Red Cross- Disaster Logistics Volunteer

Logistics At Red Cross 1
LOGISTIC SYSTEMS AT RED CROSS SOCIETY
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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................... 3
The Red Cross Society...................................................................................................... 4
Current issues in international transport and logistics and their effects on organizations the Red Cross
Society....................................................................................................................... 5
Modes of transport used by The Red Cross Society................................................................6
Queuing theory............................................................................................................ 7
Time-space tool............................................................................................................ 8
Underlying factors that affect transport.................................................................................. 9
Advantages and disadvantages of different modes of transport...................................................10
Road....................................................................................................................... 10
Disadvantages........................................................................................................ 11
Rail......................................................................................................................... 11
Advantages............................................................................................................ 11
Disadvantages........................................................................................................ 12
Sea transport............................................................................................................. 12
Advantages............................................................................................................ 12
Disadvantages........................................................................................................ 12
Air transport.............................................................................................................. 13
Advantages............................................................................................................ 13
Disadvantages........................................................................................................ 13

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Export and import regulations in the transport service sector.....................................................13
Transportation policies................................................................................................. 14
Effects of tariffs on the prices of products.............................................................................16
Health and safety procedures adopted by the transport service sector in the transport of goods............17
Fire extinguishers....................................................................................................... 18
Speed limit................................................................................................................ 18
Provision of medical kits.............................................................................................. 19
The safety belt rule...................................................................................................... 19
Life-saving equipment................................................................................................. 19
Training staff............................................................................................................. 20
Conclusion................................................................................................................... 21
References................................................................................................................... 22
Introduction
Over the years, companies and other organizations have devised ways to manage the flow
of their products from the production stage to the assembling in their central warehouses and the

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distribution to their various consumers in their different range of client bases. For companies that
have wide client bases, say, international, the need for a sound managing system for record-
keeping of inventories becomes inevitable. this need to develop a sound managerial system that
would see the streamlining of the flow of goods from the producers and suppliers to the
consumers of the products and services after processing gave birth to the idea of logistics is,
therefore, effective management and monitoring of the international flow of goods from the
producers of various products to the consumers located beyond the national boundaries of the
country in which the said business organization is located
However, the need for an effective logistics system in business organizations has been
heightened by the integration of the concept of globalization in the contemporary business
society (Chen and Li, 2011). Many advantages push business corporations to go global. Still, the
most outstanding is the chance to explore international markets, which opens an opportunity for
the business to increase its profitability significantly and, in turn, grow. Basically, the aspect of
globalization allows individual companies to source raw materials from one or multiple countries
process them at their central processing facility and distribute them to an unlimited number of
consumers stationed in various geographical places all over the world (Madra, 2017). However,
it is essential to note that the company needs to make sure it adopts a sane and productive global
strategy that would increase her feasibility after going international or global to benefit from the
advantages that come with this strategy. This calls for the aspect of globalization. One of the
organizations that have shown a considerable effort to go global is the Red Cross society.
The Red Cross Society
The Red Cross Society is a humanitarian organization interested in relieving victims of
natural disasters as well as artificially motivated disasters. Therefore it is concerned with fast

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response to sudden disaster occurrences in the affected areas. The Red Cross Society is a global
relief organization offering humanitarian aid to almost all countries worldwide (Redcross.org,
2018). The answer may involve the distribution of required goods to the operation area and also
the fast transport of humanitarian staff to the affected areas. Sheltering materials for the
humanitarian staff are also transported to these areas. The basic logistic structure in the
organization may include but not limited to production of the disaster –relief products from
donors and well-wishers to the port of entry to the warehouses for holding, then the movement of
the received goods to various terminal points from which they will be collected and distributed to
the disaster-struck areas. Therefore, the need to develop a complex logistic system becomes
inevitable if the organization seeks to achieve its humanitarian goal because the process needs to
be as fast and agile as possible in order to serve its intended purpose ultimately.
Current issues in international transport and logistics and their effects on organizations the
Red Cross Society
Although the Red Cross Society is always working to improve her logistic system, it is
noteworthy that the organization is yet to create a standard and reliable logistics system that
would guarantee a streamlined flow of goods as well as information across its structure (Evers,
Loeve and Lindeijer, 2000). This may be attributed to the wide disparity in the challenges due to
the ever-changing political and economic situations in the various countries it serves.
However, there are universal challenges that apply to a significant number of the target
areas of the organization. For instance, in most cases, the amount of product delivered at the
affected regions do not complement with the specific amount required by the population affected
by the disaster. As a result, the products are rationed in order to serve a significant population. In
cases where the product is a basic need, say food, the humanitarian effort may not have achieved

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its intended purpose as victims may succumb to starvation (International Committee of the Red
Cross, 2014). Secondly, transport of relief products and services, especially in third world
countries such as Zimbabwe, may be hampered by poor infrastructure and security in these
regions (Globalissues.org, 2007). As a result, transporting freight to the destination is delayed.
Products held in organizations warehouses have also been reported missing on allegations of
theft.
Furthermore, relief operations by the red cross society are also constrained by recurrent
insecurity issues especially in war-prone zones such as Afghanistan and Pakistan thus
compromising the effectiveness of staff members due to fear for their lives
Modes of transport used by The Red Cross Society
Being a global humanitarian aid whose services are needed on an impromptu basis, it is
evident that the Red Cross society had to diversify Its mode of transport in order to maintain
world-class standards (Meurant, 1987). This is because of the disparities in the various transport
networks in countries In which the red cross operates.
The Red Cross society can be considered as the global organization with the most
diversified transport strategy dating back a century ago. During the first world war, the evacuees
were ferried using a simple ambulance comprising of two horses and chariots during the two-
year famine that occurred in the period between 1921-1923 in Russia(International Committee of
the Red Cross, 2013). Food was first transported by railway and then supplied to the different
communal kitchens on carts that were tied to and pulled using camels on the snowy landscape of
Russia. Airplanes from world airlines such as American Airlines have also been used in different
operations (Redcross.org, 2018). This shows how diversified the transport system of the
organization is.