Hospital efficiency management: the just-in-time and Kanban technique

摘要

The importance of the supply system to a hospital means that the implementation of new stock management systems is a significant need. The main aim of this study is to provide an empirical demonstration of efficient management results obtained by the use of the just-in-time (JIT) and Kanban tools. This research deals with the design and experimentation of innovative automatic supply models, such as the JIT system, as applied to ward materials. The first application of the proposed procedure was implemented in the City Hospital of Padua. The second application "was carried out in the Religious Hospital of Turin, where the implementation of the Kanban method has a particular development. With the introduction of small investments (modular cabinets and 'intelligent' trolleys), the quantities and the volumes of stored products, out-of-date medicines, order errors, and unnecessary picking operations largely decreased.