Supply Chain Aid for Natural Disasters
Typically, when we talk about supply chain, we talk about moving product – product that will eventually be purchased, consumed, and probably disposed of at some point. It leaves it fairly dry and detached. We’re just moving stuff.
But with Hurricane Matthew leaving a swath of destruction in its wake, we got thinking about how supply chain can be more than that. When desperately needed goods and supplies are being rushed to disaster zones, it is often done so using already established supply chain networks. After all, if supply chain knows how to get it done best, why wouldn’t it be used in critical moments?
That’s where the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) comes in. ALAN connects the resources of the transport and logistics community with disaster-relief groups in ways that highlight their strengths and engage their business interests. As they coordinate with emergency management and non-profit partners, here are some ways that you can step up and help:
- Sign up at the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) website to be notified when they issue a call-for-volunteers: http://alanaid.org/how-to-help/offerinkind/
- Follow ALAN on Twitter at @ALANaid
- Check out this site, where ALAN’s logistics needs will be posted, once they are identified: http://alanaid.org/logistics-map
This is an opportunity to help out by doing what we do best. About 80% of disaster recovery expenditures typically go toward transporting, warehousing, and distributing goods and services to the affected communities. We can make a critical difference in helping people out during and after disasters.
Sometimes, supply chain is more than moving stuff. Sometimes, it’s helping people, and that’s what powering the world is about.
