Extensive Studies of the 2004 Asian Tsunami relief effort clearly revealed a lack, and subsequent need, of asset management systems to track and manage Humanitarian Aid resources throughout the disaster supply chain.
An excerpt from the Fritz Institute survey and report titled –
“Logistics and the Effective Delivery of Humanitarian Relief”
– revealed the following:
“Supply Chain Processes were Largely Manual
Most respondents to the survey felt that the initial relief effort was effective. However, only 26% of the respondents had access to software that provided track and trace capabilities to anticipate the receipt of procured goods in the field. The majority of organizations relied on home-grown technologies, solutions using Excel spreadsheets or manual processes for tracking goods in the field. Without adequate supply chain systems in place, required donor reports were onerous and time-consuming and produced very few metrics beyond the speed of delivery.”
Gideon Hillman Consulting in conjunction with TRAXPAK Ltd have developed a simple, low investment Internet based system for tracking and managing relief aid and assets through the disaster supply chain, which can be easily accessed by first response & front line relief workers at the point of use, as well as at the back end of the supply chain.
The system was launched and presented at the International Aid & Trade Event in Geneva in January 2006.
