Information Technology in Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Abstract

The chapter deals with information technologies which meet the aims and goals of humanitarian logistics and supply chain management (SCM). It addresses researchers, students, practitioners and politicians, who are interested in integrating information technology (IT) into concepts for humanitarian logistics and SCM. Empirical data is presented to substantiate the relevance of the topic. From a broad variety of available technologies and IT solutions some of them are presented in more detail: mobile phones, single-board computers, drones and big data. They address the variety of humanitarian technologies from established to innovative IT, from low cost IT solutions to high investments, with different access rates and required skills. Open research questions address lacks in the current conceptual research to integrate the technologies into humanitarian logistics and SCM.