Health Care Logistics

Health Care Logistics

Keywords: Value Chain Management, Health Care, Operations Management, Process Management, Inventory Management, Order Management, Clinical Pathways, Strategic Procurement, Sourcing Strategies, Electronic Procurement, Bull Whip Effect, Demand Forecast, Internationalization, Privatization

Objectives: The aim and scope of this module are the special aspects of logistics and supply chain management in the health care industry. This module offers at first an introduction to the fundamentals of health care management. This industry is currently undergoing a phase of deregulation, which leads to privatization, professionalization and internationalization. This framework will be discussed with the help of several decisions situations. Furthermore, students learn to understand the basic mechanisms of the health care value chain, develop a sound knowledge of appropriate tools and techniques how to management supply chain management activities and learn how to evaluate logistic processes in this special field of application. Special emphasis is put on strategic aspects of procurement and logistics in health care. Management games and case studies will be integrated in this module.

Contents:
A. Introduction to Health Care Management
Some Fundamentals; Health Care Systems in Comparison; Creating a Value Based Competition in Health Care, Challenges for Modern Hospital Management; Structural and Process Management in Hospitals; Strategic Management in Health Care; Privatization, Professionalization and Internationalization of the Health Care Industry

B. The Health Care Value Chain:
Aim and Scope of Concept, Purchasing and Materials Management; (Fundamentals of Inventory Management, Classification of Material Types, Demand Forecast, Order Management); Inventory Management Game; Selected Topics of Hospital Procurement; Electronic Procurement in Health Care; Outsourcing of Logistics

C. Selected Issues in Strategic Sourcing and Logistics for Hospitals
On the Strategic Relevance of Procurement; Sourcing Strategies; Supplier Management; Strategic Procurement Portfolios, Vendor Managed Inventory and other Concepts

D. Case studies