the first tier suppliers of an automotive industry case study are used to test the proposed model. Findings – The model developed was tested in a case study company, showing it ability to benchmark the company first tiers suppliers and products. The model is also useful as a decision support tool to define actions to be taken in order to improve the global environment performance of the supply chain. Research limitations/implications – The proposed model was developed to evaluate the environmental performance of supply chains. Nevertheless, the case study only takes account of the first tier suppliers, due to difficulties associated to data collecting for the other elements in the supply chain. Widening the frontiers, the next phase may include the application of this model to second, third and lower tier suppliers, as well as the final customer. Improvements in the model could also include the construction of a composite index to measure the environmental supply chain performance. Practical implications – The paper provides a model that can be used by practitioners to evaluate the environmental performance of their supply chain and to decide on actions to be taken to improve it. Originality/value – As stated by several authors, there has been limited research conducted in the field of environmental evaluation of supply chains. This paper proposes a novel model for the environmental performance of the supply chain and tests it using industrial empirical data.

scholarly journals Humanitarian supply chain performance management: a systematic literature review

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 592-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hella Abidi ◽  
Sander de Leeuw ◽  
Matthias Klumpp
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
The State ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the state of the art of performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains; to categorize performance measurement indicators in the five supply chain phases of Gunasekaran and Kobu (2007) and evaluate them based on the evaluation criteria of Caplice and Sheffi (1995); and to define gaps and challenges in this field and give insights for future research in this domain. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review has been conducted using a structured method based on Denyer and Tranfield (2009) and Rousseau et al. (2008). The state of the art on humanitarian supply chain performance management with a focus on measurement frameworks and indicators and their applications in practice is classified in three categories. The first category is the definition and measurement of success in humanitarian supply chains. The second category is managing performance, which focuses on describing and analyzing the actual practice of managing performance. The third category shows the challenges in performance management that humanitarian supply chain actors deal with. Findings – Findings reveal that performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains is still an open area of research, especially compared to the commercial supply chain sector. Furthermore, the research indicates that performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains has to be developed in support of the supply chain strategy. Based on the findings of the literature review on performance measurement and management in the commercial and humanitarian field, a first classification of 94 performance measurement indicators in humanitarian supply chains is presented. Furthermore, the paper shows key problems why performance measurement and management systems have not been widely developed and systematically implemented in humanitarian supply chains and are not part of the supply chain strategy. The authors propose performance measurement guidelines that include input and output criteria. They develop a research agenda that focuses on four research questions for designing, deploying and disseminating performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains. Practical implications – The result helps the humanitarian supply chain community to conduct further research in this area and to develop performance measurement frameworks and indicators that suit humanitarian supply chains. Originality/value – It is the first systematic approach to categorize research output regarding performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains. The paper shows the state of the art in performance measurement and management in humanitarian supply chains and develops a research agenda.

Big data and predictive analytics in humanitarian supply chains

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 485-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rameshwar Dubey ◽  
Zongwei Luo ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Shahriar Akter ◽  
Benjamin T. Hazen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Predictive Analytics ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Swift Trust ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand how big data and predictive analytics (BDPA), as an organizational capability, can improve both visibility and coordination in humanitarian supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conceptualize a research model grounded in contingent resource-based view where the authors propose that BDPA capabilities affect visibility and coordination under the moderating effect of swift trust. Using ordinary least squares regression, the authors test the hypotheses using survey data collected from informants at 205 international non-government organizations.FindingsThe results indicate that BDPA has a significant influence on visibility and coordination. Further, the results suggest that swift trust does not have an amplifying effect on the relationships between BDPA and visibility and coordination. However, the mediation test suggests that swift trust acts as a mediating construct. Hence, the authors argue that swift trust is not the condition for improving coordination among the actors in humanitarian supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of the study is that the authors have used cross-sectional survey data to test the research hypotheses. Following Guide and Ketokivi (2015), the authors present arguments on how to address the limitations of cross-sectional data or use of longitudinal data that can address common method bias or endogeneity-related problems.Practical implicationsManagers can use this framework to understand: first, how organizational resources can be used to create BDPA, and second, how BDPA can help build swift trust and be used to improve visibility and coordination in the humanitarian supply chain.Originality/valueThis is the first research that has empirically tested the anecdotal and conceptual evidence. The findings make notable contributions to existing humanitarian supply chain literature and may be useful to managers who are contemplating the use of BDPA to improve disaster-relief-related activities.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document