scholarly journals Technology in healthcare: A case study of healthcare supply chain management models in a general hospital in Singapore

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mittal Chikul ◽  
Hsann Yin Maw ◽  
Yang Kok Soong

Objective: To simulate and compare a manual hospital supply chain management model versus a process that is technologically integrated (either by Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] technology or automated guided vehicles [AGVs]), in a general hospital in Singapore.Methods: Design: Deterministic modelling of hospital supply chain management for manual and technologically integrated processes as part of the institutional quality improvement exercise. Setting: Study was conceptualised during re-location of a 355-bed general hospital to newer premises within Singapore with an increased capacity of 700 beds. Study duration was 1.5 years and data collection was performed from Sep 2014 to Sep 2015.Results: Automating the inventory check and use of automated guided vehicles for medical supplies can improve business and operational performance by saving time on no-value added activities that can be transferred to patient care. RFID intervention requires least number of man-hours per day reducing the total manpower requirements by about one third as compared to the manual process while improving productivity by about 40%, it also provides cost savings of about 25% over a period of 10 years. Sensitivity analysis shows that extent of these cost savings are dependent on overall staff utilisation. Although use of AGV alone is expensive in our model, combining AGVs with RFID technology provides the least manpower dependence among the different interventions studied, it also gives a positive return on investment as compared to manual process beyond 3 years of operations.Conclusions: Optimising supply chains within healthcare helps minimise manpower dependency and costs. However, prior to adopting a specific intervention, the unique characteristics of each healthcare setting should be considered. There is need for similar research into healthcare supply chains to identify key determinants to cost savings and improving productivity, both locally and regionally.

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 424-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oguji Nnamdi ◽  
Richard Owusu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the scope of sourcing research in Sub-Sahara African (SSA) from scholarly journals published from 1980 to 2013 on sourcing-related issues. The study identifies what is known about sourcing from this region and the implications for managers and researchers in supply chain management. Design/methodology/approach – Totally, 40 scholarly journals (supply chain journals and other journals publishing on diverse business topics) were found relevant and reviewed. Content (all field) search using the names of each SSA countries (e.g. Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, etc.) was carried out in the supply chain journals to filter out articles discussing sourcing-related topics. For other business journals, keyword search was performed (procurement, sourcing, purchasing, outsourcing, supplier relations, supplier selection, supplier development, supply management, offshore, supply chain and logistics). Findings – The literature review suggests that studies discussing sourcing issues in SSA have focussed mainly on challenges of sourcing from SSA, and they provide some insights on implementation of supply chain tools such as total quality management, negotiating and selecting suppliers from SSA, and just-in time purchasing. However, the authors found that there is an under-representation of this region in supply chain management literature. More so, the articles discussing sourcing issues in Africa are limited in scope empirically and theoretically in comparison with the large amount of contributions in other emerging economies of Asia and developed economies. Research limitations/implications – The limited amount of publications and contributions does not allow us to provide an integrated framework for sourcing from SSA. Practical implications – There is a need for future research to explore how the SSA context could enhance theorizing in supply chains. Also, there is need for researchers to extend the sourcing debate from the over emphasis on technology sourcing, knowledge intensive service outsourcing and component sourcing to other lower value-added products such as agricultural products and other raw materials sourced in SSA. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first to explore the scope of sourcing in Africa. As the findings suggest, there have been limited amount of papers published about this region. The review provides a perspective for researchers to explore this region and to aid theory development in supply chains. It also provided implications on how to support research publication focussing on this region and how to inform managerial perceptions on sourcing from SSA.


Author(s):  
Kamalendu Pal

The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in Supply Chain Management (SCM) is one of the promising innovations in recent decades. This chapter first presents an introduction to the concepts and principles of RFID. It then discusses advantages and disadvantages of this technology in a supply chain setting. Application areas of RFID in the context of supply chains are reviewed to demonstrate best practices and related important implementation issues. Different industries (e.g. automotive, transport, retail) are used to emphasizing the benefits of RFID technology. The chapter also highlights operational and strategic implications of adopting RFID-based technological solutions and summarizes available evidence. Finally, a theoretical framework that links RFID key benefits and information attributes used in decision making is proposed. This chapter also provides comprehensive guidance for those considering the implementation of RFID in their supply chains.


2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (277) ◽  
pp. 93-107
Author(s):  
Aurélien Rouquet ◽  
Christine Roussat ◽  
Valentina Carbone

La littérature ensupply chain management(SCM) a délaissé un type desupply chains : lesconsumer-to-consumer(C2C)supply chains, qui relient les consommateurs lorsqu’ils échangent des produits. Reposant sur une approche conceptuelle, cet article montre à la communauté logistique et SCM l’intérêt qu’il y a à explorer cessupply chains. L’article dégage quatre spécificités de ces chaînes : 1) leur orientation perpendiculaire auxsupply chainsclassiques, 2) le fort amateurisme de ses acteurs, 3) leur large encastrement social, 4) leur structure plus directe. L’étude des C2Csupply chainsest susceptible d’élargir le spectre du SCM en y intégrant plus fortement le consommateur.


Author(s):  
Vladimir Shcherbakov ◽  
Galina Silkina

The customer-oriented approach is actively developing within the global trend of the modern industrial revolution that is Industry 4.0. The focus on customer interests has led to cooperation and integration in supply chains, improving their efficiency and increasing transparency, awareness, and trust. However, an issue emerging in this scenario is that conventional supply chain management (SCM) procedures are unable to identify the potential proposal for a particular user. Modern businesses need to build integrated supply chains, which require well-developed infrastructure and easily available complementary services, relying on logistics as a networking technology. Supply chains of this generation grow from traditional individual desynchronized economic relations (linear models with some feedback and the simplest network configurations) to scalable, adaptable, harmonized partner networks. The logistics potential allows additional income by reducing the total costs of participants in the network, thus increasing the competitiveness of companies; this can be implemented based on new models of interaction in the current digital environment through, firstly, system integration. Our goal consists of identifying the essential characteristics of system integration and substantiating the methods for its implementation in the digital economy. The study is based on the analysis of global best practices, considering the reports from leading consulting companies and competent analytical agencies. We have confirmed that the role of a virtual system integrator of supply chains belongs to logistics platforms; the effects of a transition to platform business models are discussed in detail.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Bin Zhou ◽  
Fiona Xiaoying Ji

Lean is a systematic approach to identify and eliminate non-value-added activities or waste through continuous improvement process. While traditional lean manufacturing focuses on the activities within a single organization, lean supply chain consists of the same processes, but it views these processes over multiple organizations. This research addresses an important yet under-studied area – lean supply chain management in small organizations, especially small manufacturing firms. The study examines driving factors of lean supply chain management, focus of lean supply chain practices, and major supply chain and information technology solutions applied in these companies. Through a research survey, the study has provided important insights into the current status of lean supply chain practices and related implementation issues in small businesses.


Author(s):  
Sicco Santema

In this paper we take a closer look at developments in supply management. The main change in this discipline seems to be (2011) that cooperation and risk management are taking over the classical silo based way of looking at business. Companies start to learn that transactions block the profits throughout the chain. Or, to put it the other way around, supply chain parties learn that sharing interests is earning much more money and that supply chains become ‘faster, cheaper and better’.


2021 ◽  
pp. 40-60
Author(s):  
A. P. Tyapukhin

The territorial approach is the basic approach to a region management. At the same time, the “territory” component is the basis of the logistics complex used in Supply Chain Management. In this regard, a need is to clarify and supplement the theory and methodology of the territorial approach to the management of both the region and the supply chains.The subject of this study is the relationship between the regional authorities and the focus enterprise of the supply chain regarding the development of the territories and resources of the region on a mutually beneficial basis.The research methods are methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, as well as classification, and the tools are binary matrices that provide for the joint use of two classification attributes of the object under study and their dichotomies.The results of this study are the management principles by the competitiveness and sustainability of the management object; classifications of approaches to the management by the region and supply chains; of territories from the point of view of the focus enterprise of the supply chain and the region; the management decisions in the interaction of regions with the links of supply chains; the sequence of the formation of supply chains and the development of territories and resources of the region on the basis of the territorial approach and the relationship between them.The obtained results allow to reduce the costs and time for the development of territories and resources of the region by reducing the lost profits of the supply chain links due to their rational placement and increasing sustainability by achieving a synergistic effect both by the region and by the supply chains.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-202
Author(s):  
Siti Amalia ◽  
Dio Caisar Darma ◽  
Siti Maria

At the beginning of the emergence of Covid-19, there was panic buying in Indonesia which caused an unusual situation in supply management. Although the handling of this epidemic has entered a "new normal", the availability of stocks of electronics, automotive, pharmaceuticals, food, and others is running low and out of control, so supply chain management is needed. The purpose of this article is to try to see the extent of the transformation in supply and demand in Indonesia. With this in-depth literature, the supply chain model is likely to transform globally, given that many companies are confused about management being unable to cope with drastic changes in the market. The demand patterns over the past period indicate a shift from offline to online storefronts. Even though it has now entered a transition to a new normal and shopping outlets are slowly opening up, online shopping or demand patterns are predicted to last a long time. Therefore, supply chain actors, especially farmers, logistics entrepreneurs, and shipping services, inevitably have to be able to quickly adapt to changing patterns in Indonesia. There is an imbalance between the demand and supply sides. Food supply chains tend to be unique in comparison to the supply chains of other products and services.


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