Humanitarian Logistics and Engineers

By Elizabeth Barber

The goal is to promote the significance and importance of humanitarian engineering to both the engineering profession and wider community so that humanitarian engineering receives the necessary support in Australia and abroad – and continues to make a difference.

Humanitarian Logistics and Engineers

Elizabeth Barber

School of Business

My goal is to promote the significance and importance of humanitarian engineering to both the engineering profession and the wider community and, in particular, about its relevance and impact to logistics and supply chain management practices in the future provision of humanitarian aid.

Engineering Associations involved in Humanitarian Aid

Provides expert engineering advice through a UK based global network. Works with disadvantaged

communities to improve their quality of life through education and the implementation of sustainable small scale engineering projects

Relieves suffering caused by disasters by selecting, training and providing competent and committed personnel to humanitarian programmes worldwide

RedR – HLA – CILT (UK) Integration for the future

• RedR, Humanitarian Logistics Association and The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK) have combined to develop KPIs to monitor humanitarian supply chains operations.

• Using Value chain analysis (VCA) they are providing integrated and concise sets of metrics to permit benchmarking of SC performance across aid operations. The aim of VCA is to identify and eliminate waste and non-value adding activities, to reduce costs and improve services. They include social and environmental considerations of SC activities.

• Engineers are used as advisors for recycling, reuse, reduce and reverse logistics functions.

• Engineers advise on environmental and sustainability issues of materials, equipment, geographical, structural, loadings, maintenance and reliability of practices throughout the HA SC.

Definitions of Logistics • Different names are used for different emphasis on operations:

When operations are emphasized it is referred to as the process, when marketing is emphasized it is referred to as a logistics channel, when value added components are considered it is called a value chain and when customer demands are emphasized it is referred as a demand chain. A general terminology is a ‘supply chain’ which is really a network of numerous elements. Product Support Logistics is primarily concerned with the design of products for dependable and cost effective usage over its life cycle (eg, product reliability, maintainability, and supportability). This is also known as Logistics Engineering – which is about designing products for supportability during use.

Process Support Logistics is concerned with logistics operations required to move inputs to and through production and outputs to end users (including reverse flows of returns and waste disposal). This is usually described as Business Logistics. Engineers are concerned with both forms of logistics. The integration of these support logistical forms will integrate more closely in the future

Logistics Engineering • Product Support Logistics PLUS • System Engineering

• transforms operational needs into system performance parameters and desired configurations

• integrates technical parameters to optimize the overall system definition and design (structural integrity)

• combines structural integrity with reliability, dependability, safety, security, maintainability, supportability, producibility, etc, into the total systems approach.

Engineering and Logistics -Dual Approach

Engineering Assistance to Logistics • Physical Infrastructure

– Transport – builds bridges, surveys tracks, roads, tunnels for access into disaster affected areas.

• Designs loadings, size, weight, shape, packaging, materials etc

– Warehousing - Sites distribution centre locations, surveys, builds structures & warehouses and advises on size, construction, materials, heating, cooling, air flows etc

• Communication Infrastructure – Information Flows – Establishes

communications for RFID systems along the total supply chains as well as the hazardous ‘last mile’.

Engineering Impact on Logistics • Transport – If the design of the engineering

requirements is above a standard load then extra transport will have to be used.

• Warehousing – If the engineering requirements for materials and goods are of odd shapes then the SKU fit will require more warehouse space. All engineering goods should be designed to optimize the standardized SKU and it must be easily handled for consolidation, break bulk and in the ‘last mile’ arenas.

• The design of IT systems must be compatible with requirements. The systems need to facilitate the 3Cs of all stakeholders in challenging environments. It must be cost efficient and innovative to suit underdeveloped and developed national, regional and individual use and sustainable.

• Design of Environmental Equipment. For example simple solar systems need bulbs and when the bulbs break and there are no replacements the system and benefits of lighting and heating fails. Eg Laos example

Engineering and Logistics -Dual Approach Occurs across all phases of Humanitarian Aid

Humanitarian Disaster Management cycle approach

Disaster Management Cycle

Disaster Management Cycle

Disaster Management Cycle

Disaster Management Cycle

Time period of handover Duplications Inefficiencies

Ramp Down Ramp Up

Logistical Impact during Transitions

• Engineers can develop an inflow and outflow for the reverse logistics flows from the immediate relief phase and be prepared to move immediately with the product inflows into the recovery phases of rehabilitation if working in close collaboration with logisticians.

• Transport is the key and distribution planning is also critical

Transport – Minimal volume flows – if not

consistent then bottlenecks and surges occur

– Routes – security, links to latter stages of aid, aid deliveries to all regions

– Access to linkage infrastructures, access to main incoming flows eg airports, ports

– Vehicle availability, turnaround times

– Time issues – Load issues

• Kitting of packages assists efficiencies •Light weight to improve portability and lifting capacities when in host affected areas •Standardised products to improve engineering connections eg water and sanitation links to systems •Cluster approach will improve warehousing efficiencies and regional location capacity building •Cooperation of resources, infrastructure, information as well as skills and technical abilities will strengthen adaptability of aid workers and their victims.

Transport – what can logisticians do?

• Modern SAP TMS allow logisticians to plan, consolidate, dispatch, rate and optimize shipments while considering real-world constraints. It links with other SAP applications within networks to improve supply chain execution and reduce costs.

• Logisticians can reliably create and execute transportation plans, while embedding flexibility and agility to support changes to the process or the conditions

• Logisticians should leverage best-in-class transportation management capabilities and integrate financial systems for both supplier and freight shipments invoicing as well as customer billing;

• Logisticians can improve performance as they operate, orchestrate, monitor, and continuously improve transportation processes across an extended supply network

Transport – what can engineers do?

Provide adequate physical infrastructure Provide adequate communication systems Provide adequate drainage, water and sanitation Provide secure fuel infrastructures Provide transport security with designs of

equipment and public and private transport systems, lighting on roads, advise on carrying weights on bridges etc

Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere

Transport

The sustainability factors

Engineering and Logistics The Critical Failures for the Physical Flow

Transportation in harsh and isolated terrain means logistical support, sustainability and security are key issues

Reconstruction needs to be sequenced and decided on in a triage method. It is no use clearing debris from roads if bridges are destroyed and will not be repaired for some time.

Warehousing & Distribution Centres What can engineers do?

They can provide: – Appropriate and safe access to main transport corridors – Ensure location stability – Survey and decide on the geographic location in relation to

central distribution system either inside or outside the host nation disaster area

– Advise on the size and facilities such as cranes, forklifts and other equipment for loadings and off loadings

– Design and construct appropriate packaging to withstand man handling, size of kits for maximum loading efficiencies, shelving to hold size of aid kits, ease of consolidation and break bulk facilities (+ labour availability)

Engineering and Logistics The Information Flow

• Through Special Disasters Operation, WFP or other lead agencies will have the capacity as Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications Clusters lead, and thus on behalf of the humanitarian community provides for the assets, equipment, staff, systems and facilities necessary to ensure:

• an uninterrupted supply chain of life saving relief items to the affected areas through the provision of logistics common services;

• the coordination of and information management for the logistics response; and

• the operational and telecommunication capability for the humanitarian community to respond to the crisis.

Communication engineers are often one of the first on the ground in

the aftermath of an emergency.

Cause Category Rate/Indicator

Crude mortality rate (CMR)

Normal rate among a settled population

Emergency programme under control

Emergency programme in serious trouble

Emergency: out of control Major catastrophe

0.3-0.5/10,000/day

<1/10,000/day

>1/10,000/day

>2/10,000/day

Mortality rate among children under 5 years old (U5MR)

Normal rate among a settled population

Emergency programme under control

Emergency: out of control

1.0/10,000/day

<2.0/10,000/day

>4.0/10,000/day

Lack of clean water Survival need

Maintenance allocation

Waterborne disease

7 litres/person/day

15-20 litres/person/day

25% people with diarrhoea

Lack of food Survival need

Maintenance

1,900 Kcal/person/day

2,100 Kcal/person/day

Malnutrition of children Severely malnourished

Moderately malnourished

Nutrition-related disease

>1% population <5 years old

>10% population <5 years old

Presence of oedema, pellagra, scurvy, beriberi and vitamin A deficiency

Poor shelter Minimum shelter area Minimum total site area

3.5 sq.m/person 30.0 sq.m/person

Lack of sanitation Latrines <1 latrine cubicle per 100 persons

Disease Measles

Hemorrhagic-related fevers

Acute respiratory infections (ARI)

Any reported cases

Any reported cases

Pattern of severe cases

It’s the Engineers and Logisticians that improve the health of disaster victims.

Future roles of Engineers and Logisticians.

• Work within the UN cluster approach • Implies closer collaboration between

– Various engineering groups – Various United Nations missions, global NGOs,

various military forces, other stakeholders – Increased training in a collaborative way

• Work more closely with logisticians and vice versa.

Thank You

Questions ?