Zipline: Navigating the Rwanda Skies to Make Medical Supplies Accessible to Millions on Land
| Case Code: OPER162 Case Length: 12 Pages Period: 2016-2022 Pub Date: 2024 Teaching Note: Available |
Price: Rs.500 Organization : Zipline International Inc. (Zipline) Industry :Transport & Logistics Countries : Rwanda Themes: Supply Chain Management, Sustainability Sustainable Innovation |
Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts
Abstract
US-based drone service provider Zipline International Inc. (Zipline) delivered critical medical supplies to citizens living in remote and hard-to-reach areas of Rwanda, saving many lives in the process. Rwanda, with its challenging terrain and limited infrastructure, faced significant problems in reaching timely medical supplies to all parts of the country. Zipline started its operations in Rwanda in 2016 in collaboration with the Rwandan government. By 2022, Zipline had flown more than 30 million autonomous miles and delivered more than 450,000 parcels containing 4.5 million different medical supplies. In December 2022, the Government of Rwanda signed a new agreement with Zipline, with an aim to fly Zips over 200 million autonomous kilometers and do about 2 million instant deliveries by 2029. Scalability and sustainability, however, proved to be significant obstacles in a nation with unfavorable geographic and climatic characteristics. Will Keller Rinaudo, CEO of Zipline, be able to collaborate closely with the local government to secure the necessary infrastructure given the goal of tripling delivery volume? Will he be able to successfully negotiate intricate regulatory frameworks? Will Zipline be able to make enough money to manufacture enough Zips to meet the increasing need for medical supply drone delivery?
Issues
The case is structured to achieve the following teaching objectives:
- Understand how technology is enabling last-mile delivery of medical supplies in emerging economies.
- Discuss how innovative technology like drones is disrupting the healthcare supply chain industry.
- Examine how the use of drones in the healthcare industry is addressing global sustainability challenges.
- Prepare a strategy for the development of healthcare sector in emerging economies.
Contents
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Introduction
About Zipline
Healthcare Infrastructure in Rwanda: Challenges
Zipline: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Saving Lives
Zips: Flying High in the Rwanda Skies
Turbulent skies ahead?
Exhibit
Keywords
Supply Chain Management; Strategy Management; Sustainability; Emerging Economies; Medical Supplies; Last-mile Delivery; Partnerships models; Drones; Healthcare Supply Chain; Healthcare Technology; Disruption
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