This research investigates the application of supply chain strategies in the healthcare sector from the perspective of purchasing in the Dubai Health Authority. The objective of this research is twofold. Firstly, this paper aims at examining the relation between the products' characteristics and their related supply chain strategies. Secondly, the current supply chain strategy will be investigated.
The data used to investigate these issues was obtained from a qualitative study from a semi structured face-to-face interview. The interview is crucial in providing a more in-depth insight into the products’ characteristics and their supply chain strategies characteristics. The analysis of the data will demonstrate that there is a correlation between the products' characteristics and the supply chain strategies, which suggests a mutual focus on both applications of lean and agile strategies.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Research aim
1.3 Research objectives
1.4 Research questions
1.5 Dubai Health Authority profile
1.6 Research structure
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Supply chain Strategy
2.3 Supply chain management in healthcare
2.3.1 Patients flow supply chain
2.3.2 Supply chain management challenges in healthcare
2.4 Lean management
2.4.1 History of lean management
2.4.2 Lean management in healthcare
2.5 Agile concept
2.6 Purchasing portfolio
2.7 Literature review summary
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research philosophy
3.3 Research approach
3.4 Research strategy
3.5 Research techniques and choices
3.6 Time horizons
3.7 Data collection
3.7.1 Primary data
3.7.2 Secondary data
3.7.3 Data Sampling
3.8 Data analysis
3.9 Research ethics
3.10 Methodology summary
Chapter 4: Findings
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Respondents profile
4.2.1 Respondent’s job profile
4.2.2 Years of experience
4.3 Supply chain strategy
4.4 Products characteristics
4.4.1 Functional products characteristics
4.4.2 Innovative products characteristics
4.5 Supply chain strategy characteristics
4.5.1 Lean Supply Chain (stock-products)
4.5.2 Agile Supply Chain (nonstock-products)
Chapter 5: Research Analysis
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Supply chain strategy
5.3 Products characteristics:
5.3.1 Functional products characteristics (stock-products):
5.3.2 Innovative products characteristics (nonstock-products):
5.4 Supply chain strategies (lean / Agile):
Chapter 6: Conclusion
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Answers to research questions
6.3 Limitations of this research
6.4 Recommendations for future academic research
Research Goals and Themes
This research aims to investigate the application of supply chain strategies within the healthcare sector, specifically focusing on purchasing practices at the Dubai Health Authority. The study explores the relationship between product characteristics—categorized as stock-products and non-stock products—and the implementation of lean and agile supply chain strategies.
- Application of lean and agile supply chain strategies in healthcare.
- Correlation between product characteristics and supply chain strategy selection.
- Purchasing perspectives at the Dubai Health Authority.
- Evaluation of lean versus agile strategies and the possibility of a combined approach.
- Analysis of operational constraints and factors influencing purchasing decisions.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4 Lean management
The start of lean thinking originally developed during the 1980’s, when the Japanese manufacturing sector initiated the lean management concepts, more specifically in Toyota Production System with the main objective to do more with less (Holweg, 2007). Christopher and Towill (2001, p.4) defines lean as “Leanness means developing a value stream to eliminate all waste including time, and to enable a level schedule”. Additionally, Christopher and Towill explained that the lean management concepts are more applicable to products and services with a stable demand and more predictable forecast.
The Japanese term “Muda” used after the Second World War to describe any non-value added activities or process that need to be eliminated. Later on, the non-value added in the processes was described as waste that needed to be eliminated from activities to drive more value to the customer (Al-Balushi et al., 2014). The first step of lean management is to develop the value stream map for the processes of material and services flow, to identify the non-value added and the value-added activities from the customer’s point of view (Bancroft and Saha, 2016). Likewise, Holweg (2007) stated that the activities and the related processes map is often called a value-stream map. This map helps to identify the waste and the opportunities to create value or to maximize value from the processes and to eliminate non-value added processes.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: This chapter introduces the research context, aim, objectives, and research questions regarding supply chain strategies in the healthcare sector.
Chapter 2: Literature Review: This chapter reviews existing academic literature on supply chain strategy, lean and agile concepts, and purchasing portfolio models within healthcare.
Chapter 3: Research Methodology: This chapter details the interpretivist philosophy, case study strategy, and qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews.
Chapter 4: Findings: This chapter presents the data collected from the nine participants at the Dubai Health Authority regarding their purchasing practices.
Chapter 5: Research Analysis: This chapter analyzes the collected data by comparing findings with literature and identifying correlations between product characteristics and supply chain strategies.
Chapter 6: Conclusion: This chapter provides answers to the research questions, discusses the limitations of the study, and offers recommendations for future research.
Keywords
Supply Chain Strategy, Lean Management, Agile Concept, Healthcare Sector, Dubai Health Authority, Purchasing, Product Characteristics, Functional Products, Innovative Products, Thematic Analysis, Qualitative Research, Case Study, Inventory Management, Logistics, Supply Chain Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research investigates how supply chain strategies, specifically lean and agile models, are applied in the healthcare sector, using the Dubai Health Authority's purchasing department as a case study.
What are the core research topics covered?
The study covers supply chain strategies, lean management, agile concepts, purchasing portfolios, and product classification based on characteristics like life cycle, variety, and cost.
What is the main objective of the study?
The objectives are to examine the relationship between product characteristics and supply chain strategies, and to investigate current supply chain strategy characteristics from a purchasing perspective.
Which research methodology was utilized?
The study employed a qualitative research approach, using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with nine experts from the Dubai Health Authority.
What is addressed in the main analysis section?
The analysis compares the empirical findings from the interviews with established academic literature, evaluating the correlation between stock-products (functional) and lean strategies, as well as non-stock products (innovative) and agile strategies.
What are the key terms used to define the study?
The study is characterized by terms such as Supply Chain Strategy, Lean, Agile, Healthcare, Purchasing, and Interpretivism.
How does the Dubai Health Authority manage stock-products versus non-stock products?
The research finds that stock-products, treated as functional items, are aligned with lean characteristics like cost-efficiency and stable demand, whereas non-stock products are often treated with agile-like characteristics due to their uniqueness and urgent nature.
Does the research support a strict lean vs. agile dichotomy?
No, the findings suggest an overlap, indicating that organizations may pursue combined or hybrid strategies rather than treating lean and agile as mutually exclusive.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Mohammed Moqbel (Autor:in), 2017, Supply Chain Strategies in the healthcare sector. The purchasing perspective in the Dubai Health Authority, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/451716
