Challenges and the use of performance measurements in humanitarian supply chains

Abstract: The field of humanitarian logistics and supply chain management is increasingly the subject of research. Even though there has been some research in the field in the past, the necessity for more research related to the measurement of the effectiveness of humanitarian supply chains is required. Humanitarian supply chain management deals not only with natural disasters but also with man-made disasters. Thus, different types of disasters create different challenges for humanitarian aid. Moreover, the different stages of the disasters require different courses of action. The lack of extended research in the field of humanitarian supply chain and logistics, the increase of the impact of disasters as well as the differences between the commercial and the humanitarian supply chains, make it clear that the sector should find ways to improve its efficiency. Tools and metrics can be used to measure and improve the efficiency of the supply chains. According to literature there are no sophisticated measures of effectiveness for humanitarian logi stics and supply chains. The purpose of this thesis is to identify the main challenges in humanitarian supply chains and what is the role of performance measurements in humanitarian operations. Moreover, the thesis aims to identify an appropriate model for measuring and thus, enhancing performance in the humanitarian supply chains. The research strategy chosen for this study is a holistic multiple case study. The empirical data is collected through interviews. For this research in total 3 organisations’ representatives and 2 volunteers were interviewed. The collected data have been analysed by combining theories and previous studies in the literature. The main findings from analysing the empirical data revealed that, depending on the disaster phase, humanitarian organisations face different challenges in their supply chains. By implementing appropriate performance measurements, the humanitarian organisations can limit the impact of the challenges in the supply chain operations, gain more relevant and precise information regarding the humanitarian operations, and enhance supply chain coordination among different stakeholders. As an outcome, by implementing appropriate performance measurement systems, the humanitarian organisations can overcome some of these challenges in their supply chains, and therefore enhance the overall supply chain performance.