Risk management in humanitarian supply chain based on FMEA and grey relational analysis.

Area of Science:

• Disaster Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Risk Analysis

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have exposed significant vulnerabilities in humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM).
• Effective disaster relief operations depend on robust and resilient supply chains.
• Risk management is crucial for maintaining the flow of emergency items during crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify priority risk factors impacting HSCM during disasters.
• To propose effective risk mitigation strategies for local government relief operations.
• To validate the use of Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) in assessing supply chain risks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) to identify potential supply chain risks.
• Employed Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) to validate and prioritize identified risk factors.
• Focused on the context of a local government agency managing relief efforts.

Main Results:

• Both FMEA and GRA methods yielded highly similar results in identifying priority supply chain risks.
• Key vulnerabilities in humanitarian logistics were pinpointed.
• Specific risk factors requiring immediate attention were determined.

Conclusions:

• The combined FMEA and GRA approach is effective for prioritizing risks in humanitarian supply chains.
• Proactive risk management is essential for enhancing the resilience of disaster relief operations.
• Local governments can leverage these methods to improve their emergency response capabilities.