Information Flow Impediments in Disaster Relief Supply Chains

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is seldom more difficult than during disaster relief efforts. As these supply chains quickly form, the lack of information flow presents a major hindrance to coordinating the flow of resources necessary for disaster relief efforts. This paper identifies impediments to the flow of information through supply chains following large scale and catastrophic disasters. Given the scarce body of literature on this subject, a grounded theory case-study was conducted looking at an extreme case. The study concentrates on the efforts made by multiple organizations and individuals to provide relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which battered the Gulf Coast of the southeastern United States in late 2005. Data was gathered from diverse sources including government agencies, profit and non-profit organizations, and individuals during and after the disaster. Based on our data analysis we not only identify and categorize information flow impediments (i.e., data collection, information processing, and information sharing) but also identify likely sources of these impediments, and examine their consequences to organizations’ disaster recovery efforts. Our findings can be used as a foundation for design science researchers who want to devise solutions able to reduce or alleviate the impact of information flow impediments in future disasters.