Humanitarian Logistics - Best Practises Potential Applications in Military Logisticss

This report aims to provide knowledge transfer from humanitarian to military logistics, by showing how various tools, processes and methods used in Humanitarian Logistics could possibly be used military. Four different areas were studied: Leading principles, establishment of best practice, Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and improvement methods. These four areas are parts of a whole in which all parts are necessary. For example, to have clear principles and best practices without adequate KPI:s and a structured improvement processes is common but the risk that organisation works in another way then intended is substantial. The principles used for the formulation of strategic goals should be formulated so that they can be used for operational decision-making. This would mean that the principles would provide support in a specific decision situation, ie. principles supporting the operational implementation. The concept of best practice spans all types of activities but based on review of humanitarian logistics, FM should focus on an easily communicable best practice in the preparatory phase and the early phases of an operation. Two methods of using KPI that should be suitable for application of the FM is adapted Balanced Scorecard and Process Performance Management (PPM). PPM is simpler and is based on a more detailed process analysis, while a balanced scorecard is more diverse when multiple perspectives can be considered together in the same model. Which method to be used is case dependent. For effective continuous improvements, three activities are essential: 1. Create clear incentives for improvements, including through clarity about the purpose of the improvement 2. Use an overall framework for improvements, i.e. a process for how the work will be conducted with an awareness of how various activities fit into the big picture 3. Strive for simplicity and clarity in policy documents relating to logistics development.