Supply Chain: How Wal-Mart Beat Feds to New Orleans

CIO Magazine ^ | November 1, 2005 | BEN WORTHEN

[Grampa Dave]

We were on the same wave length re the national guard. See my reply right below yours.

[CDHart]

"press conferences, blame shifting, finger pointing, demagogery."

Our posturing, preening, power-hungry politicians excel at all of the above. Where they fail is that they care about no one but themselves.

Carolyn

[ReignOfError]

W have just been through Wilma. My opinion is that it is a hugh waste for the government to be trying to set up distribution for free ice and water. Hurricanes don't make everyone indigent.

Good point. I have two coworkers who are originally from New Orleans. They both had several relatives living with them after Katrina (one coworker's family lived in Algiers, and might have moved back by now). It never occurred to them to ask FEMA for a free hotel room -- why would it? They have a place to stay and resources to take care of themselves and their own.

There is a legitimate role for FEMA in distributing free food and ice, but it should be limited to -- or, at least, first directed to -- places and people in serious need. Folks who can pay for their ice, who have money and anticipate checks from their insurance companies to cover their losses and expenses, should be allowed to buy ice rather than stand in line to get it for free.

[Tarpon]

Maybe, maybe not.

It's easy to redirect water to another area when you have trucks hauling it around for sale every day. It's not so easy when you have things you need to acquire, or are statically stored and have to start from scratch. I wonder how well Walmart would be at getting trailers to the folks, or roads reopened after all those trees fell on them. Or lets play hey Walmart, "fix the power lines" or can you cook as well?

Walmart just needs to redirect it's constantly in motion supply chain to get some supplies to effected areas, the feds needs to buy or round up, load and then direct.

Apples and oranges analogy, and a not too useful one at that.

If you think so, lets have Walmart respond to all natural disasters and watch how fast their supply chain runs dry.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

And how many MOM and POP price gougers did they put out of business by rushing in CHEAP or free merchandise? EVIL WM! BAD! BAD!
;) sarcasm off.

[GOPJ]

Private enterprise is ALWAYS the way to go. Once the government gets involved, you can bank on inefficiency and corruption.

There's got to be a way to switch the incentive pattern...