Did you know......?
Two of healthcare's key professions have a common root: military campaigns. Nursing and Materials Management (Logistics in military parlance) both grew up in response to the needs of war.
Stories of brave nurses in the battlefields over history abound. But, did you know that military historians credit good logistics management as the key to the success of Hannibal, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and many others? Clearly the Roman Empire was built via logistics (being part of Rome made trade possible for any conquered nation). They also attribute logistics ignorance to some well-known military debacles. Ancient armies were most dependent on food sources; so good logistics usually meant having something for the soldiers to eat (not to mention having an adequate supply of arrows).
Every serious student of history learns of Napoleon freezing his you-know-what off in Russia without food and other basic needs. The Russian strategy was to cut off the French supply chain – which they did - and thus won the war without winning a single battle! Modern armies still require supplies, but the subject matter changes. General Patton's tank crews fighting hand-to-hand combat because the “brilliant” general outran his gasoline supply line is the classic modern example. In MM circles the General is known as aggressive, but .........
Reruns of MASH continue to remind us of the role of caregivers and supplies in the battlefield. Our brave soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq bring home many stories of saved limbs and lives due to high quality and high technology medical care now being available in war zones.
Thankfully, most of us commonly ply our trade in a more peaceful setting.
While today's message communicates how MM evolved from a military discipline MM has much to do with why modern industry is... well, modern. It's just kind of hard to sell the rest of the world on "Logistics makes the world go round". They all think it is money, or love, or something else. We need a catchy phrase - or at least a better PR agent.
For this first day of National Materials Management Week all MM professionals in healthcare should salute our fellow military descendants: the Nurses with whom we work.
Two of healthcare's key professions have a common root: military campaigns. Nursing and Materials Management (Logistics in military parlance) both grew up in response to the needs of war.
Stories of brave nurses in the battlefields over history abound. But, did you know that military historians credit good logistics management as the key to the success of Hannibal, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and many others? Clearly the Roman Empire was built via logistics (being part of Rome made trade possible for any conquered nation). They also attribute logistics ignorance to some well-known military debacles. Ancient armies were most dependent on food sources; so good logistics usually meant having something for the soldiers to eat (not to mention having an adequate supply of arrows).
Every serious student of history learns of Napoleon freezing his you-know-what off in Russia without food and other basic needs. The Russian strategy was to cut off the French supply chain – which they did - and thus won the war without winning a single battle! Modern armies still require supplies, but the subject matter changes. General Patton's tank crews fighting hand-to-hand combat because the “brilliant” general outran his gasoline supply line is the classic modern example. In MM circles the General is known as aggressive, but .........
Reruns of MASH continue to remind us of the role of caregivers and supplies in the battlefield. Our brave soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq bring home many stories of saved limbs and lives due to high quality and high technology medical care now being available in war zones.
Thankfully, most of us commonly ply our trade in a more peaceful setting.
While today's message communicates how MM evolved from a military discipline MM has much to do with why modern industry is... well, modern. It's just kind of hard to sell the rest of the world on "Logistics makes the world go round". They all think it is money, or love, or something else. We need a catchy phrase - or at least a better PR agent.
For this first day of National Materials Management Week all MM professionals in healthcare should salute our fellow military descendants: the Nurses with whom we work.
Pass this on to any nurse who makes you proud of being in our industry!
Tomorrow: “The Father of Modern MM”
Tomorrow: “The Father of Modern MM”
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