Purpose Despite its strong potential to optimize business processes, process mining remains largely unexplored in humanitarian operations. Therefore, this study aims to systematically examine the state of research across process mining in procurement and humanitarian procurement analytics and identify complementarities between the two streams. Design/methodology/approach A scoping review methodology was applied to systematically analyze peer-reviewed studies published between January 2015 and August 2025. Following a structured search and screening procedure, 43 studies were analyzed across two themes: process mining in procurement and humanitarian procurement analytics. Findings The study reveals a clear methodological divergence between the two themes. Process mining studies mainly provide descriptive and diagnostic insights using real event-log data, yet rarely extend to predictive or prescriptive analytics. In contrast, humanitarian procurement research advances prescriptive models but mainly relies on simulated or parameterized data. Predictive applications remain underdeveloped across both themes, while prescriptive models in humanitarian procurement are rarely validated using operational data. The comparison shows that process-mining capabilities, including compliance checking, bottleneck analysis, anomaly detection and process-variant analysis, could provide empirical evidence to complement existing decision-oriented models. Originality/value The main contribution of this work is the identification of four cross-cutting themes: compliance and transparency, efficiency and performance, risk, resilience and sustainability and methodological robustness. By linking process-mining capabilities to specific humanitarian procurement challenges and identifying practical conditions for their application, the review provides a foundation for developing more integrated and empirically grounded approaches.
Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of processing capacity in shaping humanitarian supply chain performance under crisis conditions. Specifically, it examines how information processing capacity influences response performance and equity performance, and how environmental complexity and structural integration moderate these relationships. It also examines whether environmental complexity moderates the information processing capacity-equity performance relationship more strongly than the information processing capacity-response performance relationship. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on Organizational Information Processing Theory (OIPT) and a contingency perspective, the research model is proposed and empirically evaluated using survey data collected from 600 professionals with relevant experience working in the humanitarian supply chain across India. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS. Findings The PLS-SEM results show that processing capacity has a significant positive effect on both response performance and equity performance. The environmental complexity amplifies the impact of processing capacity on both outcomes, but results confirm that it has stronger moderating effect for equity performance compared to response performance. Similarly, structural integration also significantly strengthens the relationship positively between processing capacity and both performance dimensions. Research limitations/implications First, this study extends OIPT to humanitarian supply chains by demonstrating that the relationship between information processing capacity and performance depends on environmental complexity. Second, it advances contingency-based reasoning by showing that environmental complexity strengthens the relationship between processing capacity and equity performance more than its relationship with response performance, suggesting that the value of processing capacity varies across humanitarian performance dimensions. Third, it extends OIPT by identifying structural integration, defined as the alignment between emergency and routine supply chain structures, as an organizational condition that strengthens the relationship between processing capacity and both response and equity performance. Practical implications The results and analysis presented in the study suggest that humanitarian organizations need to prioritize coordination among multiple actors, real-time information sharing, decentralized decision-making, and structural integration explained through the mechanisms of emergency and routine supply chain tasks. Originality/value This study contributes to the humanitarian supply chain literature by theorizing and empirically showing that processing capacity matters differently across humanitarian performance dimensions. It demonstrates that environmental complexity strengthens the processing capacity-performance relationship more strongly for equity performance than for response performance. The study also shows that structural integration enables humanitarian organizations to translate processing capacity into improved response and equity outcomes.
Purpose As humanitarian organizations increasingly rely on digital platforms to engage and mobilize the public, this study aims to draw on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework to examine how social media engagement and perceived logistics efficiency are associated with participation intention, with trust as the internal evaluative mechanism. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey of 574 social media users in Egypt with prior exposure to humanitarian organizations’ online content was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling in IBM AMOS. Indirect associations were estimated using 5,000 bootstrap resamples with bias-corrected and percentile 95% confidence intervals. Findings Trust was positively associated with participation intention. Social media engagement was associated with intention mainly through the direct pathway; its small indirect effect through trust was significant under bias-corrected but not percentile bootstrap intervals. Perceived logistics efficiency had a significant total association with intention but no significant direct association; approximately 94% of its total association ran through trust, although this indirect effect was not statistically significant at the 95% level. Practical implications Humanitarian organizations should manage social media as a participation pathway, combining interactive communication with transparent reporting of logistics performance to strengthen trust and intended public support. Originality/value The study distinguishes communication-based and operation-based cues within an S–O–R model of humanitarian participation intention, showing that trust accounts for a substantially larger share of the logistics-efficiency association than of the social-media-engagement association, without establishing causal pathways.
Purpose This study aims to reduce the hurdles in the humanitarian services supply chain (HSSC) deliverance with digitization. This will help reduce the communication and execution gap between the participating organization, suppliers and ground-level welfare service vendors. Design/methodology/approach The hybrid Plan-Do-Check-Act–fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution approach was adapted to strategize, address and prioritize the key strategic benefits (KSBs) of using business digitization interface (BDIs) with an interactive dashboard for data visualization and efficient monitoring. Findings The HSSCs typically depend on the availability of funds, procurement of relief materials, allocation of projects, engagement of service vendors and project execution. A unique approach was adapted to visualize the HSSC using BDIs to reduce inefficiencies in conventional tender-based welfare systems and international aid for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, SDG7 and SDG11. Research limitations/implications The study reflects the use of data visualization in non-profit community development activities with the Technology–Organization–Environment–Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology approach. This replaces the old conventional methods of favored/non-transparent tender allotments. Non-profit organizations often lack access to funds to implement modern technology. However, adopting cost-effective, sustainable technology will pave the way for performance improvements and future adaptations. Practical implications The dashboard created with BDI enables ground-level implementation with direct source connectivity integrated with blockchain, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. This implementation can be a digital twin that will bring resilience to HSSCs. Social implications Adapting BDIs for managerial activities will expedite welfare tasks. This study can guide the digitization of international humanitarian aid efforts if implemented. Originality/value This study addresses more philanthropic goals than corporate social responsibility objectives. Hence, this study can be replicated in relief supply chains in the regional or international landscapes.
Purpose This study aims to address important gaps in understanding public primary healthcare (PPHC) supply chain resilience in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, with a focus on the complex interactions between routine healthcare delivery and emergency response during infectious disease outbreaks (IDOs). Design/methodology/approach The authors developed a system dynamics model, the health supply chain resilience (HSCR) model, to integrate epidemiological dynamics, supply chain operations and healthcare service delivery in SSA contexts. The model simulates the effects of IDOs on the interaction between routine and emergency healthcare delivery and evaluates supply chain preparedness strategies. Three types of interventions were assessed quantitatively: prepositioning of health commodities, local sourcing strategies and healthcare workforce expansion. Findings The analysis highlights the inherent trade-offs between emergency response and routine healthcare continuity. Combining complementary preparedness measures results in stronger resilience outcomes than individual interventions. The HSCR model supports the quantification of these trade-offs and the evidence-based prioritization of investments under resource constraints. Practical implications The model informs policymakers and healthcare professionals on how to design and prioritize supply chain preparedness strategies that balance emergency response and routine healthcare delivery. Originality/value This research contributes to the existing healthcare resilience literature as a novel tool to operationalize resilience, supporting evidence-based decision-making for health system stakeholders. It bridges theoretical and practical approaches to resilience-building in SSA national healthcare systems, offering a replicable model adaptable to diverse disease profiles and country settings, such as low- and middle-income countries with centralized PPHC systems.
