| IMPROVING DISASTER SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT |
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE [PDF] The frequency and severity of humanitarian catastrophes have sharply increased in recent decades. Disasters arise from natural events (earthquakes, hurricanes, cyclones, tsunamis, wildfires) and human causes (genocide, war, political unrest other effects of human strife). Research suggests that societies will face even more frequent and worse disasters. The challenge facing the global community is to become more effective in providing humanitarian relief during these large-scale catastrophes. The consequences of disasters are tremendous. Apart from the financial damage, disasters cause unbelievable suffering. Recent disasters, both in the U.S. and abroad, have demonstrated the complexity of the administrative challenges facing governments, international organizations, and NGOs. It appears that efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to stricken areas often fail. Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami have shown that even modern societies still find it hard to deliver relief supplies in a timely and effective manner (the challenges are infinitely harder in countries that deny access to international relief efforts). At the same time, recent disasters also witnessed isolated successes: some organizations managed to bring supplies to stricken areas where others failed. The objective of this conference is to identify the key supply chain factors that underlie effectiveness in relief efforts. The findings of this conference will help improve the functioning of supply chains under duress. This conference will bring together researchers and practitioners who will discuss how crisis decision-makers and supply chain managers can make better use of the resources available for humanitarian relief and supply during crises and disasters. In addition, they will look for innovative ways that may help improve disaster supply chain management.
ABOUT THE HOSTS
SDMI’s mission becomes all the more urgent as future threats will create new, unforeseen and unimaginable challenges. The increased complexity of tightly coupled systems will lead to more cascading crises. The development of new technologies, the continuing threat of modern terrorism, and the changing climate will likely bring disasters of an entire new category. Meanwhile, the governmental capacity to deal with these threats is undermined by the inherent difficulties of crisis and disaster management, misguided ideas about the design of response structures, and the political and media context in which these threats must be managed. SDMI will produce high-quality research that will help prepare political leaders, public managers and private executives deal with these large-scale crises and disasters.
ISDS The Information Systems and Decision Sciences Department's research goals include to conducting and disseminating significant basic and applied research studies in the areas of management information systems, operations management, operations research and statistics. A particular emphasis is in leveraging the faculty's expertise in electronic commerce, enterprise resource planning, instructional technology and virtual organization, areas that can be directly applied to the curriculum and education as well as being strategic areas of expertise in research. Faculty in Information Systems and Decision Sciences are currently working on research projects for the Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management. These projects include: Optimizing Knowledge Networks in Disaster Response and Analysis of Emergency Supply Chain Management.
AGENDA Download the conference agenda in PDF format.
The conference invites papers that address the challenges of designing and maintaining supply chains that will work during disasters. We are particularly interested in papers that identify success and failure factors, formulate models of effective supply chains, offer decision tools that improve effectiveness and help map vulnerabilities in supply chain networks. This conference should be of interest to both academics and managers with an interest in the design and management of humanitarian supply chains. This conference will offer a venue for dialogue between the academy and practice, between public and private sectors, and between national and international communities. Participants will contribute to the emerging science of disaster supply chain management. Download the extended abstracts submitted for the conference. Selected papers will be considered in a Special Issue of the International Journal of Production Economics with guest editors: Arjen Boin, Louisiana State University and D. Clay Whybark, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Completed papers for this special issue should be submitted before January 1, 2009. Peer reviewing will be completed by February 1, 2009 and revisions of papers will be due by March 15, 2009. Publication of the Special issue is targeted for December 2009. [MORE] Improving Disaster Supply Chain Management Coming Soon Click here to see the photo gallery. CONTACT INFORMATION For further information about the conference, please contact: Jennifer Butler Phone: 225-578-5939 |
