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Released 23 February 2010
Port Au Prince, Haiti: The Salvation Army is
replacing handwritten paper index
cards with high-tech barcode technology to ensure that more than 4,000 families
here efficiently receive food, shelter and medical supplies. UPS has donated
the technology and adapted it for disaster relief supply distribution.
The system is based on UPS's Trackpad technology, which UPS customers use to track packages within campus
environments as the packages move from the loading dock to distributed offices
for delivery.
Salvation Army staff members will now be able to confirm what
goods each family receives by tracking the information embedded in a laminated
card that bears unique barcodes tied to the number of family members, their
location in the makeshift camp that has sprung up in an adjacent soccer field,
and their needs.
This system helps to ensure that all families receive the right
supplies at the right time, and may help reduce theft or
fraud.
"We are abundantly grateful to UPS for providing this new
distribution system. The technology will improve the speed of the distribution,
helping us to keep the process as orderly as possible," said Damaris
Frick, manager of the Salvation Army's camp in Port Au Prince. "At the
moment we are struggling with paper cards which disintegrate in the pockets of
the bearers. It currently takes a team of 40 people to sweep through the camp
to accomplish a replacement of damaged cards. That problem will be completely
eliminated with this system. We will no longer need to manually input
distribution data, which will also speed up and increase the accuracy of our
reporting process to other NGOs and donors."
The tracking also will give the Salvation Army a way to track the
families and their needs in the future as they move from the temporary camp
where they currently live to more permanent shelter, she
added.
"This is a perfect example of how UPS's commitment to
disaster relief extends well beyond financial support," said Ken Sternad,
president of The UPS Foundation. "By capitalizing on our employees'
intellectual capital and the company's technological capabilities, UPS is
putting the infrastructure in place to help families in Haiti begin to
rebuild their lives for the long term."
UPS logistics experts configured the specialized application in
less than a week. UPS technology provider Cardinal Tracking provided the
barcode cards and donated labor and equipment for the project. The system
includes 4,000 laminated cards, two handheld scanners and a
laptop.
Beyond the immediate need to optimize food distribution, the
Salvation Army plans to use the barcode cards and tracking technology to help
with the distribution of hygiene kits and tarps to prepare for the upcoming
rainy season. The organization also is considering using the system at four
other relief sites.
This is the second time UPS has configured the Trackpad
technology
for disaster relief. After Hurricane Katrina, the system was used for
tracking displaced pets.
In addition to the UPS Trackpad project, UPS's relief effort in
Haiti has
included:
· $1 million in cash and in-kind
donations to relief organization partners, including CARE, the U.N. World Food
Programme, and the American Red Cross.
· Logistics coordination for relief
shipments.
· Air, ground, and ocean
shipping.
· Employee volunteers to help prepare
relief shipments and assist relief agencies.
· Loaning logistics management
expertise to assist the U.N. World Food Programme's Logistics Emergency Team in
the Dominican
Republic by overseeing warehousing and other
distribution operations.
About The UPS
Foundation
Founded in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Ga.,
The UPS Foundation's major initiatives include programs that support community
safety, nonprofit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, environmental
sustainability, and diversity. The UPS Foundation pursues these initiatives by
identifying specific projects where its support can help produce a measurable
social impact. In 2009, The UPS Foundation donated $43.6 million to more than
3800 charitable organizations worldwide. Visit community.ups.com for more information
about UPS's community involvement.
For additional information on
UPS disaster preparedness, please visit pressroom.ups.com/disasterprep.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation
Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in
1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for
130 years in the United
States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive
assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of
social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for
disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill,
clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged
children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in
5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.