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Can locker box logistics enable more human centric medical supply chains?

Can locker box logistics enable more human centric medical supply chains?
Can locker box logistics enable more human centric medical supply chains?
The fast flow of goods into hospitals is often stalled by the external-internal supply chain interface (i.e. the receipts department). This issue is particularly pertinent regarding the delivery of urgent items for specific patients or in the event of low inventory levels. An unattended electronic locker bank to which individual urgent items can be delivered and subsequently collected by the ‘user’ was proposed for Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, UK. The feasibility of this concept is quantified using a hill climbing model operating with a significant database of consignment movements; and, qualitatively using staff interviews. Results indicate that a locker bank measuring 4m length, 1.7m height and 0.8m depth, comprising 11 partitions would be required to accommodate all urgent consignments for any given day. Staff perceptions of the concept were positive suggesting the locker would potentially improve the speed and quality of healthcare delivered to patients.
healthcare, supply chain, bullwhip effect, optimisation, out-of-hours delivery
1367-5567
447-460
Bailey, Gavin
b5be6ab7-45fa-4176-a9ea-84bef64ab631
Cherrett, Tom
e5929951-e97c-4720-96a8-3e586f2d5f95
Waterson, Ben
60a59616-54f7-4c31-920d-975583953286
Long, Robert
b66f75ce-4c85-46ff-bd32-d63a8356a724
Bailey, Gavin
b5be6ab7-45fa-4176-a9ea-84bef64ab631
Cherrett, Tom
e5929951-e97c-4720-96a8-3e586f2d5f95
Waterson, Ben
60a59616-54f7-4c31-920d-975583953286
Long, Robert
b66f75ce-4c85-46ff-bd32-d63a8356a724

Bailey, Gavin, Cherrett, Tom, Waterson, Ben and Long, Robert (2013) Can locker box logistics enable more human centric medical supply chains? [in special issue: Selected Papers from the Logistics Research Network Conference (LRN 2012), 5-7 September, Cranfield, UK] International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 6 (6), 447-460. (doi:10.1080/13675567.2013.856874).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The fast flow of goods into hospitals is often stalled by the external-internal supply chain interface (i.e. the receipts department). This issue is particularly pertinent regarding the delivery of urgent items for specific patients or in the event of low inventory levels. An unattended electronic locker bank to which individual urgent items can be delivered and subsequently collected by the ‘user’ was proposed for Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, UK. The feasibility of this concept is quantified using a hill climbing model operating with a significant database of consignment movements; and, qualitatively using staff interviews. Results indicate that a locker bank measuring 4m length, 1.7m height and 0.8m depth, comprising 11 partitions would be required to accommodate all urgent consignments for any given day. Staff perceptions of the concept were positive suggesting the locker would potentially improve the speed and quality of healthcare delivered to patients.

Text
2013 [69-A] Locker Box JLogisticRes.pdf - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Published date: December 2013
Keywords: healthcare, supply chain, bullwhip effect, optimisation, out-of-hours delivery
Organisations: Transportation Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 360722
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/360722
ISSN: 1367-5567
PURE UUID: 751dbdec-2c98-4699-ae26-1e913b424335
ORCID for Tom Cherrett: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0394-5459
ORCID for Ben Waterson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9817-7119

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Date deposited: 02 Jan 2014 10:01
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:58

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Contributors

Author: Gavin Bailey
Author: Tom Cherrett ORCID iD
Author: Ben Waterson ORCID iD
Author: Robert Long

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