“Coke is everywhere. In fact, when I travel to the developing world, Coke feels ubiquitous. [...] If we can understand what makes something like Coca-Cola ubiquitous, we can apply those lessons then for the public good.” -Melinda Gates
In Africa, nearly half of people lack access to critical medicines. The continent covers 11.7 million square miles and is divided into 54 different countries. Physical infrastructure is a huge problem, meaning that the roads themselves serve as roadblocks for critical medicines and supplies that need to reach rural locations.
Coca-Cola, on the other hand, has mastered the fine art of logistics. Wendy Manning, their former VP of Customer Logistics, once said the company is able to deliver a drink from a factory to a local store within 48 hours.
Is Coca-Cola’s supply chain expertise the answer to Africa’s logistics challenges? The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation thought so.
In this week’s Dial P for Procurement, Kelly Barner tells the story of Coca-Cola’s Project Last Mile, a public-private partnership that is improving healthcare supply chains in Africa:
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