Material Management Proposal

Material Management Proposal

As companies move towards increased global competitiveness, supply chains face new issues and challenges. These include increasing demands to reduce costs, increase quality, improve customer service and ensure continuity of supply (Goebel et al., 2003). In health care, departments called “Materials Management” are responsible for directing the supply chain. Materials managers control significant resources (Langabeer, 2008, p.241). Hence, this paper will: 1) discuss the role of material management and the role of operations managers in this process, 2) identify possible constraints the hospital may experience in its supply chains, 3) describe the potential effects of implementing a new collaborative planning process, 4) justify implementing a new collaborative planning process, and 5) provide suggestions on how to keep the hospital supplied during a disaster.

Role of Materials Management within the hospital and The Role of Operations Managers in this process

Mondofacto Medical Dictionary (2010) defined Hospital Materials Management as “the management of all procurement, distribution, and storage of equipment and supplies, as well as logistics management including laundry, processing of reusables, etc.” Typically, in nearly all community hospitals, it is an umbrella department that consists of several other roles such as (Langabeer, 2008):

• Purchasing.

• Inventory management.

• Supply distribution and replenishment.

• Central stores and warehousing.

• Revenue charge capture for supplies and equipment.

• Sterile processing.

• Laundry and linen operations.

• Mail and courier services.

• Patient transportation.

• Participation in the hospital's strategic planning (Jackson, 1991).

According to (Langabeer, 2008, p.248, 249) operations managers must organize efforts during facility expansion and construction phases to elevate visibility of the significance of layout and its impact on operational efficiencies. There are five...