GIS and optimisation:potential benefits for emergency facility location in humanitarian logistics

Floods are one of the most dangerous and common disasters worldwide, and these disasters are closely linked to the geography of the affected area. As a result, several papers in the academic field of humanitarian logistics have incorporated the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for disaster management. However, most of the contributions in the literature are using these systems for network analysis and display, with just a few papers exploiting the capabilities of GIS to improve planning and preparedness. To show the capabilities of GIS for disaster management, this paper uses raster GIS to analyse potential flooding scenarios and provide input to an optimisation model. The combination is applied to two real-world floods in Mexico to evaluate the value of incorporating GIS for disaster planning. The results provide evidence that including GIS analysis for a decision-making tool in disaster management can improve the outcome of disaster operations by reducing the number of facilities used at risk of flooding. Empirical results imply the importance of the integration of advanced remote sensing images and GIS for future systems in humanitarian logistics.

Logistical framework for last mile relief distribution in humanitarian supply chains:considerations from the field

Recent years large scale natural disasters: (e.g. 2004 Tsunami, 2005 Earthquake in South Asia, 2010 Earthquake in Haiti, 2010 flood in Pakistan, 2011 Earthquake in Japan etc.) have captured international attention and led to the advance of research of disaster management. To cope with these huge impact disasters, the involved stakeholders have to learn how quickly and efficiently the relief organisations are able to respond. After a disaster strikes, it is necessary to get the relief aid to the affected people by the prompt action of relief organisations. This supply chain process has to be very fast and efficient. The purpose of this paper is to define the last mile relief distribution in humanitarian supply chain and develop a logistical framework by identifying the factors that affect this process. Seventeen interviews were conducted with field officers and the data analysed to identify which are the critical factors for last mile relief distribution of disaster relief operation. A framework is presented classifying these factors according to the ability to implement them in an optimisation model of humanitarian logistics.

The impact of coordination on the effectiveness of last mile relief distribution

Last mile relief distribution is the final stage of humanitarian logistics. It refers to the supply of relief items from local distribution centers to the disaster affected people (Balcik et al., 2008). In the last mile relief distribution literature, researchers have focused on the use of optimisation techniques for determining the exact optimal solution (Liberatore et al., 2014), but there is a need to include behavioural factors with those optimisation techniques in order to obtain better predictive results. This paper will explain how improving the coordination factor increases the effectiveness of the last mile relief distribution process. There are two stages of methodology used to achieve the goal: Interviews: The authors conducted interviews with the Indian Government and with South Asian NGOs to identify the critical factors for final relief distribution. After thematic and content analysis of the interviews and the reports, the authors found some behavioural factors which affect the final relief distribution. Model building: Last mile relief distribution in India follows a specific framework described in the Indian Government disaster management handbook. We modelled this framework using agent based simulation and investigated the impact of coordination on effectiveness. We define effectiveness as the speed and accuracy with which aid is delivered to affected people. We tested through simulation modelling whether coordination improves effectiveness.

A multi-agency perspective to disaster preparedness

The increasing number of victims from disasters in recent years results in several challenges for authorities aiming to protect and provide support to affected people. Humanitarian logistics represents one of the most important fields during preparedness and response in cases of disaster, seeking to provide relief, information and services to disaster victims. However, on top of the challenges of logistical activities, the successful completion of operations depends to a large extent on coordination. This is particularly important for developing countries, where disasters occur very often and resources are even scarcer. This paper assumes a multi-agency approach to disaster preparedness that combines geographical information systems (GIS) and multi-objective optimization. The purpose of the tool is to determine the location of emergency facilities, stock prepositioning and distribution allocation for floods. We illustrate the application and the results using a case study centred on Acapulco, México.

Optimization of physical distribution problem in logistics management

Physical distribution plays an imporant role in contemporary logistics management. Both satisfaction level of of customer and competitiveness of company can be enhanced if the distribution problem is solved optimally. The multi-depot vehicle routing problem (MDVRP) belongs to a practical logistics distribution problem, which consists of three critical issues: customer assignment, customer routing, and vehicle sequencing. According to the literatures, the solution approaches for the MDVRP are not satisfactory because some unrealistic assumptions were made on the first sub-problem of the MDVRP, ot the customer assignment problem. To refine the approaches, the focus of this paper is confined to this problem only. This paper formulates the customer assignment problem as a minimax-type integer linear programming model with the objective of minimizing the cycle time of the depots where setup times are explicitly considered. Since the model is proven to be MP-complete, a genetic algorithm is developed for solving the problem. The efficiency and effectiveness of the genetic algorithm are illustrated by a numerical example.

Cross country comparison of careers in logistics management in Australia and Britain

Purpose – The aim of this research was to ascertain the current roles and responsibilities of logistics managers in two countries, how they compare their situation with other managers and to identify the types of knowledge and experience that would assist them to develop their careers. Design/methodology/approach – This paper compares the results of a postal survey of 303 Australian and 161 British logistics managers. Findings – The study indicates that logistics managers in both countries share many similar experiences, responsibilities and perceptions of their career situations. They take considerable pride and satisfaction from these careers but recognise the need for continuing professional development in their present and future roles. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited to the respondents to the surveys. Further research in other countries including less well-developed economies would add to the generalisation of results. Practical implications – It is argued that for successful international supply chain management, there is a need to review both current and future provision in higher education and continuing professional development, in order to strengthen strategic competences and increase understanding of the significance of interdisciplinary awareness in global markets. Originality/value – This paper represents the first attempt to understand the roles, responsibilities, career pathways and future needs of logistics managers in the two countries. Its results should provide guidance to top managers for the future success of the logistics function in their organisations.

Production and operations managers and logistics managers: a cross-country comparison

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution of production and operations managers (POMs) and logistics managers (LMs) in improving manufacturing and service operations, comparing experiences in Australia and Britain. Design/methodology/approach – The findings are based on surveys of the two occupations in the two countries. Thus, the focus is on comparing and contrasting two strategically placed occupations within the supply chain and in two traditional manufacturing economies in developed countries, in opposing hemispheres of the world. Findings – The working lives of 254 Australian and 195 British POMs and 303 Australian and 168 British LMs are explored to see how well prepared they are for the business challenges of today, whether they see the need for changes in the ways in which they work and what satisfactions they derive from their worlds of work? Practical implications – Insights are provided for senior management into the deployment and personal and professional development needs of two key occupations within supply chain management. Originality/value – The findings from the research give fresh insights into the ways in which managers in the two areas of responsibilities in the two countries.view their worlds of work.

Premium e-grocery:exploring value in logistics integrated service solutions

E-grocery is gradually becoming viable or a necessity for many families. Yet, most e-supermarkets are seen as providers of low value "staple" and bulky goods mainly. While each store has a large number of SKU available, these products are mainly necessity goods with low marginal value for hedonistic consumption. A need to acquire diverse products (e.g., organic), premium priced products (e.g., wine) for special occasions (e.g., anniversary, birthday), or products just for health related reasons (e.g., allergies, diabetes) are yet to be served via one-stop e-tailers. In this paper, we design a mathematical model that takes into account consumers' geo-demographics and multi-product sourcing capacity for creating critical mass and profit. Our mathematical model is a variant of Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (CVRPTW), which we extend by adding intermediate locations for trucks to meet and exchange goods. We illustrate our model for the city of Istanbul using GIS maps, and discuss its various extensions as well as managerial implications.

Combining analytic hierarchy process and goal programming for logistics distribution network design

Logistics distribution network design is one of the major decision problems arising in contemporary supply chain management. The decision involves many quantitative and qualitative factors that may be conflicting in nature. This paper applies an integrated multiple criteria decision making approach to design an optimal distribution network. In the approach, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used first to determine the relative importance weightings or priorities of alternative warehouses with respect to both deliverer oriented and customer oriented criteria. Then, the goal programming (GP) model incorporating the constraints of system, resource, and AHP priority is formulated to select the best set of warehouses without exceeding the limited available resources. In this paper, two commercial packages are used: Expert Choice for determining the AHP priorities of the warehouses, and LINDO for solving the GP model. © 2007 IEEE.