Supply Chain Management in Indian Healthcare

This research paper investigates the complexities of supply chain management within India's healthcare system. It examines key issues such as communication breakdowns, infrastructure limitations, and regulatory hurdles impacting efficiency and access to essential medical supplies. The study proposes strategies for enhancing coordination, transparency, and technology integration to optimize the healthcare supply chain in India.

Running head: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
An Investigation of Barriers to Healthcare Upstream Supply
Chain in India
Student Name: Shamila Mohamed Naazif
Chapter: 5 (Conclusion and recommendation)
Course Title: Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Professor: SebastianDominic
Name of the Institution: GMU, Italy. (Westford School of Management)
Date: 10/02/2018

1CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Table of Contents
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendation...................................................................................2
5.0 Conclusion:............................................................................................................................2
5.1 Linking with objectives:........................................................................................................2
5.2 Recommendation:..................................................................................................................6
5.3 Limitations of the research:...................................................................................................7
5.4 Future scope of the study:......................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

2CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendation
5.0 Conclusion:
The dissertation investigated the barriers of health care upstream supply chain in India. It
has been observed that the health care providers in India have been largely affected by the supply
chain management issues. The health care sector in India has faced several issues in terms of its
quality of services which has resulted in the inappropriate use of resources in enhancing the
health care supply chain management practices. Additionally, in the recent times, the hospitals in
India have faced severe pressure in terms of finding methods for reducing the costs while
maintaining and ensuring the quality of services provided. The researcher has identified and
analyzed the several factors and challenges that affect supply chain management in India.
The researcher also emphasized upon the problems related to supply chain management
from the perspectives of the hospital and the doctors. The research also aimed at identifying the
best suitable methods of mitigating the problems related to the supply chain management in the
health care sector in India. The researcher has used both primary and secondary data collection
methods in order to derive the appropriate results. The researcher conducted a questionnaire
survey wherein a questionnaire comprising of ten questions were sent to 50 hospital personnel in
India. The researcher has also used interview method in order to obtain more accurate and
reliable information.
5.1 Linking with objectives:
Objective 1: To determine which factors affecting the upstream SCM of healthcare in India
The researcher identified the major factors that affect the upstream supply chain
management of health care in India as relationship with suppliers, specifications and standards,

3CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
after procurement service and compatibility. The researcher found that majority of the
respondents believed that the major factor that influenced up streaming supply chain
management of healthcare in India is the specification and standard. Several respondents also
believed that the major factor was the relationship with the suppliers. Therefore, it can be stated
that two major factors that influence up streaming supply chain management of healthcare in
India are specification and standard and relationship with the suppliers.
The researcher also analyzed the importance of timely delivery as one of the major
factors that affect up streaming supply chain management of healthcare in India. The results
showed that a majority of the respondents strongly agreed to the fact that timely delivery is one
of the major factors that affect up streaming supply chain management of healthcare in India.
The researcher also analyzed the importance of safety in supplying materials from one place to
another and the results have proven that a majority of the respondents believe that safety is an
important aspect in supplying materials from one place to another. Therefore, it can be stated that
time delivery and safety are the most important factors that affect the up streaming supply chain
management of healthcare in India.
Objective 2: To examine issues that relate to healthcare SCM in a hospital to doctors’ and
hospital perspective
The researcher has attempted to identify the issues that relate to healthcare SCM in a
hospital to doctors’ and hospital perspective. From the hospital’s perspective, the researcher has
observed that most of the respondents have strongly agreed to the fact that misplacement of
medical equipments is the major issue that relates to healthcare SCM in a hospital to doctors’ and
hospital perspective. This indicates that misplacement of medical equipments increases the
procedure of medical function by creating complications in effective offering of services to the

4CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
people in need of it. The researcher has also identified poor documentation as an issue that
delays the supply chain process.
On the other hand, from the perspectives of the doctors, the researcher has identified four
major key issues namely misplacement of medical equipments, delays in the delivery of medical
products, inferior quality of products and lack of appropriate sustainability certification. A
majority of the doctors, who were surveyed, believed that misplacement of medical equipments
was the major issue related to health care supply chain upstream for a hospital. The researcher
has also identified that several doctors face issues with the quality of the products, cancel of
shipments and re- order by the end of the suppliers. The researcher found that corrupt practices
in India have been the major reason behind these issues. Lack of proper maintenance of vehicle
have also been a a major issue that has negatively affected the quality of medicines. Therefore, it
can be stated that improper maintenance of vehicles result in delays in the delivery of the
medicines that affects the quality of the products.
Objective 3: To determine the various challenges affecting the SCM in healthcare
providers in India
The researcher has determined the several challenges that affect the supply chain in
health care providers in India and has identified four basic challenges. These challenges involve
lack of awareness regarding the supply chain management, deficiency of top management
support in the supply chain management, poorly integrated Information system and lack of
coordinated effort, strategic alliance formation, and knowledge sharing. A majority of the
respondents believed deficiency of top management support in the supply chain management as
the major challenge that affects the supply chain in health care providers in India.

5CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The researcher also identified inconsistency and inaccuracy in the product information as
the major challenge that affects the supply chain in health care providers in India. The researcher
found that several organizations have been using consolidates warehouse process in order to
combine small shipments into larger shipment loads. The researcher also identified inability to
meet changing demand pattern, limited communication among parties and incompetent cold
chain management during transportation as the major challenges that have huge impact on the
health care providers in India. A majority of the respondents have considered inability to meet
changing demand pattern as the major challenge that impact health care providers in India.
Therefore, it can be stated that inability to meet changing demand pattern and deficiency of top
management support in the supply chain management are the major challenges identified in the
health care sector in India.
Objective 4: To suggest strategies used to mitigate the challenges identified in healthcare
The major key strategies identified and surveyed by the researcher for mitigating the
challenges faced by the health care sector were encouraging top management commitment,
enhancing logistic synchronization, improving communication at every stage and staff training.
The majority of respondents believed that encouraging the top management commitment was the
best strategy to mitigate the challenges identified in health care. The researcher identified that the
top management of the hospitals must manage to fulfil their objectives in less time so as to
mitigate the challenges faced by the health care sector in India. This is possible only when the
top management of the organizations are encouraged to operate the business process and obtain
favourable results.
The researcher has also determined that communication acts as a vital tool in making
everyone aware of the present situation of supply chain management. A majority of the

6CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
respondents strongly agreed to the fact that communication plays a vital role in making everyone
aware of the current situation of supply chain management. This is because communication plays
a vital role in making the staff members aware about their roles and responsibilities in the
organization. The researcher has also identified that logistics synchronization can be enhanced
by ensuring proper communication and incorporating technological advancements in the supply
chain management.
5.2 Recommendation:
Based upon the data analysis and the conclusion, the researcher has suggested that the
health care sector in India must emphasize upon time delivery and safety as they are the factors
that affect the up streaming supply chain management of healthcare in India. It is also
recommended to ensure specification and standard and relationship with the suppliers in order to
upstream the supply chain management of healthcare in India. Proper maintenance of vehicles
are necessary in order to avoid delays in the delivery of the medicines and to ensure the proper
quality of the products. Misplacement of medical equipments has been identified as the major
issue related to health care supply chain upstream for a hospital and must be avoided.
The top management support in the supply chain management must be ensured as it has
been identified as a major challenge that affects the supply chain in health care providers in
India. Therefore, the top management of the organizations must be encouraged to operate the
business process in order to obtain favourable results. Proper communication among parties and
competent cold chain management during transportation must be ensured in order to avoid the
challenges faced by the health care sector in India. Consistency and accuracy in the product
information must be ensured in order to improve the efficiency of the supply chain management
in the health care sector in India. Inability to meet changing demand pattern has also been

7CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
observed to be a huge challenge in the health care sector in India and must be solved using
appropriate logistics synchronization. The top management of the hospitals must manage to fulfil
their objectives in less time so as to mitigate the challenges faced by the health care sector in
India. Proper communication must also be ensured within the organizations so that all the staff
members fulfil their duties and responsibilities as per the requirements.
5.3 Limitations of the research:
The major limitation of the research is that it was based upon questionnaire survey, which
included direct answers from the respondents. The questionnaire were distributed via email as a
large number of respondents were involved, which created issues while collecting the primary
data. Time was a major constraint in this research as the researcher had to cover several aspects
related to the health care sector in India within a short interval of time. The researcher required
more time duration for conducting in depth analysis for obtaining proper results that would
benefit the health care sector in India.
5.4 Future scope of the study:
Future scope of the study plays a vital role wherein the the uncovered parts of the
research are explored as further research is required to improve those sections. The researcher
has provided several opportunities for conducting further research on the research topic for
exploring the the uncovered areas. The research does not provide information regarding the
technologies that might be used in order to improve the efficiency of the supply chain
management in the health care sector in India. Therefore, the future research shall require more
time and effort to explore the uncovered areas.

8CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
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9CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
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