• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.258-276
• /
• 1998

This study was conducted to justify the "prescribed shelf life" currently used in Samsung Medical Center and give recommendations based on scientific data to adopt for safe and cost-effective storage times for sterile goods Since the early 1970's, predetermined expiration dating policy has been used in Korea on all in-house sterilized products like any other countries; six months for the supplies wrapped in polyethylene peel pouches and two weeks for the rest. Recently, however, the studies suggest that current standards for preserving the sterility can be changing. It looks like we unnecessarily have too-short expiration date of sterilized supplies, that is far from being cost effective. Certainly, this research is an exciting project, especially in Korea, and will be leading and contributing to the paradigm shift of the conservative concept of shelf life for sterile supplies in Korean healthcare facilities. The major goal of this study was placed on the measurement of the recontamination time in packs wrapped in all kinds of wrapping materials used in S.M.C and stored in various conditions for periods ranging from three months to six months, and then develop a practical standard of "shelf life" based on the analyzed data. Objectives: To measure and compare the recontamination time of sterile packs among wrapppers and storage conditions, and develop a practical standard for the shelf life and storage conditions of sterile products. Samples and Method: The sterile integrity was investigated of the total 1,440 sterile sample packs containing gauze strip($1.5cm{\times}0.5cm$) we prepared and wrapped in nine wrapping materials (randomized reprocessed linens, linens reprocessed 99 times, linens reprocessed 120 times, new kraft paper, used kraft paper, new nonwoven fabrics, 6-time reprocessed nonwoven fabrics, new polyethylene peel pouches, used polyethylene peel pouches), and stored in four locations(closed cabinet of one of the typical wards, open shelf of one of ICUs, open shelf of separate storage room in ER, open shelf in OR), for three to six months, respectively in 1998. Each type of packs were opened weekly and the gauze strips inoculated into Brewer's thioglycollate broth at $35^{\circ}C$ for seven days. Results: There was no growth found for any types of the pack and storage conditions studied. Discussion: This study was conducted in an attempt to identify the possibility of extending the current shelf life for sterile goods we use in a sense of cost effectiveness. The findings suggest that we could extend our expiration dates, that means we can save a lot of materials and personnel time meeded for resterilizing, outdating, recleaning, wrapping, and reshelving. Then it will initiate a great reform in the field of healthcare in Korea, and now we are looking forward to this valuable revolution. We are going to continue this study and take all steps need to apply this new concept to our practice, and then trying to extend to other hospitals.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.55-65
• /
• 2021

In this paper, a methodology for reinforcing reverse logistics (RL) activities in a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) model is proposed. For the methodology, the activities of the recovery center (RC) which can be considered as one of the facilities in the RL are reinforced. By the reinforced activities in the RC, the recovered parts and products after checking and recovering processes of the returned product from customer can be reused in the forward logistics (FL) of the CLSC model. A mathematical formulation is suggested for representing the CLSC model with reinforced RL activities, and implemented using a hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) approach. In numerical experiment, two different scales of the CLSC model are presented and the performance of the HGA approach is compared with those of some conventional approaches. The experimental results show that the former outperforms the latter in most of performance measures. The robustness of the CLSC model is also proved by regulating various rates of the recovered parts and products in the RC.

• Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.156-172
• /
• 2016

Complex and uncertain issues in supply chain result in integrated decision making processes in supply chains. So decentralized (distributed) decision making (DDM) approach is considered as a crucial stage in supply chain planning. In this paper, an uncertain DDM through coordination mechanism is addressed for a multi-product supply chain planning problem. The main concern of this study is comparison of DDM approach with centralized decision making (CDM) approach while some parameters of decision making are assumed to be uncertain. The uncertain DDM problem is modeled through fuzzy mathematical programming in which products' demands are assumed to be uncertain and modeled using fuzzy sets. Moreover, a CDM approach is customized and developed in presence of fuzzy parameters. Both approaches are solved using three fuzzy mathematical optimization methods. Hence, the contribution of this paper can be summarized as follows: 1) proposing a DDM approach for a multi-product supply chain planning problem; 2) Introducing a coordination mechanism in the proposed DDM approach in order to utilize the benefits of a CDM approach while using DDM approach; 3) Modeling the aforementioned problem through fuzzy mathematical programming; 4) Comparing the performance of proposed DDM and a customized uncertain CDM approach on multi-product supply chain planning; 5) Applying three fuzzy mathematical optimization methods in order to address and compare the performance of both DDM and CDM approaches. The results of these fuzzy optimization methods are compared. Computational results illustrate that the proposed DDM approach closely approximates the optimal solutions generated by the CDM approach while the manufacturer's and retailers' decisions are optimized through a coordination mechanism making lasting relationship.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.1-15
• /
• 2022

The global cod market is supposed to have weak structure with a high dependence on the supply of Russia, the United States, Norway, and China. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the cod supply chain for the worse. Fish processing facilities in China stopped their operation, and cod demand declined due to shrinking consumption in Europe. The position of South Korea as an intermediary trade country between Russia and China strengthened due to the U.S.-China trade war and the Atlantic cod decrease in 2019. However, this global cod supply chain collapse has caused South Korea to export accumulated cod to Indonesia and Vietnam at a bargain price, showing that South Korea was unable to cope with this supply chain crisis. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate changes in the global cod supply chain and their impacts on the intermediary trade of South Korea caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims to provide implications by analyzing advanced cases in Denmark. As the cod supply chain crisis countermeasures, this study suggests that South Korea develop high value-added marine products, gain competitive advantages by solidifying the value chains of related countries, and activate export by discovering alternative markets in terms of the supply chain of the cod industry.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.79-88
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of agricultural exports and imports on economic growth in Bangladesh and propose an upgraded and customized model of the supply chain for agribusiness growth in Bangladesh to achieve plain sailing and systematic operation and financial gains at home and abroad. Research design, data, and methodology: All data in the research have been collected from secondary sources. Gross domestic product was used as the dependent variable and exports and imports of agricultural products were used as independent variables. Pairwise Granger causality was utilized to see the impact of the variable responsible for the economic growth in Bangladesh and the causal relationship between the variables analyzed was measured using Johansen co-integration test. Results: From the empirical analysis, the researchers observed that agricultural commodity imports and exports have a unidirectional impact on economic growth in Bangladesh and a long-run causal link with economic growth in Bangladesh. The suggested supply chain model of agribusiness aids in achieving smooth operations, systematic management, and monetary gains both domestically and internationally. Conclusions: This paper contributes to the development of a more effective and profitable agribusiness supply chain in Bangladesh systematically through their theoretical and practical implications.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.213-219
• /
• 2003

This paper proposes an efficient and effective BOM management scheme for small and medium manufacturing (SME) companies that produce automobile parts. Automobile part's manufacturers produce very various products due to various automobile characteristics such as types, colors, and options of cars. These products are classified into product groups with common parts and like this product groups with commonality are regarded as product family. This paper proposes a BOM data model for product family structures and implements the practical EXCEL-based BOM management system for real small and medium manufacturing (SU) companies that produces automobile parts.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.145-155
• /
• 2019

The Healthcare supply chain management has recently attracted attention as a critical tool to improve service quality and reduce healthcare operational cost. Improving large hospital supply chain performance has become increasingly important as healthcare organizations strive to improve the service quality, while reducing the ever-increasing healthcare cost. This paper explores the strategic areas where the traditional supply chain management may enhance the overall performance of the large hospitals. Based on the literature review and relevant case analysis, this paper argues that the visibility, information sharing and standardization are the critical factors for deploying the supply chain principles, and also proposes the supply chain framework for efficient planning and execution, the use of RFID-enabled system for the end-to-end traceability of medical products, and cross-docking system for minimizing the inventory level in the hospital supply chain. Implications of the study findings are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.12-20
• /
• 2005

Supply chain management is a total systems approach to delivering manufactured products to the end customer. Using information technology to coordinate all elements of the supply chain from parts suppliers to retailers achieves a level of integration that is a competitive advantage not available in traditional logistics systems. On the other hand, service chain management is an analogous systems approach that is especially suitable for delivering mobile services such as parcel delivery, cable installation, and home health care. The key elements that distinguish service supply chain management from supply chain management are bidirectional optimization, management of productive capacity, and management of perishability. The purpose of this study is to maintain the construction of service chain management by proving that service quality in after-sales service can be improved through service chain management. First of all, supply chain management, service quality, and service chain management were introduced in theoretical research. In empirical research, it was selected the domestic enterprise that produce electronic appliances with after-sales service, and some customers using the enterprise's after-sales service in the metropolitan area were selected as a sample by convenience sampling method and examined.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.31-39
• /
• 2024

Purpose: Through an ethical supply chain, brands not only catch the eye but win over a fan base of consumers who prize credibility and consistency in what they purchase. Currently, the ethical supply chain is no longer just a manufacturing process; it has become a compelling story. It draws people's attention and wins their loyalty. This research study will examine the benefits of an ethical supply chain in attracting consumer attention and building brand loyalty. Research design, data and methodology: For this research study, A detailed method was used to search and analyze relevant articles. Initial searches used set terms in certain databases. Screening criteria were the thorough scrutiny of titles and abstracts to decide their relevance to the study at hand. Thus, to enhance the quality of data, duplicate entries were deleted. Results: Based on the analysis of the prior literature, the results highlight the power of ethical saliency, showing that consumers themselves are looking for and rewarding products that meet their ethical standards. This attention to ethically transparent brands, in turn, encourages more interest and interaction with them. Conclusions: Therefore, practitioners must transmit the firm's ethical standards through all channels of communication-investor relations materials and financial reports alike.

• IE interfaces
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.153-164
• /
• 2009

An effective management for reverse flows of products such as reuse, repair and disposal, has become an important issue for every aspect of business. In this paper, we study the Location-Routing Problem (LRP) in the multi-stage closed-loop supply chain network. The closed-loop supply chain in this study integrated both forward and reverse flows. In forward flow, a factory, Distribution Center (DC) and retailer are considered as usual. Additionally in reverse flow, we consider the Central Returns collection Center (CRC) and disposal facility. We propose a mixed integer programming model for the design of closed-loop supply chain integrating both forward and reverse flows. Since the LRP belongs to an NP-hard problem, we suggest a heuristic algorithm based on genetic algorithm. For some test problems, we found the optimal locations and routes by changing the numbers of retailers and facility candidates. Furthermore, we compare the efficiencies between open-loop and closed-loop supply chain networks. The results show that the closed-loop design is better than the open one in respect to the total routing distance and cost. This phenomenon enlarges the cut down effect on cost as an experimental space become larger.