We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2022 Startup Alley
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Chef José Andrés finds universal supply chain lessons in emergency food relief
ProMat 2023

Chef José Andrés finds universal supply chain lessons in emergency food relief

At ProMat 2023 keynote, founder of food nonprofit advises attendees to be clear about their mission and embrace complexity.

Jose Andres.jpg
March 21, 2023
Susan Lacefield
No Comments

On the surface, it may seem like Chef José Andrés’ story would have little bearing on people whose main jobs are to handle logistics and run distribution operations. But the longer the founder of World Central Kitchen spoke at the keynote session for day two of ProMat 2023, the clearer the connection between the two became.

A Spanish chef and restauranteur, Andrés started World Central Kitchen as a nonprofit devoted to providing meals to survivors in the wake of disasters. Andrés and his staff have helped tap into local resources and cooks to serve hundreds of thousands of meals in places such as Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, Turkey after the recent earthquakes, and ongoing operations during the war in Ukraine. A huge part of preparing those meals, of course, depends on excellent situational logistics.

Peppered among his stories of operating in disaster zones, Andrés offered the following advice for working in volatile conditions: 

1. Don’t wait for perfection to start. Andrés’ relief efforts often begin small with what they can find immediately and then build up organically as they go. “We don’t wait to be perfectly organized to start providing our relief,” he explained. “We begin organizing as we begin relief. We gather intelligence and knowhow as we go.”

2. The ability to adapt is more important than the ability to plan. According to Andrés, World Central Kitchen has never had two missions that have followed the same pattern. “This has a lot to do with how we run our operations,” he said. “Do we plan, or do we adapt? If we plan for every possibility and we train our teams to follow a plan, what happens the day that nothing goes to plan?”

Instead of freezing when events don’t go according to plan, Andrés says it’s important to view the disruptions as an opportunity to learn and shine. “Embrace the complexity of the moment,” he said.

He gives the example of the day before Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans, when trucks with supplies for the World Central Kitchen operations were not able to get through. Andrés used that opportunity to discover and connect with local food distribution centers that were less than a mile away from where his kitchens were.

3. Empower your people. In emergency situations, it is critical to have a flat organization, where the people closest to the problem are empowered to make decisions. “Otherwise you are always waiting for the boss,” he said. “You have as thousand questions, and they all end in the same place.”

4. Be clear about your mission. Undergirding everything that World Central Kitchen does is a simple, central purpose that unites all its people: Feed the hungry, and provide water to the thirsty. This philosophy extends to the warehousing and logistics operations Andrés works with. “I tell them, your mission is not filling up the warehouse so that you can provide support to all our kitchens, your mission is feeding people right now,” he said.

Andrés spoke at ProMat 2023, industry association MHI's biennial trade show.

 

 

 

Strategy
KEYWORDS disaster response MHI ProMat 2023 World Central Kitchen
    • Related Articles

      Food from CSCMP Stop Hunger Now event being used to support relief efforts in Haiti

      COVID-19 and the health care supply chain: impacts and lessons learned

      Research finds more women in supply chain leadership roles

    Susan Lacefield is Executive Editor of CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly.

    Recent Articles by Susan Lacefield

    Shippers should be using spot market more, says J.B. Hunt exec

    Conversation around supply chain technology has changed, says panel of executives

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Report: Sagging freight stats show that trucking sector is returning to its historic mean

    • Survey: parcel delivery drivers are frustrated by using their own smartphones for work

    • Heavy transport across two continents

    • Survey: most Americans unaware that truckers face shortage of parking spaces

    • Supply chain executives not yet seeing expected results from technology investments

    Featured Video

    20221107korber large vs

    Enhancing Customer Experience with Your Supply Chain Strategy

    Viewer Contributed
    With the rise of e-commerce, many businesses have had to transform their warehouses to handle online orders in addition to regularly scheduled inventory shipments. This means warehouses need more information than ever before to ensure they can meet customers' needs. As a result, companies need to select warehouse...

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Three layers of forklift safety: Promoting operating best practices

    • The Complete Guide to Automated Packaging

    • Five tips for parcel success in 2023

    • Guide to Pallet Rack Safety

    View More

    Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

    Get Your Subscription
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • E-NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing