Societal Roles of SCM

Supply Chain & Logistics Management
#1

Ensure Human Survival

  • SCM Helps Sustains Human Life – Humans depend on supply chains to deliver basic necessities such as food and water. Any breakdown of these delivery pipelines quickly threatens human life. For example, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, LA leaving the residents without a way to get food or clean water. As a result, a massive rescue of the inhabitants had to be made. During the first weekend of the rescue effort, 1.9 million meals and 6.7 million liters of water were delivered.

  • SCM Improves Human Healthcare – Humans depend on supply chains to deliver medicines and healthcare. During a medical emergency, supply chain performance can be the difference between life and death. For example, medical rescue helicopters can save lives by quickly transporting accident victims to hospitals for emergency medical treatment. In addition, the medicines and equipment necessary for treatment will be available at the hospital as a result of excellent supply chain execution

Improve Quality of Life

  • Foundation for Economic Growth – Societies with a highly developed supply chain infrastructure (modern interstate highway system, vast railroad network, numerous modern ports and airports) are able to exchange many goods between businesses and consumers quickly and at low cost. As a result, the economy grows. In fact, the one thing that most poor nations have in common is no or a very poorly developed supply chain infrastructure.

  • Improves Standard of Living – Societies with a highly developed supply chain infrastructure (modern interstate highway system, vast railroad network, numerous modern ports and airports) are able to exchange many goods between businesses and consumers quickly and at low cost

Protect Cultural Freedom and Development

  • Defending Human Freedom – Citizens of a country depend on military logistics to defend their way of life from those who seek to end it. Military logisticians strategically locate aircraft, ships, tanks, missiles and other weapons in positions that provide maximum security to soldiers and other citizens. Also, superior logistics performance yields military victory. For example, the B-2 Stealth Bomber is able to deliver bombs to target without being detected by enemy radar.

  • Protects Delivery of Necessities – Citizens of a country depend on supply chain managers to design and operate food, medicine and water supply chains that protect products from tampering. Sophisticated packaging techniques, state of the art surveillance cameras, global positioning systems and RFID inventory tracking are some of the methods used to deter terrorists from accessing these vital logistics systems.