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FrancoAngeli Journals

Saggi

No. 122 (2022)

Supply Chain Integration in Healthcare sector: What are the strategies implemented?

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/mesa2022-122oa14617
Submitted
settembre 19, 2022
Published
2022-12-15

Abstract

The study sheds a light on supply chain integration strategies in the healthcare arena.
This study focuses the attention on the partnership between suppliers and healthcare providers trying to address three different questions: i) what are the integration strategies that Healthcare organizations try to implement with their suppliers?; ii) what are the benefits and the barriers of different integration strategies?; iii) what are the organizational conditions for a successful integration strategy?

The authors have adopted a survey research strategy, targeted to the purchasing/ logistic managers of healthcare
organizations placed in north-centre Italy. The final target population for this analysis consisted of 135 units. The response rate was 46%.
The evidence shows a remarkable degree of maturity of healthcare organizations.
Integration projects tends typically to target the most complex items: (i) medical devices and (ii) operating room materials.
Healthcare organizations look for industrial partners capable of offering high quality standards of logistic services.
Standardization, top management commitment and strategic relevance of the logistic function are widely considered as key aspect for the successful implementation of these projects.

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