Boxed up and locked up, safe and tight! Making the case for unattended electronic locker bank logistics for an innovative solution to NHS hospital supplies (UK)

YesThe lack of separation between urgent and non-urgent medical goods encourages sub-optimal vehicle fleet operations owing to the time critical nature of urgent items. An unattended electronic locker bank, to which individual urgent items can be delivered thereby separating urgent and non-urgent supply, was proposed for the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, UK. This concept was quantified using ‘basic’ and ‘intuitive’ hill climbing optimisation models; and qualitatively using staff interviews and expert reviews. Results indicated that a locker bank with a fixed height (1.7 m) and depth (0.8 m) required a length of 4 m (basic model) and 3.63 m (intuitive model), to accommodate 100% of urgent consignments for a typical week. Staff interviews indicated the wider benefits such as staff personal deliveries

The Case of Medicine Supply in Aveiro, Portugal

The evolution of the urban environment has changed significantly in the last 50 years, and we see considerable investments in urban logistics in order to make urban processes more efficient. This investigation intends to study the situation of urban logistics with the objective to study the current state of this system and analyze what lies ahead in the near future. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been under investigation in the world of logistics, having been pointed has the next logistic technology. For that reason, we set as an objective, analyze the working process of this aircraft, its capabilities, and its limitations. Based on this information, we intend to implement a scenario of deliveries in an urban environment. This scenario will be in the city of Aveiro and consists on the delivery of medicines into pharmacies located in an urban environment. With this study, we pretend to find the best current and future solution to operate in an urban environment. The study is divided into several studies, starting with an analysis of the literature, and then we carry out the SWOT analysis. Then we implement a delivery route to pharmacies, both for daily delivery and emergency medicines. The analysis is divided into two phases, one where the vehicles would initially start from the current logistical base and another phase, where the logistical base is proposed for a new location, that has been optimized to the delivery route to be carried out. From the various analyzes carried out, we obtain very conclusive results. For routes of significant payload and distance, the UAV is still not able to have great performances, being still preferential the use of a van. However, we verified that for emergency deliveries, the UAV from the new logistics base (L2) would have the best performance, as well as it would be a low cost of implementation. In some results, the performance was close to the van or even better, although it would not be cost effective. For that reason, we foresee a robust competition from the UAV as an emerging technology. It will soon have better capabilities and more competitive prices. The cost reduction of this type of deliveries may soon be possible with the use of UAVs.O meio urbano tem evoluído durante os últimos 50 anos, onde se verificou uma enorme aposta na logística urbana, por forma a tornar as tarefas urbanas mais eficientes e económicas. Esta investigação tem como objeto o estudo da logística urbana e tem como objetivo, aprofundar e estudar a estrutura atual dos sistemas de logística e analisar o que poderá ser o futuro próximo. Atualmente, a maior aposta tecnológica no mundo da logística é a aeronave não tripulada (UAV). Posto isto, tem-se também como objetivo analisar o funcionamento destas aeronaves, nomeadamente, as suas capacidades e limitações. Partindo de um cenário de logística urbana com recurso a UAV’s, pretendemos estudar e comparar o processo de entregas nesse mesmo meio urbano. A implementação do teatro de operações será na cidade de Aveiro e consiste na entrega de medicamentos às farmácias localizadas no meio urbano. Com este estudo tencionasse encontrar a melhor solução atual e prever uma futura que se adeque à operação apresentada. O estudo está dividido em várias partes. Primeiramente, começamos por uma análise da literatura e seguido uma análise SWOT. Por fim, no caso de estudo são implementadas várias rotas de entregas a farmácias, quer para medicamentos de entrega diária, quer de emergência. O sistema de entregas está dividido em duas fases, uma onde inicialmente a partida dos veículos seria feita na atual base de logística e outra onde o veículo parte de uma base logística proposta, que estará otimizada ao percurso de entrega que se pretende realizar. Das várias análises realizadas obtivemos resultados muito conclusivos. Para rotas de grande carga e distância, o UAV não consegue ter grandes desempenhos, sendo ainda preferencial a utilização da uma carrinha. Contudo, verificamos que para entregas de emergência, o UAV teria um melhor desempenho a partir da nova base de logística, e para além disso, o sistema de implementação seria mais barato. Numa análise futura, prevemos uma concorrência muito forte por parte do UAV, visto que em alguns resultados a performance deste é próxima ou melhor do que a carrinha. Sendo uma tecnologia emergente, em breve terá melhores capacidades e preços mais concorrentes. As reduções de custos deste tipo de entregas poderão em breve ser possíveis com a utilização de um UAV

A survey of health care models that encompass multiple departments

In this survey we review quantitative health care models to illustrate the extent to which they encompass multiple hospital departments. The paper provides general overviews of the relationships that exists between major hospital departments and describes how these relationships are accounted for by researchers. We find the atomistic view of hospitals often taken by researchers is partially due to the ambiguity of patient care trajectories. To this end clinical pathways literature is reviewed to illustrate its potential for clarifying patient flows and for providing a holistic hospital perspective

Indonesian pharmacy retailer segmentation using recency frequency monetary-location model and ant K-means algorithm

We proposed an approach of retailer segmentation using a hybrid swarm intelligence algorithm and recency frequency monetary (RFM)-location model to develop a tailored marketing strategy for a pharmacy industry distribution company. We used sales data and plug it into MATLAB to implement ant clustering algorithm and K-means, then the results were analyzed using RFM-location model to calculate each clusters’ customer lifetime value (CLV). The algorithm generated 13 clusters of retailers based on provided data with a total of 1,138 retailers. Then, using RFM-location, some clusters were combined due to identical characteristics, the final clusters amounted to 8 clusters with unique characteristics. The findings can inform the decision-making process of the company, especially in prioritizing retailer segments and developing a tailored marketing strategy. We used a hybrid algorithm by leveraging the advantage of swarm intelligence and the power of K-means to cluster the retailers, then we further added value to the generated clusters by analyzing it using RFM-location model and CLV. However, location as a variable may not be relevant in smaller countries or developed countries, because the shipping cost may not be a problem. 

Analysis of the supply chain management in a Portuguese public hospital: a case study

A situação atual das unidades de saúde é caracterizada pelo custo crescente da prestação dos cuidados, pelo consequente agravamento da situação financeira e pelos processos complicados e morosos. Aliados à procura crescente, podem tornar-se fatores que tornam a resposta do serviço deficiente. Devido a esta situação, uma gestão mais eficiente e eficaz da logística e da cadeia de abastecimento é reconhecida transversalmente como uma das principais áreas de melhoria. A fim de dar a conhecer quais as áreas a melhorar, vários objetivos foram contemplados neste trabalho, como a análise dos métodos e critérios de seleção de medicamentos em farmácias hospitalares, a definição de obstáculos à gestão racional de stocks e a análise de dados históricos para previsão da procura futura num hospital público português. O estudo revelou que alguns dos 1.346 produtos presentes no ERP da farmácia não têm dados históricos suficientes para criar uma previsão precisa. Neste contexto, e considerando um nível de serviço de 99%, 41% dos produtos têm stock superior ao que deveria ser o stock máximo, cerca de € 147.908,87 de imobilizado e 11% dos produtos estavam, à data, em risco de esgotar stock. A evolução dos sistemas de informação nos Hospitais deve garantir a sustentabilidade tecnológica da transformação digital, o alinhamento com as medidas de racionalização das TIC, a melhoria do serviço ao cliente e a melhoria da qualidade da informação disponibilizada ao utilizador. Por outro lado, considerando o atual evento de pandemia, foi analisado o seu impacto na cadeia de abastecimento hospitalar. A mudança de comportamento dos pacientes hospitalizados levou a duas quebras nítidas em dois indicadores relevantes, o número de consultas hospitalares e os gastos com medicamentos. Estes indicadores mostram que existe menos procura de serviços hospitalares regulares programados, com menos 1,9M de consultas realizadas nos Hospitais Públicos portugueses. No que concerne o consumo de medicamentos a nível nacional, previu-se um custo adicional de 103M € até ao final do ano, mais elevado do que nos anos anteriores.The current situation of healthcare units is characterized by the increasing cost of providing the respective care, the consequent deterioration of the financial situation and the complicated and time-consuming processes. Allied to the growing demand, they could become factors that make the service demand deficient. Due to this situation, more efficient and effective logistics and supply chain management is transversally recognized as one of the main areas for improvement. In order to provide insight on which areas to improve, several objectives where looked after in this work, as the analysis of the methods and criteria for the selection of medicines in hospital pharmacies, the definition of obstacles to the rational management of stocks and analysis of historical data to forecast future demand of a Portuguese public hospital. The study revealed that some of the 1346 products present on the pharmacy’s ERP do not have sufficient historical data to create an accurate forecast. With this context, and considering a service level of 99%, 41% of products have a stock higher than what should be the maximum stock, approximately € 147.908,87 of fixed assets and 11% of the products were, at the time, at risk of going out of stock. The importance of the evolution of core information system of Hospitals was at stake, ensuring the technological sustainability of the ongoing digital transformation, alignment with ICT rationalization measures, improvement of customer service and improvement of the quality of information available to the user. On a side note, considering the current event of pandemics, it was analyzed its impact on hospital supply chain. The change in the behavior of hospital patients led to two clear breaks in two relevant indicators, the number of hospital visits and spending on medication. These indicators show that there is less demand for scheduled hospital services, 1,9M less consultations carried out in Portuguese Public Hospitals. In these times, the capacity for hospital care and intensive care is exceeded, creating a significant challenge. In Portugal, as the impact of the pandemic on medication consumption nationwide, it was predicted an additional cost of € 103M by the end of the year, higher than in previous years

An Inquiry into Supply Chain Strategy Implications of the Sharing Economy for Last Mile Logistics

As the prevalence of e-commerce and subsequent importance of effective and efficient omnichannel logistics strategies continues to rise, retail firms are exploring the viability of sourcing logistics capabilities from the sharing economy. Questions arise such as, “how can crowdbased logistics solutions such as crowdsourced logistics (CSL), crowdshipping, and pickup point networks (PPN) be leveraged to increase performance?” In this dissertation, empirical and analytical research is conducted that increases understanding of how firms can leverage the sharing economy to increase logistics and supply chain performance. Essay 1 explores crowdsourced logistics (CSL) by employing a stochastic discrete event simulation set in New York City in which a retail firm sources drivers from the crowd to perform same day deliveries under dynamic market conditions. Essay 2 employs a design science paradigm to develop a typology of crowdbased logistics strategies using two qualitative methodologies: web content analysis and Delphi surveys. A service-dominant logic theoretical perspective guides this essay and explains how firms co-create value with the crowd and consumer markets while presenting a generic design for integrating crowdbased models into logistics strategy. In Essay 3, a crowdsourced logistics strategy for home delivery is modeled in an empirically grounded simulation optimization to explore the logistics cost and responsiveness implications of sharing economy solutions on omnichannel fulfillment strategies

Ecosystem Approach to the Formation of Goods Express Delivery Supply Chains in Aviation Logistics

The article shows that in the context of accelerating the processes of economic integration in aviation logistics at the micro, meso and macro levels, complicating the forms of business organization, the emergence of new forms of cooperation between companies and new ways of jointly creating added value, many organizational boundaries in the economy are becoming more blurred and dynamic. The use of the concept of "ecosystem" in research is growing. An attempt is made to consider the possibility of using the “ecosystem” design for economic analysis at the aggregated level and to highlight the elements of the aviation logistics ecosystem on which the attention of researchers will be focused. From the authors point of view, the aviation logistics ecosystem is a combination of aviation, logistics, transport and postal organizations, were provide goods express delivery supply chains with system of interconnected technologies use. In the framework of article analysis of air cargo industry framework, synchronization and digitization of service operations in air cargo service supply chain, express delivery supply chains were represented. The authors proposed a mathematical model that allows logisticians to optimize the supply chain of special categories of goods, which is one of the priority tasks of the aviation logistics ecosystem

Sustainability analysis of the CITYLAB solutions

The objective of the CITYLAB project is to develop knowledge and solutions that result in roll-out, upscaling and further uptake of cost effective strategies, measures and tools for emission free city logistics. CITYLAB includes a set of Living Laboratories where promising logistic concepts are implemented related to emissions free city logistics. The objective of this report is to assess the impact that would occur when the CITYLAB implementations would be scaled up. The main challenge that has to be overcome is the difference in type, availability and detail of data from different CITYLAB implementations. This assessment of the impacts of upscaling is done by integrating all stakeholders’ opinions in the evaluation process and taking into account the costs and benefits for society as well as the financial viability for industry partners