Research On Business Process Reengineering Of Logistics Management In Public Hospital

1. Research Purpose and SignificanceThis study applied the idea of Business Process Reengineering into logistics service inpublic hospital aiming at make a breakthrough at theory and practice of logisticsmanagement in public hospital. This research have great significances: First, it would dohelp to reform the management system and make innovations in service mode of logisticsservice in public hospital; moreover, it will benefit forming operating mechanism oflogistics service; In addition, it could promote the harmonious relationship between doctorsand patients, and achieve the goal of security and efficiency health care.2. ObjectiveThe objective of the present paper are four fold: (1) to outline the theoretical model forBusiness Process Reengineering of logistics service in public hospital; (2) to explore thekey influence factors to responsiveness of Logistics Service; (3) to establish the syntheticevaluation system on the performance of Logistics management; and (4) to provide thetactics and suggesting for process reengineering of logistics service in public hospital.3. Data and Methods3.1 Theoretical analysisThe theoretical model of logistics service management in public hospital was outlinedbased on the theories of Business Process Reengineering, Supply Chain Management andProperty Right, which will give theoretical sustain to the reform of logistics service inpublic hospital.3.2 Empirical study 3.2.1 Typical investigation9 Hospitals in Hubei, Guangdong and Jiangsu Provinces was typically selected in thisstudy, which are the typical cases in the reform of logistics service management.3.2.2 Investigation tools(1) Questionnaire for condition survey of logistics department.(2) Outline for interview to administrator of logistics department in public hospital.(3) Outline for interview to clinician of logistics department in public hospital.(4)Questionnaire for satisfaction level of personnel in logistics department of publichospital.3.2.3 Delphi methodThis research established the synthetic evaluation system on the performance ofLogistics management by Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process.3.3 Analysis methods3.3.1 Qualitative methodsQualitative methods were applied in the analysis of the data from the specialistconsultant and interviews.3.3.2 Quantitative Research(1) Descriptiveness analysis: The Chi-square test was used to explore the keyinfluence factors to responsiveness of Logistics Service.(2) Multivariate statistics: The Hierarchical Cluster was used to classify the variablesof Questionnaire for satisfaction level of personnel in logistics department of publichospital.(3)Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to calculate and determine theweights of different variables in the synthetic evaluation system on the performance ofLogistics management.3.4 Case study methodThis study analyzed two typical hospitals by Case study method to deepen the researchabout Business Process Reengineering in logistics management department of publichospitals.4 Findings and conclusions 4.1 The theoretical model for Business Process Reengineering of logistics service inpublic hospital should include eight structural parts: (1)The demand analysis of logisticsservice, (2) The analysis of importance of logistics service and nature of poverty right oflogistics assets,(3) Evaluating and identifying the old service process, (4) Diagnosing theservice process need reengineered, (5) Selecting the partners of cooperating, (6) Formingand implementing the new service process, (7) Assessing the performance of Logisticssystem of hospital, and (8) Establish the service process of Logistics system based onSupply Chain Management.4.2 The comparative study on logistics service of public hospital shows that the reformtype could be classified into three forms and Different form has its advantages anddisadvantages. The strategy analysis of logistics service reform with SWOT methodindicates that the interior strengthens is the propose from leader of the hospital, the interiorweakness are the psychological obstruction from personnel and the work ability of them,the outside opportunities are the policy supporting and the improvement of the marketeconomic system and the outside threaten are the market failure in logistics service marketand the Shortages in supporting policy.4.3 The research based on Empirical study made clear that the key influence factorsfor responsiveness in logistics service include the following factors: staffs' enrichment ofwork (χ~2=8. 707, P=0. 033＜0. 05) , ,the degree of importance attached by superior(χ~2=12. 789, P=0. 012＜0. 05) , superior' sway handling with them (χ~2=12. 687,P=0. 013＜0.05), the stable state of work (χ~2=12. 826, P=0. 012＜0.05), the degree ofgiving full play to their ability in work (χ~2=11. 070, P=0. 011＜0. 05) , independence infulfilling work (χ~2=10. 609, P=0. 014＜0. 05), and the condition of work (χ~2=15. 701,P=0. 003＜0. 01 ) .4.4 The overall evaluation system on the performance of logistics management wasestablished by Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process, which includes 8 indices ofthe first level and 24 indices of the second level. The indices of the first level are rules andregulations, supervising mechanism, human resources, labor discipline, quality of work,level of satisfaction, economic effectiveness and social benefits. 4.5 Tactics and suggestions for implementing Business Process Reengineering oflogistics service in public hospital. On one hand, the feasibility argument demonstratedthere are great feasibilities in policy, economics, and technology aspects. On the other hand,the analysis of resistance manifested the resistance of logistics reform are mainly from thepsychological stress, the restructure of organization, lack of rules and regulations ofhospital and the macro circumstances of logistics service reform. Therefore, the threepriority tactics of Business Process Reengineering in logistics service are Business ProcessReengineering based on: (1) socialization of logistics service, (2) overall BPR of hospital,and (3) Hospital information system. Moreover, many implementing measures of logisticsBPR were proposed.4.6 Cases study of logistics process reengineeringFrom the perspective of integration of theory with practice, the author analyzed thetypical case of the two mode of the overall and part Logistics management processreengineering, summarized the strategy, method, process and measures, and evaluated theoutcome of process reengineering by Cases study, which make us further capture andunderstand the logistics process reengineering and provide basis to the reform of logisticsmanagement of public hospital.5 Innovations and merits5.1 Theoretical InnovationThis research made a breakthrough at study in logistics service and management forthe former study was confined in the experience-oriented path. This study outlined thetheoretical model of logistics service management in public hospital based on the theoriesof Business Process Reengineering, Supply Chain Management and Property Right, whichwill give theoretical sustain to the reform of logistics service in public hospital.5.2 New ideas in methodsThe application of interdisciplinary methods to logistics management research is thenew ideas of this study. For instance, SWOT method was applied to analyze the strategycircumstances of logistics service reform, Hierarchical Cluster was used to explore the keyinfluence factors for responsiveness of Logistics Service logistics department of public hospital, Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to set up thesynthetic evaluation system on the performance of Logistics management, and case studymethod to the typical hospitals research. This new ideas enriched the study method inhospital management.5.3 Policy ValueThis study not only outlined the theoretical model for Business Process Reengineeringof logistics service in public hospital, but also augmented the strategy, feasibility, tacticsand measures of implementing the Business Process Reengineering of logistics service inpublic hospital. From a policy perspective, those findings and conclusions have widersignificance in pushing forward the reform of logistics service management in publichospital and in making policies for hospital management.5.4 practical ValueThe overall evaluation system on the performance of logistics management is the keystep of Business Process Reengineering of logistics service in public hospital, but it isrelative insufficiency. The synthetic evaluation system has its practical value in assessingthe performance of logistics management of public hospital.6 Research shortcomingsFor the subjective and objective limitation factor such as time, human resource andcost ect., this study still has some limitation or shortcomings,which need to make furtherresearch from following aspects:First, the appropriate of the practice of the process reengineering theory into logisticsmanagement in public hospital. Although the practice of process reengineering theory inenterprise is relatively mature and the service process of hospital logistics hascommonplace in character with work procedure in enterprise, there are still somedifferences between them. Therefore, when translating the business process reengineeringtheory to the process reengineering of logistics management in hospital, its appropriateneeds further study.Second, the measure of the responsiveness of logistics service in public hospital is reminded to systemize. Although the concept of responsiveness was introduced to thestudy of logistics service in this study, the researcher only measure responsiveness oflogistics service from the clinical evaluation to logistics service from clinic staffs and thesatisfaction of the logistics staffs, and did not measure it directly from the main objectiveof logistics service (patients) for the condition limitation in the process of actual measure.In the next study the responsiveness of logistics service should be measured systematically.Finally, the overall evaluation system of performance of logistics management inpublic hospital is primarily structured in this study, but the validation and credibility of thisassessing system didn't measured. The relative study should be taken in future study tomake practice this comprehensive evaluating system.