QuakeCoRE Seminar: Capturing the Complexity of Post-disaster Freight Disruptions in Aotearoa (2023)

QuakeCoRE Seminar Series: Capturing the Full Complexity of Post-disaster Freight Disruptions in Aotearoa New Zealand - Cécile L'Hermitte (2023)
This Seminar was held on 13 October 2023
Presenter: Cécile L'Hermitte (University of Waikato)
Abstract:
Natural hazards cause multifaceted freight issues and an intricate sequence of interconnected disruptions and constraints. Quantitative modelling is commonly used to study this complexity. Taking a different approach, we investigated the value of qualitative research and of the Theory of Constraints to capture the full complexity inherent in the movements of fresh fruit and vegetables in the wake of a major natural event in Aotearoa New Zealand. We identified 30 constraints affecting transport functionality, 40 cause-and-effect relationships leading to poor transport performance, and 8 root causes.
This Seminar looks into the web of interdependent constraints that are embedded in a post-disaster freight system and that span across operations, strategy, and policy. It tells the story of why fresh fruit and vegetables are not available where and when needed in the aftermath of a major natural hazard in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Bio:
Cécile is a Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the Waikato Management School in Hamilton. Her research focuses on supply chain resilience and freight movements in the aftermath of a major disruptive event (both commercial and humanitarian freight). Prior to joining the University of Waikato, Cécile worked for 10 years in corporate banking and international business, in both France and Germany. She then moved to Australia and completed an MBA specialised in logistics management as well as a PhD in humanitarian logistics at the Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania.
Image credit: Road and railway track damage, Papatea Fault at Waipapa Bay caused by the Kaikōura Earthquake 2016, by Julian Thomson, GNS Science.
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