Red Cross Reinforcing Supply Chain Skills

Relief provider staff learning to speed emergency operations, augment disaster preparedness at Georgia Tech's EMIL program

Relief provider staff learning to speed emergency operations, augment disaster preparedness at Georgia Tech's EMIL program

Atlanta — April 22, 2004 — The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is working to reinforce its supply chain by sending its officers through the Executive Master's in International Logistics (EMIL) program at Georgia Tech.

The EMIL program was instituted in 2000 at Georgia Tech's Industrial & Systems Engineering School as an international supply chain master's degree program designed to give executives skills to develop new solutions to improve supply chain efficiencies.

The program has drawn participants from industry, but also from the nonprofit and government sectors, to learn about the latest supply chain trends and technologies, such as radio frequency identification (RFID).

"Since emergency situations are often precarious, I need to be as educated as possible on supply chain and logistics processes," said Heidi Cerrud, current EMIL participant and procurement officer at a regional logistics unit for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "Participating in the program has expanded my global network and helped me identify several potential alliance partners. Through these alliances and EMIL program content, the Red Cross is jump starting its new emergency operations strategies that utilize revenue management and RFID."

The program said it offers a "hands-on" learning environment where participants complete in-class assignments within the context of the current business environment, and also take part in a global project.

"It is the program participant's genuine interest in improving the supply chain and the cohesive work environment that make the EMIL program so attractive," said Dr. John Vande Vate, EMIL executive director. "When you bring together motivated executives from the world's leading organizations to learn and to problem-solve, the environment becomes intoxicating and the results are limitless."

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