Understanding Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain Management

This document explores the concepts of operations, logistics and supply chain management in the healthcare industry, with a focus on the case of London Bridge Hospital. It discusses the challenges faced by operations and supply chain managers in the hospital, such as physician and nurse shortage and poor communication. It also highlights the areas that manage operations, logistics and supply chain in healthcare and provides recommendations for performance improvement. The document is relevant for students studying operations management, logistics, and supply chain management in healthcare.

“Understanding Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain Management”
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Introduction
The operational management is a term that is used for the purpose of managing the
important resources that are used for the purpose of producing, delivering and
producing the essential facilities on time to all the customers. The resources used
in this approach are normally highlighted as labour, materials, and the equipment
of capital.
The supply chain management can be defined as management as well as planning
of various activities which involves in sourcing & procedure, conversion as well as
in all logistic management activity. Moreover, it also includes to coordinate and
collaborate with the intermidiate channel parners of the operations.
Logistic management can be defined as the management of supply chain which
control, implement and plan the flow & storage of good and services from the
starting to the end point where comsumer consumes the product in order to meet its
needs.
Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain Management are those methods that uses specific
performance applications for the determination of producing services and products that are good
in quality. Everything in the market is produced with this approach, for instance; everything
involved related to what people eat, wear, used, or even read has been produced initially (Tsai et
al 2015).
The strategies including supply chain management are also applicable in the hospitals. With the
regular development and growth in the departments of healthcare are related to the upgraded
technologies that are used for the purpose of curing dangerous diseases. It is considered vigorous

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for the healthcare institutes especially in hospitals to run these policies with the reasons of
efficiently providing the services without any serious consequences. Involved managers and
individuals behind the fulfilment of financial minds of the hospital with in the category of supply
chain are related to the planning and creating the strategies of management. In some cases, when
any hospital notices or is being problematic in various department, the staff is being blamed,
staff like; nurses, doctors, and other individuals working at a managerial position. However,
according to the theories of supply management and logistics the issues of the level of
management are occurred because of the failures of hospitals and not because of the staff
(Shanks 2016)
Hospital Review
The London Bridge Hospital comes under the sector of Healthcare. With a number of facilities,
this healthcare institute has air conditioned rooms that reassure the comfort level of all the
patients while they are seeking treatment on a temporary or regular basis. The London bridge
hospital bridge like other healthcare institutes with in United Kingdom has the aim and objective
of providing good care to the patients. The London Bridge Hospital uses the strategies of
operational management methods in order to improve all the workers’ productivity, limiting the
cycle times, improvement in the overall experiences observed by the patients and their families,
and also reducing the unnecessary waiting lines. All these basic contributions are considered to
as beneficial for the progress of the financial conditions of the services. The operational needs
related to the experiences in this situation are considered as the successful integration of all the
involved qualitative and quantitative aspects related in the management of the optimal efforts
that are used with in the same platform of the organization (Qureshi et al 2019).

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Key operation, logistics and supply chain management issues faced by the
operations and supply chain manager(s) in hospital.
In London Bridge Hospital, the synopsis of healthcare is related to the involved functions related
to the active hospital staff. In order to provide their medical services to the patients in every best
way possible. Currently, there are various facilities related to the transformation of healthcare
industry all the around the world especially those who are related to the healthcare management
and the whole industry, this way new updated and upgraded policies are allowed to adopt
according to the needs of this industry as upgraded reforms are always operated on the basis of
newly developed reforms and operations. The management working in the London Bridge
Hospital are responsive and aware of the facilities that are effective and efficient within the
success of the hospital in healthcare industry. These approaches are considered extremely
effective as it is believed that this way new sentiments along with opinions of medical staff and
patients are related to the determination of passing on the reviews related to the services and
hospital staff behaviours (Lather and Messner 2018).
The London Bridge hospital has already faced a lot of issues and challenges related to the ranges
of utilizing the resources, improving the care management, lowering the medical costs for under
privileged patients. The reduction related to the bottlenecks and the applications of all those
solutions that are common in reference to the ensuring new successes in hospitals in both long
and small and long term policies, in this reference; the customers are both connected internally
and externally. The external customers are those who are the patients and other individuals who
regularly visit the organization and on the other hand, the employees and other staff members are
known as internal individuals. The institutional structure of London Bridge Hospital is further
evaluated with the TQM tools of fish bone and stratification.

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In the reference to healthcare, the issues related to supply chain methods are reimbursements and
costs, efficient data collection with analysis, preferences related to physicians and procedure of
processes, overnight shipping of medical products, storage of drugs, shortage of data for some
employees, lack of integration, deprived projects of workflow, hidden costs of medical
technologies, and meeting the unique changes and challenges. This issues are collectively faced
by the operational representatives, logistics individuals, and supply chain management leaders
(McFadden et al 2019).
Two operational issues related to healthcare for london bridge hospital are
physicians and nurses shortage
hospital has predicted that there is a shortage of physicians and nurses. The london
bridge hospital management has predicted that there is a huge shortage of
physicians as well as the nurses. This issue generated because many of the
previous physicians has left the job from the hospital because these physician has
started practicing there services at there private clinics, thus this created an
operational issue for the london bridge hospital.
Poor communication
The another issue faced by the London bridge hospital industry is that of poor
communications. The poor communication between the various departments as
well as staffs and moreover between the inter departments of the hospital is one of
the critical issue faced by the london bridge hospital. Due to poor communications

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length of stay of various individual associated with the hospital services has been
reduced. The staff also tends to eliminate reworking of several tasks. More over,
some times poor communications eliminates the better flow of information
between the various individuals, which will ultimately results in the slower
decision-making of the issues of the hospital.
Areas that manage operations, logistics and supply chain.
The operational functions and supports the market that it serves is also highlighted in this case.
As every business is managed with the help of multiple business tools and elements. For instance
in the London Bridge Hospital, every managerial individual is aware about their personal duties,
this way every need of patients are satisfied on time. There is a “President” or “CEO” who has to
deal four to five other department professionals. In reference to this division, the marketing,
operations, finance, and MIS involved in the organization are all interconnected and
interdependent on each other. Operations functions and management is highly responsible for the
management and control of all the individuals who are connected with the success and growth of
the organization within healthcare (Harvey and Kitson 2015).
When it comes to the service delivery system and the manufacturing processes, four major areas
are highlighted and needed in the whole managerial procedure of healthcare. These four areas are
known as; facility design and layout, cost analysis, process analysis, and involved information
systems. To fulfil these elements, there are five different objectives involved in this system.
These are highlighted as cost, quality, speed, dependability, and flexibility of services. With the

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help of these services performed by management involved in healthcare are recommended to
fulfil all those possibilities that are required to fulfil all needs and wants involved in the
managing pointers of healthcare. Furthermore, it is considered that operation management is the
element that is diffused in the market of healthcare, these areas that are involved in the “London
Bridge Hospital” are; process re-engineering, Technology management, operations strategy, the
total quality management, lean production, supply chain management, capacity management, and
measuring all the demands of patients (Calder 2016)
The infrastructure that is used in order to manage the above mentioned delivery systems are
known considered as effective and efficient for the purpose of delivering the major services that
are supportive in to the market. The values involved with the elements of infrastructure involving
healthcare majorly focuses on the standardization of interoperable information that involves
personal information of patients and clients, it further involves the upgrading techniques that
majorly involves the development of technological systems involved in “London Bridge
Hospital”. This hospital uses the infrastructure technique of financial incentives, electronically
updated health records, and working on the legal acts involving clinical health acts.
2. Recommendations on Performance Improvement
London Bridge Hospital involves a mixture of employees, a variety of tasks, a wide range of
diversity and pluralism, and usage of a variety of technical devices. There are a lot of patients
suffering from chronic diseases. The recommendations that are mentioned below involves the
improvements that reflect those areas that are in need of improvements in the references of
healthcare management.

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The recommendations are divided on the basis of four different factors, namely Healthcare
technologies, Roles of care givers, Environment for healthcare facilities, Filling the knowledge
gaps
Technologies in healthcare involves the devices and tools that are used for the purpose of quick
recovery. The recommendations in this area are; regulation of technologies that are used for the
care of patients, developing guidance possibilities that are used for the purpose of collecting
information related to health information technicalities, upgrading new standards and guidance
for the purposes of labelling all the medically involved devices, and improvement in the success
of reports involving these devices.
The caregivers involved in this sector are recommended to provide both formal and informal
services as the issues faced by these individuals are known to be unique. The caregivers must be
trained and educated properly for the purpose of providing proper services. Attending adequate
trainings and guidance related to proper execution of services to both in-patient and outpatient
care settings. These training programs must be completed with credential certificates (Saulnier
2018).
The area of involving the environment for healthcare facilities involves both; the patients having
healthcare services from home and those who are getting healthcare services at home. The two
most important recommendations in this area are; modifications in the environment of patient’s
home and providing equal facilities to both the patients staying at home or staying at the hospital.
In this reference, it is recommended for the hospital to provide designing a secure environment
for the patients who are getting services at home because of their critical health conditions (Dehe
and Bamford 2017).

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Filling the “Knowledge Gap” involves the major factor of conducting research and development
related to rare diseases that are necessary to evaluate in order to prepare for the future of hospital
by getting appropriate facilities for a safe side. The recommendations in this area are considered
as; engaging in potential teamwork and coordination between the healthcare staff, prepare a
database that involves the information of all the medical devices, and characterizing the issues
that involves threats to the hospital and its patients (Bloom et al 2015)
Two areas in managing operations, logistics and supply chain
New product/ service development and process
New product/ service development and process
By launching a new service in the hospital helps in the development and growth of the
organization. The area of launching new service and it’s develop has the ability to develop the
elements of managing operations, logistics and supply chain in “London Bridge Hospital”. The
benefits that are involved and provided by this area is highlighted as, with the help of service
development correct services are provided to the patients and therefore patients could be given
the right medications and services. Moreover, delivery of medical services can be provided on
time without any critical consequences. Right sales and product supports are given to the patients
so that it will decrease in unnecessary purchase of medications. Thus, the production of
unnessary services are also decreased with time. An increase in profits are noticeable which
could be observed by increase in cash flow in the organisation.
Human life is considered as a major and important pointer in providing new health aid services.
It improves and protects the cases involving medical emergencies. More growth in economic

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factors are highlighted with new and updated factors. These factors are further evaluated on the
basis of creating new foundational cases. It improves the cases of healthcare and upgrades the
levels of medical technologies. These technologies further improves the necessities of delivering
the services of healthcare to those patients who are getting services at home.
Business dependent on the factor to generate greater market share, for this business uses strategic
relationships with the customers as well as suppliers. Designing of new product and services for
the usage of hospital purpose, requires processes and supply chain which work which would
matches the product platform and supply chain, and supply chains which could match the
essential ingredients in the todays fast developing world. If this developing of product or service
done well on suffiect management product development, then it will results in the least cost as
well least time in the production of the service for the hospital.
Managing business relationships in supply chain
The elements of managing the business relationships in supply chain are highlighted with the
pointers of managing the operations, logistics, and supply chain with in the healthcare industry
and especially with in the platform of “London Bridge Hospital”. Thus, the second selected
areas is named as “managing business relations in supply chain”. The pointers involved in this
context are finding new suppliers with common yet successful goal. Management of healthcare
institution in the preference of supply chain is related to the elements of fulfilling all the aims
and objectives of the health services. This element helps out the service providers to have the
ability of proving the healthcare data in more of a visible and professional manner. This plan
further involves the effects of planning strategically in the coming and near future. Every
individual and employee connected with the hospital is benefited equally. It also provides the

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benefits of getting new suppliers in the market, however, these suppliers are normally small in
numbers. These elements of change are profitable for the purpose of providing a wide range of
supply chain services.
For management of business relationship in the supply chain for london bridge hospital with the
pointer to involve finding of new supplier with common goal to success.
There are basically two approaches of supplier management process
Reactive approach
in this approach the relationship of supplier management starts even before the aggrement of the
supplier this is for ensuring the competitive advantage for long run of the relationship between
the hospital and suppier. Thus, this approach can be termed as the forward focused approach as
this technique leads to successful relationship between the supplier and hospital at the very early
stages of relationship of business.
Strategic approach
in strategic approach the organisation tends to manage the relationshiop with the supplier of
various goods and services, if there occurs any unplesant situations with the supplier. Thus
approach helps in improving the unreliable suppliers . More over, this approache consumes a lot
of efforts and time, where these efforts and time can be implemented on various other processes
of hospital business.
Managing business relationship with supply chain has several benefits, such as:
wholesaler and distributors tends to purchase the product in large quantiy which they buy at
lower cost and therefore sell the individual unit at some higher price. Thus, by establishing a

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good relationship with the wholesaler tend to facilitate the hospital in getting the suppies from
the supplier at some lower cost.
Manufacturers and vendorors can provides the supplies. The price of the supplies might be
higher than that of wholesalers, but these vendors handle a large number of manufacturer of
similar type product. Thus they could provide the supply of service in a large quantity in a very
short period of time.
Various strategies used for management of supply chain are
the supplier must not just vendor, morevoer the supplier must be the partner with the business,
where the parrnership is based on the financial transactions as well as on the mutual trust and
loyaly. Technology makes the relationship with the supplier simpler as technology can keep the
track of information of all the supplier at a single poing, thus, it will facilitate in order
management such as placing of order.
Realizing that the timely payments are crucial other wise the relationship between hospital and
supplier will broke down. Relationship must be strong and deep by establishing strong and
regular communications. Price is what an individual pays and value is what it gets in return is the
main moto of every buyer. The individual expects for getting growing profits as well as quality
of service form the right place.
prior detailed aggrements makes the relationship with the supplier easier as in such condition
everything is written down with both the parties who are expecting for establishment of
parametership . These agreements are on the terms of communications, payments, delivery, price
as well as on service description. Evaluating the risk prior to the establishment of supply chain
relationship tends to make the complexities associated with the supply chain easier. Most

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important- getting everyone onboard is critical. Thus, having healthy relationship with the
supplier by the process of supplier relationship management.
Triple Bottom Line - Incorporation of economic, environmental and social
factors as the three dimensions of sustainability in business practicing
The concept of Triple Bottom Line is associated with the framework and theory that individually
represents and recommends business organizations who focus on the social and environmental
concerns that are connected with the profits of organizations. The concept of TBL highlights on
three different bottom lines instead of just one bottom line. The three bottom lines are; profit,
people, and planet. The concept of TBL suggests on the commitment level of an organization
(Zadeh et al 2018).
Analysation
According the theory of TBL, organizations are recommended to work on these mentioned
bottom liners as by working on them, the organizations are required to focus on them for the
concept of traditionally measuring the involved profits and losses. The factor of people is
connected with the measures of socially taking responsibility in the context of and in between the
operations. The pointer of planet highlights the elements of environmental factors that are
involved in the firm. By focussing on these elements, individuals are required to focus on all
three bottom liners with a number of involved tools (Shabbir et al 2017).

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There are some challenges involved in this context as they are difficult to measure in the context
of healthcare sector. Mixing all the diverse elements in this context are also maximized in
various cases for the purpose of making greater good in the hospitals (Smolowitz et al 2015)
The most important factors involved in the takeaways of TBL of hospitals are; this theory
focuses on the factors of aims and objectives related to the financial, social, and environmental
performances with the organization over a certain period of time. All of the involved three
elements are considered to be extremely necessary for the developing factors with in healthcare.
This theory has helped the organizations to hold new and firm technicalities involving major
profits and costs of fulfilling the initially developed aims and unbiased objective of the hospital
(Graban 2018)
The TBL in “London Bridge Hospital” focuses on providing better patient care, development in
the health population, it also reduces the healthcare costs that are involved in the context of
particular selected hospital. These three pointers majorly focus on the patient’s care, overall
health of population, and per capita cost of all quality care of all the medical services that are
provided to the patients in health care institutions (Wager et al 2017)
The sustainability of healthcare institutions are related to the quality, risk management, safety,
patient’s experiences, satisfaction of employees, wellness of employees, positive relations with
the public, benefits of healthcare to the community, and cost savings of the organizations.

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REFLECTION
Through this report I have learned that, Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain Management are
those methods that uses specific performance applications for the determination of producing
services and products that are good in quality. Everything in the market is produced with this
approach, for example; everything involved related to what people eat, wear, used, or even read
has been produced initially. The strategies including supply chain management are also
applicable in the hospitals. With the regular development and growth in the departments of
healthcare are related to the upgraded technologies that are used for the purpose of curing
dangerous diseases. Moreover, through this report I had found key operation, logistics and
supply chain management issues faced by the operations and supply chain managers in hospital.
Therefore, through this report I had found that, it is considered vigorous for the healthcare
institutes especially in hospitals to run these policies with the reasons of efficiently providing the
services without any serious consequences. Involved managers and individuals behind the
fulfilment of financial minds of the hospital with in the category of supply chain are related to
the planning and creating the strategies of management. For instance, here in the London Bridge
Hospital which comes under the sector of Healthcare. The London bridge hospital bridge like
other healthcare institutes with in United Kingdom has the aim and objective of providing good
care to the patients. The London Bridge Hospital uses the strategies of operational management
methods in order to improve all the workers’ productivity, limiting the cycle times, improvement
in the overall experiences observed by the patients and their families, and also reducing the
unnecessary waiting lines. All these basic contributions are considered to as beneficial for the
progress of the financial conditions of the services. The operational needs related to the
experiences in their situation are considered as the successful integration of all the involved

16
qualitative and quantitative aspects related in the management of the optimal efforts that are used
with in the same platform of the organization.
Additionally, I got the knowledge and understanding of two operational issues related to
healthcare for London bridge hospital such as physician and nurse shortage as well as poor
communication within the staffs of the hospital. Followed by this, I had gained the understanding
of two areas in managing operations, logistics and supply chain such as new product/ service
development and process as well as managing business relationships in supply chain. Lastly, I
had found incorporation's of economic, environmental and social factors as the three dimensions
of sustainability in business practicing as triple bottom line for any organisation.
Conclusion
This report can be concluded as, managing quality, Location, layout, and operational quality of
the “London Bridge Hospital” has a new approach and various strategies that are considered
remarkable in the healthcare industry. On the other hand, there are a number of challenges faced
by the management and employees of this hospital. Currently, this organization is using a lot of
strategies that are implemented for the purpose of providing new operations and making them
more successful especially for making this organization more developed and grow with time.

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