Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • September 2014 (Revised March 2017)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief: What Can We Learn from Commercial Supply Chains?

By: Willy Shih and Margaret Pierson
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:16
ShareBar

Abstract

Organizing speedy and efficient supply operations for unpredictable major natural disasters was a continuing challenge for the U.S. military, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti was both unique in its operational scope and political complexity. As he reviewed the after-action reports, George Topic, the Vice Director of the Center for Joint and Strategic Logistics at the National Defense University wondered how the performance of disaster relief efforts should really be measured. How should the efficiency of the response be characterized? He wondered if they could overcome some of the hurdles to applying concepts from commercial supply chains. The case explores some of the lessons learned from the Haiti disaster, and offers an opportunity to test well-known supply chain concepts.

Keywords

Supply Chains; Humanitarian Assistance; Disaster Relief; Distribution; Logistics; Supply Chain; Supply Chain Management; Operations; Distribution Industry; United States; Haiti

Citation

Shih, Willy, and Margaret Pierson. "Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief: What Can We Learn from Commercial Supply Chains?" Harvard Business School Case 615-003, September 2014. (Revised March 2017.)
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Willy C. Shih

Technology and Operations Management
→More Publications

Related Work

    • September 2014 (Revised March 2017)
    • Faculty Research

    Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief: What Can We Learn from Commercial Supply Chains?

    By: Willy Shih and Margaret Pierson
Related Work
  • Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief: What Can We Learn from Commercial Supply Chains? By: Willy Shih and Margaret Pierson
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College.