Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

Proceedings of the 12th Annual Conference © 2011 IAABD
produce value in the form of products and services in the hands of the ultimate customer.” Upstream
supply chain disruption can cause downstream shortages of supplies. The first of the three legs of the
elections was disrupted due to poor supply chain logistics planning. Suppliers were unable to deliver the
required election supply chain assets just-in-time to most of the polling stations throughout Nigeria. This
hiccup resulted in the postponement of scheduled elections. Besides, INEC lacked the visibility and
knowledge of supply chain logistics planning required to handle the logistical positioning of elections
supply chain logistics assets at the right quantity at the right polling stations at the right time.
The remainder of this paper is structured as follows: Section 2 discusses elections supply chain
background and challenges. Section 3 proposes to identify elections supply chain blind spots (risks)
sources and discusses supply chain vulnerability assessment. Section 4 discusses supply chain logistics
disruptions. Section 5 presents supply chain blind spot (risk) management and supply chain visibility.
Section 6 finally presents the conclusion and managerial implications.
Elections Supply Chain Logistics background and Challenges
Elections administration in Nigeria presents many logistical challenges including large size of the
electorate of more than 60 million voters (36 states, the federal Capital territory and 774 local
governments); poor and inadequate infrastructure; complex ethnic, religious, and geographical divide;
electorate environment that is prone to violence and corruption; crushing poverty and economic
impoverishment (Independent Electoral Assessment Team, January 2010). However, in spite of the
estimated budget of N100 billion for the elections the supply chain logistics operations failed. The
complexity of the logistical task involved in the distribution of election sensitive materials throughout
Nigeria is daunting. Inadequate provision of communications facilities and other required logistical assets
can lead to delays in transporting electoral materials, equipment, staff, and election observers. Hence
shortfalls in logistical assets can impede the readiness, conduct, and coordination of electoral activities by
the various electoral bodies including the political parties and their candidates. Election supply chain
disruptions such as vendor failure to supply accurate number of sensitive materials, poorly trained
election personnel, unavailability of personnel at the polling stations, act of terrorism, among others pose
confidence issue for voters and reputation issue for INEC and the ability of Nigerian nation to hold free,
fair, and credible election. Similar supply chain disruption occurred during the last voter registration
exercise when personnel as well as materials were unavailable or arrive late at many of the stations. For
example, commentators have it that out of the 132,000 direct data capture (DDC) machines needed for the
voter registration exercise, 110,000 were supplied. Out of the number supplied only 107,000 were
delivered to the voter registration centers. The few delivered DDC machines at the registration centers
were substandard and/or defective. Other logistics assets that were in short supply or defective included
scanners and printers, printing paper, ink, cables, batteries and others. Other logistical challenges were the
conveyance of INEC personnel and election sensitive materials through difficult terrain in some part of
the country. Furthermore, there were problems of non-availability of sensitive materials, massive shortage
of means of transportation and wide communication gap between them and the national headquarters of
the commission.
Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said “plans are nothing; planning is everything.” Indeed,
logistics planning is imperative for achieving successful and credible elections. Supply chain Logistics
planning in elections context involves delivery or distribution of sensitive electoral materials, personnel,
international observers, equipment, and communication facilities to polling stations at the right place at
the right time to ensure free, fair, and credible elections operations. Logistics planning in the context of
elections “is the essential support functioning for ensuring that equipment, staff, and communications
methods are in place in time for the successful conduct of voting.” Arguably, achieving successful
conduct of elections requires supply chain logistics planning that is “…flexible and thorough in its
consideration of possible contingency arrangements [and to] ... ensure delivery of [products/materials]
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