Health Care Logistics

Logistics in Health Care - Advice, Planning and Realization

The changed political conditions and rising cost pressure in health care sector require steady alignment. Efficient and economical logistics, which are able to adjust flexibly, provide you with the essential advance in health care marketplace.

As an innovative partner, we develop special solutions for our customers in health care sector starting at the basic concept up to realisation. The planning and optimisation of logistics in and around the hospital are tasks of the department »Health Care Logistics« at Fraunhofer IML.

We offer integrated planning and optimisation of your logistics accomplished by a professional project management and an interdisciplinary workforce. Our services do not end after conceptual design. We accompany your hospital or company up to the successful implementation of the corporate developed concept.

Our Services for the health care sector are listed in the following passages:

Hospital Logistics

Efficient processes by appropriate logistics in hospitals

Logistics as useful instrument for efficiency, quality increase and cost decrease are focused more and more in hospitals. Now it is important to accommodate current changes in health care sector, to make us of the prospects, to be aware of one’s qualities and to take the right way to success. The development and realisation of an optimal integrated logistics system is a great challenge for hospitals. With the help of professional support your hospital can be quickly led to the desired aims.

A hospital is a complex technical system of many actions, structures, material flows and people. Different wards and areas of operations are involved in the daily routine of a hospital. Chemists, storage, laundry, kitchen, administration, laboratory, sterilisation, cleaning, disposal etc. are influencing the success of a hospital enormously. Aside from the medical attendance, efficient actions and the coordination of all logistic items contribute to the hospitals quality. Logistics in hospitals are efficient when they fulfill their functions and are unnoticed by employees.

Below you find an overview of our achievements for hospitals:

  • Analysis and optimisation the supply of wards,
  • Logistics planning in hospitals,
  • Management of logistics in hospitals,
  • Development of logistical operational concept and
  • Logistics checks in hospitals to show potentials.

More details about hospital logistics can be found at this link »Hospital Logistics«.

In addition to planning and optimisation of logistics in hospitals the department »Health Care Logisitics« of Fraunhofer IML also supports service and manufacturing companies which act in health care sector.

Logistics Provider in Health Care

Logistics in health care – much more than transport of goods

Today continuous modernisation in technology and organisation are the main important processes in industrial production and distribution – and therefore decisive sources for innovation and growth. The trends of continuous improvements and reorganisations have been accelerated for previous years.

Like in other sectors of industry, the basic conditions for service providers in health care have changed. Cost pressure through competitors, regulatory expenditures and costly researches are the reasons why health care sector wants to invest in optimisation methods for logistics. These methods are extended along the whole supply chain – from production across storage to the point of distribution of wholesaler to end user. Today an integrated point of view which does not end at a single company or at the next level of distribution is indispensable for continuous developments and improvements.

Below you find an overview of our achievements for logistics provider in health care:

  • Business process optimisation,
  • Activity accounting based on cost-by-cause principle,
  • System design – integrated analysis, planning and conception of logistics systems for transportation, storage, material flow, choice of location etc.,
  • Supporting cooperation – selection of partners and organisation of collaboration,
  • Developing and reorganisation of business fields.

Manufacturer of Medical Engineering and Medical Products

The significance of logistics for manufacturer in health care

In context of continuous improvement and competitiveness, logistics become more and more important. Efficient and transparent logistics are the basis for the future including potentials to cost reduction, flexibility and service. Therefore the goal should be to adopt optimisation potentials from business perspective.

Manufacturer of medical engineering and medical products have to meet special challenges. Increased significance of health care sector desires continuous developments and improvements. In this connection costs, time and quality play important roles. Optimised logistics help to ensure decisive advantages – reduction of costs and assurance of high quality of products for health care sector.

Below you find an overview of our achievements for manufacturer of medical engineering and medical products:

  • Business process optimisation,
  • Inventory management – Intelligent storage with security of supply and suitable technology,
  • Activity accounting based on cost-by-cause principle,
  • System design – integrated analysis, planning and conception of logistics systems for transportation, storage, material flow, choice of location etc.,
  • Supporting cooperation and outsourcing – selection of partners and organisation of collaboration,
  • Developing and reorganisation of business fields.

Logistics in Pharma

Optimisation of logistics of pharmaceutical companies

Another field of activity of Fraunhofer IML, department »Health Care Logistics«, is increasing efficiency and reducing costs related to logistics processes within pharmaceutical companies. By developing powerful and transparent logistics processes improvements for the whole pharmaceutical company can be obtained. Especially the assignment of lean manufacturing methods in pharmaceutical companies can induce great potentials for optimisation. Using our experience in developing lean manufacturing methods, companies benefit from individual concepts which can result in cost savings and quality intensification.

Below you find an overview of our achievements for pharmaceutical companies:

  • Inventory management – Intelligent storage with security of supply and suitable technology,
  • Business process optimisation,
  • Activity accounting based on cost-by-cause principle,
  • System design – integrated analysis, planning and conception of logistics systems for transportation, storage, material flow, choice of location etc.,
  • Support at cooperation and outsourcing – selection of relevant partners and organization of collaboration,
  • Developing and reorganisation of business fields.

Homecare

Logistics for individual homecare

Demographical change and the rising trend of humans to stay at home in time of illness or seniority imply high requirements to home care and provision and therefore also to logistics. New logistics concepts which ensure home care concerning provision with materials and services are necessary.

Achievements of »Health Care Logistics«

Our team support nursing service, logistics provider, manufacturer and wholesaler, which act in home care, in optimisation of their logistics processes. Our business activities extend from market research to potentials across developing of logistics concepts up to models of cooperation between nursing service, logistics provider, manufacturer and wholesaler. These achievements refer to supply of people in need of care with materials (medical devices and medical products) but also with services of daily need (delivery of food, run errands, laundry service etc.). The special challenge is to connect these achievements to an integrated and efficient concept of supply.

»Appropriate to the philosophy of Fraunhofer we act as neutral and independent consultants. Corporate project teams work out long-lasting improvement of your business processes which are supported by employees of your company.«