Benchmarking health-care supply chain by implementing Industry 4.0: a fuzzy-AHP-DEMATEL approach
Benchmarking: An International Journal
ISSN: 1463-5771
Article publication date: 16 October 2020
Issue publication date: 8 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
With the rising needs of health-care (HC) services during the health outbreaks, it is essential to upgrade the existing HC delivery infrastructure. The study aims to prioritize and highlight the interrelationships among the key factors of the smart health-care supply chain (HCSC) by implementing the concept of Industry 4.0.
Design/methodology/approach
The key factors of implementing Industry 4.0 in HCSC have been identified through extensive literature review and stakeholders' opinions. To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the present study proposed hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools, namely, the fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy- decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). The Fuzzy-AHP prioritized the factors of implementing Industry 4.0 in HCSC, while the cause–effect relationships among the factors have been explored using fuzzy-DEMATEL.
Findings
The results of the study indicated that HC logistics management (HCLM) is the most prioritized factor of implementing Industry 4.0 in HCSC, followed by the integrated HCSC, then sustainable HCSC practices, HCSC innovation and technological aspects, HCSC institutional perspectives, HCSC competitiveness, social aspects and economic factors of HCSC. The cause–effect analysis has highlighted integrated HCSC, HCLM, HCSC competitiveness and social aspects as the cause group factors and they are the critical success parameters for implementing Industry 4.0 in the HCSC.
Practical implications
The results of the study can be useful for policymakers, humanitarian organizations, health administrators and other decision makers considering the smartening of HCSC to enhance the operational performance of health facilities.
Originality/value
This is one of the few studies to have been conducted so far in which the subfactors of HCSC implementing Industry 4.0 have been identified and analyzed using the fuzzy-AHP and fuzzy-DEMATEL hybrid approach.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India, under grant number NITR/FA/18/M/0455 dated 18.09.2018. The authors are also very thankful to all the HC establishments because without their contribution, this study would not have been able to produce such great implications for improving the performance of HCSC.
Citation
Hossain, M.K. and Thakur, V. (2021), "Benchmarking health-care supply chain by implementing Industry 4.0: a fuzzy-AHP-DEMATEL approach", Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 556-581. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-05-2020-0268
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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