3D Printing - To print or not to print? Aspects to consider before adoption - A supply chain perspective

3D printing is believed by many to be the next industrial revolution. The technology is already deployed in production. However, supply chain literature is still in its infancy regarding this topic, despite 3D printings radical impact on supply chains. A framework has been developed to assess various aspects that need to be considered when deploying such technology as part of the production process. Literature has been drawn from cross-discipline (e.g. social sciences, engineering, and business). The challenge for businesses will be whether to incur the cost impact today or the opportunity cost of tomorrow if 3D printing is not adopted

Causes, effects and mitigation of unreliable healthcare supplies

This study investigates the means by which hospitals can improve the reliability of their medical supply value streams. Field research involving pharmacy supplies in eight Australasian public sector hospitals utilised a rigorous, multi-method data collection procedure based around the uncertainty circle model. Value stream maturity, performance inhibitors and pathways to effective improvement are explored. The high levels of value stream uncertainty detected are commonly the result of process immaturity and poor inter-functional integration. Chief among the common root causes is failure by the executive to acknowledge the strategic value of medical supplies management, which ultimately leads to higher materials cost and increased risk of a medical mishap. The study demonstrates how managers can use systems thinking and a context-free performance benchmark to identify effective interventions and potentially transferable best practices