Factors impacting technology adoption in hospital bed logistics

Agility adaptability and alignment in start-ups

Purpose

When coping with uncertainties, three characteristics distinguish firms: agility, adaptability and alignment (triple-A). Based on significant field research, the triple-A highlights the significance of coordinating agility, adaptability and alignment. Start-ups are facing a lot of challenges in this turbulent environment. However, this sector is undergoing a major transformation. Agility, adaptability and alignment concepts have had a major influence on the supply chain, but their implementation in start-ups has been less visible. This paper aims to identify, analyze and categorize the enablers for agility, adaptability and alignment in start-ups using the total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

In addition to the scheduled interview, a closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect data. To identify how the factors interact, the TISM technique is used, and the Matriced’Impacts Croises-Multipication Applique’ and Classment method is used to rank and categorize the agility, adaptability and alignment enablers.

Findings

This study identified ten agility, adaptability and alignment factors for start-ups. It has been found that the key importance should be given to management involvement, conflict management, collaboration and information integration.

Research limitations/implications

This study primarily focused on the agility, adaptability and alignment factors in start-ups.

Practical implications

This study will help academics and key stakeholders understand the aspects that lead to agility, adaptability and alignment in start-ups.

Originality/value

Agility, adaptability and alignment concepts have had a major influence on the supply chain, but their implementation in start-ups has been less visible. Therefore, this is a novel attempt in this industry’s agility, adaptability and alignment.

Psychological health correlation of express delivery workers’ occupational stress in the information logistics environment

With the promotion of the Internet of Things technology, more and more industries have begun to combine with the Internet of Things technology. After joining the WTO, China’s market economy has continued to deepen. During this period, the e-commerce industry has developed rapidly, which has promoted the rise of the express delivery industry. While the rise of the industry provides jobs for employees, it also brings enormous pressure to employees. Due to the occupational stress of various stressors in the express delivery industry, a series of psychological problems have been caused. “Occupational stress” is also called occupational stress, which refers to the physiological and psychological stress caused by the imbalance between objective needs and personal adaptability in a certain occupational environment. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a correlation study on the psychological health of express delivery workers’ occupational stress in the information logistics environment. It is expected to explore the relationship between occupational stress and mental health of couriers in the context of informatization, so as to provide employees with a better working environment and reduce personal stress. Logistics informatization means that logistics enterprises use modern information technology to collect, classify, transmit, summarize, identify, track, and query all or part of the information generated in the logistics process, so as to realize the control of the flow of goods. This paper analyzed the inventory of express companies, and reasonably analyzed the profit composition of the inventory link, then used a more reasonable time series seasonal coefficient method to predict the amount of incoming shipments. This paper used a combination of theoretical and empirical methods to discuss the psychological health and occupational stress of express delivery workers and to explore the relationship between the two. The experiment results of this paper showed that in the interpersonal sensitivity analysis, the coefficient of occupational stress is 0.052, and the degree of occupational stress is proportional to interpersonal sensitivity. The higher the occupational stress, the higher the interpersonal sensitivity index. The coefficient of occupational stress is-0.31. Occupational stress is inversely proportional to age. The older the age, the lower the interpersonal sensitivity index.

A green supply chain taxonomy in healthcare: critical factors for a proactive approach

Purpose

The aim of this study is to identify the critical factors of green supply chain (GSC) and to adapt these factors to the taxonomy of green practices in healthcare.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative multiple-case study approach was followed based on 60 interviews with nine French hospitals. An intra-case and a cross-case analysis were implemented.

Findings

The findings provide a taxonomy of healthcare GSC and show that regulation, cost reduction, top management commitment, employee training, information technology and measures of environmental performance are critical factors for GSC implementation. The study also underlines a few emergent critical factors including the purchasing group, environmental champion, building construction, combining safety and green approaches.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted in France following a qualitative methodological approach. Future research can consider other national and cross-national investigations and other quantitative or mixed methods approaches.

Practical implications

The research provides managers and policy makers numerous invaluable suggestions for the implementation of GSC practices in healthcare facilities. To accelerate GSC implementation, managers can invest in the construction of new buildings, in information technology, and in the automation of flows.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper identifying the critical factors of GSC implementation in the healthcare sector. It is also the first attempt to provide a taxonomy of hospitals according to their green approaches (reactive, receptive, and proactive).

Classifying healthcare warehouses according to their performance. A Cluster Analysis-based approach

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to propose an approach to comparatively analyze the performance of drugs and consumable products warehouses belonging to different healthcare institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A Cluster Analysis is completed in order to classify warehouses and identify common patterns based on similar organizational characteristics. The variables taken into account are associated with inventory levels, the number of SKUs, and incoming and outgoing flows.

Findings

The outcomes of the empirical analysis are confirmed by additional indicators reflecting the demand level and the associated logistics flows faced by the warehouses at issue. Also, the warehouses belonging to the same cluster show similar behaviors for all the indicators considered, meaning that the performed Cluster Analysis can be considered as coherent.

Research limitations/implications

The study proposes an approach aimed at grouping healthcare warehouses based on relevant logistics aspects. Thus, it can foster the application of statistical analysis in the healthcare Supply Chain Management. The present work is associated with only one regional healthcare system.

Practical implications

The approach might support healthcare agencies in comparing the performance of their warehouses more accurately. Consequently, it could facilitate comprehensive investigations of the managerial similarities and differences that could be a first step toward warehouse aggregation in homogeneous logistics units.

Originality/value

This analysis puts forward an approach based on a consolidated statistical tool, to assess the logistics performances in a set of warehouses and, in turn to deepen the related understanding as well as the factors determining them.

Analyzing the operational barriers of government-supported healthcare supply chain

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a methodology for the identification, categorization and prioritization of operational government-supported healthcare supply chain barriers (GHSCBs).

Design/methodology/approach

This study develops a theoretical background for identifying and segregating relevant GHSCBs and proposes a 5W2H (a Toyota production system) with fuzzy DEcision MAking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) embedded approach to quantify the causal–effect relationships among the identified operational GHSCBs.

Findings

Seven GHSCBs (i.e. uncertainty of demand management, lack of continuous improvement and learning, lack of deadline management, lack of social audit, warehousing equipment unavailability, human resource shortage and inadequate top level monitoring) were identified as significant cause group where the government, top management and decision-makers of government-supported healthcare supply chain (GHSC) have to put efforts.

Research limitations/implications

The results obtained are specific to the GHSC of Indian perspective, which could be extended to global context. However, the proposed approach can be a base and provide a platform to understand and analyze the interactions among GHSCBs.

Practical implications

The proposed methodology will show the appropriate areas for allocating efforts and resources to mitigate the impact of GHSCBs for successful implementation of healthcare supply chain.

Originality/value

According to best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study of operational barrier for GHSC in India in specific. The use of 5W2H embedded fuzzy DEMATEL approach for the development and analysis of the theoretical framework of Indian GHSCBs is unique in barrier literature.