Collaborative Methods In Supply Chain: A Case Of Study In a General Irish Hospital.

Abstract

Over the last decades’ companies in various segments have begun to realize that having more efficient processes within their own organization was no longer enough to ensure a competitive advantage over their competitors, and it was necessary to develop a systemic view of the entire chain that is inserted including its supply chain. Faced with these movements, the health sector realized that to increase its competitiveness, it was necessary to pay attention to supply chain management. Some studies indicate that efficient hospital supply chain management generates positive results such as cost reduction. For this reason, hospitals are increasingly adhering to supply chain management practices and methods. Given the above, the objective of this research was to present the five main methods of collaboration in supply chain management. More specifically, the study sought to look at the supply chain management of a small Irish general hospital and the challenges for implementing collaborative supply chain management practices in this hospital. The study results indicate that the hospital studied is not investing in supply chain collaborative methods and that many process improvement opportunities can be adopted, especially in its IT area that is paramount to the adoption of collaborative practices in the supply chain. The research also indicates that one of the key challenges for implementing collaborative supply chain management methods is a high investment.