Yong Wu’s research while affiliated with Griffith University and other places

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Publications (10)


Using Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems to Support Humanitarian Logistic Operations: A Case Study of Cyclone Winston
  • Chapter

January 2019

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24 Reads

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Catherine M. Ball

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Yong Wu

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Pete Diplas

Whilst there has been some limited use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) as part of the response to natural disasters, to date these have typically employed short range mini or micro systems. Using a case study of Cyclone Winston that struck Fiji in February 2016, this chapter demonstrates the potential for long endurance aircraft (LE-RPAS) to support the humanitarian logistic operations through the use of their high quality optics and communications capabilities. In doing so, it offers a high level route map for the development of the people, process and technology requirements that will be needed to underpin the future deployments of LE-RPAS in providing support to humanitarian activities.


Humanitarian health project supply chain costs

October 2017

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118 Reads

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10 Citations

Supply Chain Forum

The combination of inadequate health systems and the occurrence of humanitarian crisis results in significant logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) challenges in the support of their vulnerable populations. Because of the high cost of humanitarian LSCM and the limited funding available, it is important that organizations make the most of their limited resources. The aim of this research is to develop our understanding of the drivers of LSCM cost in a humanitarian setting. The paper explores the importance of a range of different underpinning potential factors impacting the cost per beneficiary and develops a resultant set of hypotheses tested with a robust regression model. The results demonstrate that the number of beneficiaries and the type of organization, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and the type of health programme all affect the supply chain costs per beneficiary. This research helps further the understanding of the drivers of efficiency for humanitarian supply chains and the impact of health programme design on supply chain costs.


Using Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems to Support Humanitarian Logistic Operations: A Case Study of Cyclone Winston

June 2017

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29 Reads

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3 Citations

Whilst there has been some limited use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) as part of the response to natural disasters, to date these have typically employed short range mini or micro systems. Using a case study of Cyclone Winston that struck Fiji in February 2016, this chapter demonstrates the potential for long endurance aircraft (LE-RPAS) to support the humanitarian logistic operations through the use of their high quality optics and communications capabilities. In doing so, it offers a high level route map for the development of the people, process and technology requirements that will be needed to underpin the future deployments of LE-RPAS in providing support to humanitarian activities.


Hybrid cargo airships: a humanitarian logistic game changer?

June 2017

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171 Reads

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20 Citations

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Purpose Recent advances in aviation technology have seen the development of helium-filled “hybrid cargo airships” (HCAs) which have the potential to convey large payloads over significant distances at relatively low cost and with a small carbon footprint. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how such HCAs could be used to improve the logistic response to a rapid onset disaster. Design/methodology/approach Through consideration of three recent natural disasters (Typhoon Haiyan – The Philippines – 2013; The Nepal Earthquake – 2015; Cyclone Winston – Fiji – 2016), and drawing on both academic and practitioner literature, this paper provides an overview of how HCAs could potentially provide logistic support to those affected by similar disasters. The paper considers two scenarios: one in which the HCA replaces local truck or sea-based transport from an international airport to the disaster area, and the other in which it operates directly from a United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot to the disaster area. Findings The paper demonstrates that, when compared with the actual response to these three exemplar disasters, in the first scenario the use of HCAs provides a significantly faster but more expensive response; whereas in the second scenario, the timeline to supply is longer, but the costs are considerably less. Research limitations/implications This paper is conceptual in nature, but has been developed through an analysis of the literature related to both HCAs and humanitarian logistics. Given that the emerging generation of HCAs has yet to become fully operational, it will be important to continue to monitor their development and analyse the emerging speed/time/cost parameters in order to ascertain how HCAs might be optimally integrated into the logistic response to a disaster. Practical implications The significant cargo carrying capacity of an HCA together with its ability to operate from and into ad hoc locations (including those on water) would enable direct delivery from an international airhead or humanitarian response depot to an affected area. This has clear potential to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility of post-disaster logistic operations. Originality/value Whilst there is some emerging discussion of the humanitarian-related use of HCAs in the literature, this generally reflects the technical aspects such as flight control systems and the actual operation of the airships. This paper is the first to offer a practical analysis of how HCAs might be used to support the work of the humanitarian logistician.


Supply chain management skills to sense and seize opportunities

May 2017

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525 Reads

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77 Citations

The International Journal of Logistics Management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the supply chain management (SCM) skills that support the sensing and seizing of opportunities in a changing business environment. Design/methodology/approach Based on the previous literature on the T-shaped model of SCM skills, data were collected through a mail survey among Australian business executives. The resultant skill sets are grouped along factors that support the sensing vs seizing of opportunities. Findings Interestingly from an SCM perspective, functional logistics-related skills are important to maintain competitiveness but are not the ones contributing to a firm’s ability to sense opportunities and threats, and to seize opportunities in a changing business environment. The authors, therefore, support the notion that supply chain managers should be managers first. Factual SCM knowledge is the solid basis, but otherwise only an entry requirement in this field. Research limitations/implications Problem-solving skills, along with forecasting and customer/supplier relationship management, stand out as important components that support the ability of supply chain managers to sense and shape opportunities and threats in a turbulent business environment. This focus would tend to suggest the importance of supply chain integration and collaboration as management approaches. Other SCM skills from warehousing and inventory management to transportation and purchasing are more prevalent for maintaining competitiveness. Practical implications The results of the survey and the consequential analysis indicate that the content of tertiary-level educational programmes should be significantly reviewed to deliver two distinct (but partially overlapping) streams that focus on the generalist and functionalist managers who must work together in the management of the increasingly global and complex supply chains. Social implications Functional skills often form the basis of training and education programmes for supply chain managers. Whilst these form the solid foundation for their jobs, they are entry requirements at best. In a changing business environment, other skills are needed for success. Given that turbulence is becoming the norm rather than the exception, this finding necessitates rethinking in training and education programmes, as well as in the recruitment of supply chain managers. Originality/value Testing the T-shaped model of SCM skills from a dynamic capabilities perspective, the results of the factor analysis lead to a regrouping of skill sets in terms of sensing and seizing opportunities in a turbulent business environment.


Internal integration in humanitarian supply chain management: Perspectives at the logistics-programmes interface

April 2017

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131 Reads

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38 Citations

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare perspectives on humanitarian logistics (HL) and supply chain management (SCM) among programmes and logistics/support staff. Design/methodology/approach Underpinned by services supply chain management (SSCM) theory, a single case study of a leading international non-governmental organisation is presented based on a web-based survey of the organisation’s global operations staff, supplemented by semi-structured interviews conducted with senior representatives. Findings The study is believed to be the first to consider the different perspectives of programmes and logistics staff on the interpretation of logistics and SCM. The results indicate both significant divergence between the views of these two cohorts, as well as a general lack of clarity over the concept of SCM, its relationship with logistics and the cross-functional nature of SCM. Research limitations/implications Insufficient responses from programme staff limit the generalisability of the findings. Suggestions for future research include further examination of the potential of applying SSCM and demand chain management concepts to the humanitarian context. Practical implications The results support the notion that a broader, more strategic interpretation of SCM, more clearly distinguished from the practice of HL, may assist in breaking down perceived jurisdictional boundaries, bridging the gap between programmes and logistics teams, and strengthening demand-chain influences and the “voice of the beneficiary”. Originality/value By taking into account the views of non-logisticians, a broader, cross-functional interpretation of SCM is offered leading to revised definitions for both SCM and HL within this sector, together with a framework that integrates SCM across humanitarian relief and development contexts.


Long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) support for humanitarian logistic operations: The current position and the proposed way ahead

April 2017

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117 Reads

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32 Citations

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Purpose While the use of long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) is frequently associated with military operations, their core capabilities of long-range, low-cost and high-quality optics and communications systems have considerable potential benefit in supporting the work of humanitarian logisticians. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to demonstrate how LE-RPAS could be used to improve the logistic response to a rapid onset disaster. Design/methodology/approach Using the response to the Cyclone Pam that struck Vanuatu in March 2015 as an example, this paper provides an overview of how LE-RPAS could be used to support the post-disaster needs assessment and subsequent response processes. In addition, it provides a high-level route map to develop the people, process and technology requirements that would support the operational deployment of the LE-RPAS capabilities. Findings On the basis of the analysis of the published literature and the resultant assessment of the benefits of LE-RPAS to support humanitarian logistic (HL) operations, it is concluded that a formal “proof of concept” trial should be undertaken, and the results be made available to the humanitarian community. Research limitations/implications This paper is conceptual in nature, but has been developed through an analysis of the literature relating to remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and HLs. A route map through which the paper’s conclusions can be validated is also offered. Practical implications LE-RPAS have great potential to provide a swifter understanding of the impact of a disaster, particularly those where the location is remote from the main centres of population. This would allow the affected country’s National Disaster Management Organisation, together with those of supporting countries, to react more efficiently and effectively. In particular, it would allow a swifter transition from a “guess-based” push approach to one that more accurately reflects the disaster’s impact – i.e. a pull-based logistic response. Social implications Given the military genesis of RPAS, it will be important to ensure that those engaged in their operation are sensitive to the implications of this. In particular, it will be essential to ensure that any humanitarian operations involving RPAS are undertaken in an ethical way that respects, for example, the privacy and safety of the affected population. Originality/value While there is some emerging discussion on the humanitarian-related use of RPAS in the literature, this generally reflects the operation of small aircraft with limited range and payload capabilities. Useful though such RPAS unquestionably are, this paper expands the discussion of how such systems can support the humanitarian logistician by considering the benefits and challenges of operating long-endurance aircraft.



Reverse logistics in humanitarian operations: challenges and opportunities

August 2015

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1,076 Reads

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47 Citations

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Purpose – Whilst implementation of a broad range of reverse logistics (RL) practices is increasingly the norm within commercial supply chain management, they have had limited impact in the humanitarian logistics (HL) sector. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the challenges and opportunities for the application of RL in a HL context. Design/methodology/approach – Through a broad review of both the academic and practitioner literature, supplemented by informal discussions with senior humanitarian logisticians, the paper summarises the current state of RL within the HL sector before recommending ways in which practices that are increasingly found in a commercial context could be implemented. Findings – The findings indicate that, to date, the use of commercial RL practices is extremely limited within the HL sector, but there are a number of areas where their introduction be possible in the future. Research limitations/implications – Whilst the reviews of the literature were comprehensive, further and more detailed research into the RL practices (if any) undertaken by aid agencies needs to be undertaken in order that appropriate lessons and experiences can be implemented across the sector as a whole. Practical implications – Given the overall desire of humanitarian agencies to “do no harm” it will be increasingly important for such organisations to embrace RL practices in order to improve the sustainability of their disaster preparation and response activities. Social implications – In light of the generally increased awareness of the need to reduce the environmental footprint as well as improving the social and economic impacts of their supply chain activities, there is likely to be increasing pressure on aid agencies to adopt RL practices. This paper identifies some of the potential areas in which this can be undertaken, and the associated barriers to be overcome. Originality/value – To date, it would appear that no academic research has been undertaken into the RL practices within the HL sector. To this extent, the research represents a first look at a new sub-topic within the overall HL field.


Citations (7)


... Health programs encounter import costs, which this study defined as international transport costs, customs clearance costs, and national transport costs, when they pay transport or customs-related charges for the procurement of medical supplies on international markets. Importing to low-resource or landlocked countries has been associated with higher costs than importing to other countries [8][9][10][11], which potentially adds to the health financing challenges that low-resource countries face [12,13]. Consistent with the notion that the import of medical goods can substantially increase their costs, World Health Organization guidelines recommend assessing international transport costs, import duties and subsidies, local transport costs, and distribution costs in cost-effectiveness analyses [14]. ...

Reference:

A Framework for Assessing Import Costs of Medical Supplies and Results for a Tuberculosis Program in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan
Humanitarian health project supply chain costs
  • Citing Article
  • October 2017

Supply Chain Forum

... They studied the facilitators to improve information and communication technologies [27], speed and flexibility in the humanitarian supply chain [28], and the problems of information and communication technologies in the humanitarian supply chain [29][30][31]. Similarly, Tatham, P. studied humanitarian logistics, disaster relief [32], location-assignment [33,34], supply chain management, management research, 3D printing [35], spare parts [36], and manufacturing technology. ...

Using Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems to Support Humanitarian Logistic Operations: A Case Study of Cyclone Winston
  • Citing Chapter
  • June 2017

... Hybrid Air Vehicles, for example, was initially awarded a government contract for airship development and eventually reclassified their prototype as a civil aircraft (Hybrid Air Vehicles 2020). In addition, many ideas have been proposed for airship use such as cargo transport in the Arctic (Prentice & Thomson 2003), humanitarian missions (Tatham, Neal & Wu 2017;Jeong et al. 2020), or mobile hospitals (Paramalingam et al. 2020). With each different use-case, the payload, speed, and size requirements vary. ...

Hybrid cargo airships: a humanitarian logistic game changer?
  • Citing Article
  • June 2017

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management

... Skills requirements are not static. They can change in times of economic turbulence during which companies need to re-orientate themselves from current operations to seize new opportunities (Tatham et al. 2017), and in times of technological change, i.e. when companies have been seizing such new opportunities. There are many trends in SCM that would indicate such changes, from the impact of 3D printing on production and distribution, to the digitalization, robotization and automation of supply chains, and the possibilities in understanding markets and demand better when applying big data analysis, to name but a few. ...

Supply chain management skills to sense and seize opportunities
  • Citing Article
  • May 2017

The International Journal of Logistics Management

... Research conducted into remotely piloted aircraft systems, Tatham [4] et al highlight that endurance varies from minutes to hours depending on if the aircraft is powered by fuel or battery-driven engines. Their work highlights the benefits and challenges to achieve long-endurance, which is essential for humanitarian logistic operations. ...

Long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) support for humanitarian logistic operations: The current position and the proposed way ahead
  • Citing Article
  • April 2017

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management

... Collaborations are more challenging to establish. They come with numerous impediments [66]. In this regard, Adem et al. [46] mentioned some governmental policies and socioeconomic settings. ...

Internal integration in humanitarian supply chain management: Perspectives at the logistics-programmes interface
  • Citing Article
  • April 2017

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management

... In addition, Kunz et al. 50 and Peretti et al. 51 strongly called for the integration of sustainable practices in emergency relief operations, aiming at reducing the adverse impact on the environment and promoting the development of relief operations in a sustainable direction. Subsequently, Cao et al. 52 integrated sustainability into the design of disaster supply chain, and constructed a multi-objective mixed integer nonlinear programming model, which revealed the close relationship between sustainable development and traditional relief. ...

Reverse logistics in humanitarian operations: challenges and opportunities
  • Citing Article
  • August 2015

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management