Value Chain at O&M:
O&M offers a considerable value-added services in medical supply chain. O&M provides information on product demand and purchasing patterns to the manufacturers for better managing their operations and production schedules. O&M also allows the customers to access and select different brands of surgical and medical supplies. O&M owns and manages the inventory of products, and then makes deliveries to the customers as part of either a just-in-time or stockless system. Hospitals prefer to purchase in smaller quantities from the distributor who stocks and keeps track of the inventory. In turn, manufacturers are able to avoid this labor- intensive activity of breaking down larger packaging and delivering in smaller batches. O&M also maintain the contractual agreements and tracks the prices for a variety of different
…show more content…
Cost-plus ties all the importance of the profit to the price of the product instead of the service provided. So in case of O&M, they had to give up their profit to transport bulky but cheap products and could gain only by transporting expensive products. To avoid the high distribution charges occurred due to transport of expensive items, the customer may tend to buy the same from the manufacturer directly instead of the distributors. This leads to the loss of profit for distributors because they are now left with only the inexpensive orders to deal with. Cost-plus pricing allows customers to buy the lowest quantity possible and replenish as often as necessary with no additional charge. Despite seeming more convenient, time and resources are actually wasted by the hospitals that place more frequent orders rather than manage their current inventory more effectively. For the manufacturers on the other hand, cost-plus pricing attracts customers (hospitals) to purchase directly from them but this will lead to inaccurate demand data flow the
Consolidate and standardize inventories- The variety of items ordered and stocked in the surgery departments results in an overabundance of different products with inconsistencies in sizes and packaging. In the case of this hospital having multiple surgery departments supplies are scattered, and even the same supplies stocked in the departments. This causes inventories to require extra time for assembling materials disbursed throughout the surgery department. Damaged or outdated stock on shelves could be caused by overstocking and hoarding of supplies and instruments. "Cost containment pressures and quality improvement initiatives have prompted healthcare organizations to consolidate these inventories, standardize on certain supplies,
...ory holding costs, ordering costs, and shortage costs, and have a classification system for inventory items.
Now referring to Blue Bell Company, the shift in supply occurs when they decide to recall all their products and re-evaluate it. Blue bell will more than likely increase the price of the remaining items in the market. This is the result of consumers still providing a high amount of demand for ice cream even though there is less to supply. This theory can be accurately applied to this situation because there is no other solution that they can do to combat the consumers’ need of ice cream. For example, if they do continue to sell at the same price, soon they will not be able to produce as much as consumers want thus eliminating the good from the market.
On the same note, it is well acknowledged that the competitiveness of any organization fundamentally depends on the workforce. Indeed, the workforce is recognized as the heart or living organism of any organization including hotels. It goes without saying that there is minimum likelihood that a restaurant where workers operate in unsafe conditions or are mistreated will offer services and products of the highest quality. Scholars note that employees always desire to work in institutions or restaurants that have high standards of integrity and strive to do the appropriate thing (Fox & Vorley, 2004 pp. 33). This is especially so for the new generation workforce, as well as in attracting the best talent in the industry. A reputation for responsibility and integrity has been recognized as crucial in motivating, as well as recruiting staff especially considering that individuals care about the principles and values that their employers wish to uphold. Scholars note that operating voluntarily to high ethical standards pertaining to environment and social responsibility can result in competitive advantage (Schlegelmilch et al, 2004, pp. pp 254). Customers and civil society groups have been increasingly vigilant in determining whether there is an ethical lapse in the manner in which employees are treated within the supply chain of any organization (Fox & Vorley, 2004 pp. 33). In fact, they have been pressurizing restaurants and other business entities to cut ties with any organization in their supply chain that is not ethical in its treatment of employees. Scholars note that the impression that a restaurant or business entity would create in terms of public relations both on the stakeholders and the customers is highly dependent on the ac...
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd (RCCL) has two distinct supply chains which create a unique challenge. Each supply chain is managed by a Provision Master. The first supply chain includes all food, beverage, and lodging inventories that needed for the trips. The second supply chain encompasses “corporate spend” materials, such as office supplies, printing services, hardware and software, printed materials, computer supplies, marine consumables (spare parts, fuel, lubricants, any and all services associated with the ship maintenance and etc).
Hospitals appear to lag behind other industries in cost-containment measures, materials management, and inventory control. Members of clinical staff are as equally challenging to convince of the advantages of supply-chain efficiency because they are most concerned with the clinical and convenience aspect of the products in use (Cerner Perioperative Solutions, 2005).
The aim of the value chain structure is to maximize the value creation while minimizing costs. Value Chain Analysis is a useful tool for working out how you can create the greatest possible value for your customers. Value chain analysis relies on the rudimentary economic principle of competitive advantage -companies are best served by operating in divisions where they have a relative prolific benefit compared to their competitors. Concomitantly, companies should ask themselves where they can deliver the paramount value to their customer. To conduct a value chain analysis, the company begins by identifying each part of its production process and recognizing where steps can be purged or enhancements can be made. These improvements can result
With the increased cost of manufacturing, pharmaceutical companies have been divesting in their smaller or less profit making operations and focus on large segments. Many Pharmaceutical companies sold their manufacturing sites to contract manufacturing organizations. The dynamics of interfacing with contract manufacturing organization added intricacy in pharmaceutical supply chain network of pharmaceutical companies.
This section summarizes conceptual issues from Global value chain (GVCs) literatures that are relevant to paper’s objectives. It provides the overview of global value chain theory, and the most important concepts.
Understanding the changes in the market and the growth of e-commerce prompted the organization to invest heavily in its supply chain management forecasting and management system. The development of a network of distribution centers and Direct Fulfillment Centers to position the company to capitalize on the growing e-commerce market indicate a strong understanding of the need to adapt to changing market forces. The company spent over $300 million on new distribution center facilities in 2014 alone, and continues to expand to maintain efficiency in product movement (Cassidy,
Cost-plus pricing, it the industry pricing standard, and is a method to determine a price of the product by finding the cost per unit and then including a mark-up
Value chain analyses a firm 's internal activities such as planning, production, and development, packaging and distribution so as to create value for clients. The function of the value chain is to identify the sources for cost reduction along with quality improvement. It means value chain is used to identify the strong and weak points, positive and negative points, the scope of improvement; in a nutshell, the advantages and disadvantages of the activities taking place in the system. The value chain is also called as a strategic analysis tool and it is a well-known concept in business management industry.
Many organizations do not achieve the profits they anticipate by using incorrect methods or models to determine the true costs of products and services. This failure to correctly assess the costs associated with business not only affects the profit margin, but the organizations competitive advantage as well. In order to asses whether the organization is failing to realize optimum resource allocation, the organization should look at the methodology first popularized by Michael Porter titled the Value Chain Analysis (VCA). "VCA seeks to define the entire chain through which goods are supplied to a customer" (Booth, 1997, 2). The VCA can be a powerful tool in increasing an organization's competitive advantage; by correctly pricing products and assessing the true costs of materials and labor, organizations can align the improvements in efficiency, quality, and profits with its strategic objectives.
Inventory management is a method through, which a business handles tangible resources and materials to ensure availability of resources for use. It is a collection of interdisciplinary processes including a full circle from the demand forecasting, supply chain management, inventory control and reverse logistics. Inventory management is the optimization of inventories of manufactured goods, work in progress, and raw materials. According to Doucette (2001) inventory management can be challenging at times; however, the need for effective inventory management is largely seeing more as a necessity than a mere trend when customer satisfaction and service have become a prime reason for a business to stand apart from its competition. For example, Wal-Mart’s inventory management is one of the biggest contributors to the success of the company;
Inventory management involves planning, coordinating, and controlling the acquisition, storage, handling, movement, distribution, and possible sale of raw materials, component parts and subassemblies, supplies and tools, replacement parts, and other assets that are needed to meet customer wants and needs (Collier & Evans, 2009). In order for business and supply chains to run smoothly, they must meet all the listed requirements for effective inventory management. Thus, inventory management must be managed wisely in order to be a successful an...