Materials Management Proposal

In health care, departments called “Materials Management” are responsible for directing the supply chain. Materials managers control significant resources. Total expenditures, or spending, can total nearly 50% of a hospital’s budget (Langabeer, 2008).   The newly promoted operation manager of a small hospital has been asked to create a proposal, that will cover the role materials management plays within the hospital and the role of operations managers in this process, it will also identify constraints the hospital may experience in its supply chains. Moreover it will describe and justify the potential effects of implanting a new collaborative planning process and suggestions on how to keep the hospital supplied during a disaster.
Explanation of role materials management and operation managers within the hospital
The name material management means different things at each hospital. Ordinarily, in most community hospitals, it is an umbrella department that includes many other functions. In hospitals, the common name for departments that focus on acquiring, storing, distributing, and replenishing materials and supplies is material management (Langabeer, 2008). The roles of material management within the hospital are to ensure the flow of the process goes in the right direction and to have a productive outcome. It is the responsibility of operation managers to have full interaction during this process. Operation managers should be able to forecast the future market and demand for the hospital. Most importantly operation managers need to be aware of budget in regard to maintaining cost at its minimum, this role works along with maintaining inventory. Another component of operation managers is to inspect and keep quality control within high standards and at the same time to handle the traffic and distribution.

Identification of possible constraints the hospital may experience in supply chains
There are four fundamental concerns in business logistics and...