The use of social media and crowd sourcing has been put to work in disaster relief efforts on the ground as well as in the beginnings of the Arab Spring. The articles Crowd Sourcing: Social Media Enhances Supply Chain Agility and Supply chain: Crowd sourcing make it clear that for businesses to remain competitive and survive they must embrace the technology of social media.
Relief organizations can use the technology for getting clean water and other supplies to specific locations but it can also be used for less structured organizations to mobilize individuals for gathering and distributing supplies, similar to how social media is used to organize flash mob wedding proposals. On the negative side however is gathering momentum for the types of activities that occurred in Morgantown, WV after last weekend's football game.
If crowd sourcing can be used for the benefit of fun and games ( and uprisings) it should at least be taken seriously for the business model of supply chains.
Will small business owners be able to tap into the possibilities as well as large corporations or will they be the leaders in using supply chains via crowd sourcing and thereby become more competitive? Will crowd sourcing enhance the supply of humanitarian aid?
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