Lean and resilience in the healthcare supply chain – a scoping review

Purpose The importance of a lean health-care supply chain is increasingly discussed. However, it is still not very clear how lean practices relate to resilience capabilities, as there are synergies and divergences between them. This study aims at identifying the relationship between lean practices and resilience capabilities in the health-care supply chain. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a scoping review based on five databases, which allowed the content analysis of 44 articles. Such analysis allowed the verification of trends and volume of studies on this topic. Further, the descriptive numerical and thematic analyses enabled the proposition of a conceptual framework, relating the adoption of lean practices to the development of resilience capabilities according to the tiers of the health-care supply chain in different value streams. Findings Three research directions were derived from this scoping review: empirical validation of the contribution of lean practices to resilience capabilities in the health-care supply chain; systemic implementation of lean practices across tier levels of the health-care supply chain; and complementary approaches to lean implementation toward a more resilient health-care supply chain. Practical implications The understanding of these relationships provides health-care managers arguments to prioritize the application of lean practices to improve desired resilience capabilities in the entire health-care supply chain. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no similar study in the literature.

The role of healt-hcare supply chain management in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic: hot off the press

Purpose The study aims to examine the role of health-care supply chain management during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-section of 42 selected sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Design/methodology/approach The study used cross-sectional robust least square regression for parameter estimates. Findings The results confirmed the N-shaped relationship between the health-care logistics performance index (HLPI) and COVID-19 cases. It implies that initially HLPI increases along with an increase in COVID-19 cases. Later down, it decreases COVID-19 cases by providing continued access to medical devices and personal protective equipment. Again, it increases due to resuming economic activities across countries. Practical implications The continuing health-care supply chain is crucial to minimize COVID-19 cases. The international support from the developed world in providing health-care equipment, debt resettlement and resolving regional conflicts is deemed desirable to escape the SSA countries from the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value The importance of the health-care supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic is evident in the forecasting estimates, which shows that from August 2021 to April 2022, increasing the health-care supply chain at their third-degree level would reduce coronavirus registered cases. The results conclude that SSA countries required more efforts to contain coronavirus cases by thrice increasing their health-care logistics supply chain.

Location Proof Systems for Smart Internet of Things: Requirements, Taxonomy, and Comparative Analysis

In the current hyper-connected, data-driven era, smart devices are providing access to geolocation information, enabling a paradigm shift in diverse domains. Location proof systems utilize smart devices to provide witnessed proof of location to enable secure location-based services (LBS). Applications of location proof systems include safety, asset management and operations monitoring in health care, supply chain tracking, and Internet-of-Things (IoT)-based location intelligence in businesses. In this paper, we investigate the state of the art in location proof systems, examining design challenges and implementation considerations for application in the real world. To frame the analysis, we have developed a taxonomy of location proof systems and performed a comparative analysis over the common attributes, highlighting their strength and weaknesses. Furthermore, we have identified future trends for this increasingly important area of investigation and development.

Benchmarking health-care supply chain by implementing Industry 4.0: a fuzzy-AHP-DEMATEL approach

PurposeWith the rising needs of health-care (HC) services during the health outbreaks, it is essential to upgrade the existing HC delivery infrastructure. The study aims to prioritize and highlight the interrelationships among the key factors of the smart health-care supply chain (HCSC) by implementing the concept of Industry 4.0.Design/methodology/approachThe key factors of implementing Industry 4.0 in HCSC have been identified through extensive literature review and stakeholders' opinions. To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the present study proposed hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools, namely, the fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy- decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). The Fuzzy-AHP prioritized the factors of implementing Industry 4.0 in HCSC, while the cause–effect relationships among the factors have been explored using fuzzy-DEMATEL.FindingsThe results of the study indicated that HC logistics management (HCLM) is the most prioritized factor of implementing Industry 4.0 in HCSC, followed by the integrated HCSC, then sustainable HCSC practices, HCSC innovation and technological aspects, HCSC institutional perspectives, HCSC competitiveness, social aspects and economic factors of HCSC. The cause–effect analysis has highlighted integrated HCSC, HCLM, HCSC competitiveness and social aspects as the cause group factors and they are the critical success parameters for implementing Industry 4.0 in the HCSC.Practical implicationsThe results of the study can be useful for policymakers, humanitarian organizations, health administrators and other decision makers considering the smartening of HCSC to enhance the operational performance of health facilities.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to have been conducted so far in which the subfactors of HCSC implementing Industry 4.0 have been identified and analyzed using the fuzzy-AHP and fuzzy-DEMATEL hybrid approach.

A Review on Lean Thinking and It's applicability for Implementation on Farming

The lean thinking accentuates on the philosophy of continuously improving performance by systematically eliminating wastes. Lean thinking [1] was introduced to extend the concept from manufacturing floor to various fields like health care, supply chain, service industries, construction, hotel industries etc. Experience shows that adopting lean thinking requires abandoning deeply engrained mainstream management thought routines and this is never easy. As various lean tools when applied to industries results in development. Now this is the time to adopt this valuable tool of development in agriculture field for changing its status. This paper is intended to provide an overview on concept of lean thinking and its applicability for implementation on farming by conferring with various lean tools.