Conducting In-Depth Case Studies in Humanitarian Logistics: The Case of MSF

Despite the evolution of logistics research towards qualitative methods such as case studies, there is still a great important number of quantitative studies in the logistics and supply chain management discipline and this is particularly true in humanitarian logistics. This chapter addresses this issue, not by explaining when or why case study research should be used in humanitarian logistics, but rather explaining how it was used to conduct an in-depth case study with one international humanitarian organization: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) France. The chapter explains thoroughly the process of conducting this case study as a mean of sharing an experience, and sheds a light on some of the key aspects to take into account in order to get the most of this method.