In the following master’s dissertation, the author intended to assess intra-stakeholder coordination capabilities in the realm of humanitarian logistics; examine the role of cloud computing and the Internet of Things technologies as potential mediators of coordination in humanitarian logistics; and provide practical recommendations to improve the efficiency of relief efforts. With the prevalence of both natural and artificial disasters on the rise, it becomes primordial to research this topic and begin developing a set of best practices to tackle disasters in an efficient and effective manner. The surprising lack of literature revolving around humanitarian logistics and the application of Industry 4.0 technologies in this context adds to the value of this research.
In this thesis, a Delphi study was conducted in an attempt to garner consensus from a group of humanitarian logistics experts. The results obtained were be cross-checked against the available literature in order to find discrepancies and establish correlations. This research found stakeholder-coordination to be impeded largely due to the heterogeneity of organisations involved in providing aid and the competition over scarce resources. Further, technologies at use in humanitarian logistics were found to be anachronistic. Finally, a “Cloud of Things” architecture was proposed as a solution to the issues contemplated through this thesis.
Keywords: coordination, cloud computing, Internet of Things, humanitarian logistics.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be a member of the University of Lincoln to be able to view this dissertation. Please log in here.