Materials Supply Chain

For example, consider what could go wrong with a fastener at the various stages of the supply chain  

Stage 1 Wrong material for job, e.g., carbon steel vs. stainless 

Stage 2 Wrong manufacturing technique, e.g., rolled threads vs. machined threads 

Stage 3 Wrong item selected, e.g., mix-up in bins or boxes 

Stage 4 Process change without recognizing need for new fastener type, e.g., a flammable liquid requires stronger fastener for spiral wound gaskets 

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Similarly, hazardous raw material storage should also be minimized, with greater attention being given to just in time supply. Inventory reduction lowers inventory costs, while increasing inherent safety. In determining appropriate raw material inventories, the entire raw material supply chain must be considered. Will the supplying plant have to increase inventories to provide just in time service, and will... 

Summary. It is obvious from the foregoing paragraphs that there is inherent variability in the raw material supply chain before the extraction process itself is even stalled. This will introduce variability into the subsequent process and influence product costs. 

Effective assessments will be possible only through close co-operation along the materials supply chain. This approach is, however, of only limited use unless it is taken in parallel with a more realistic assessment of the real potential for exposure of consumers to these substances. The traditional approach is to use a series of worst-case assumptions which, whilst workable for most intentionally added substances, becomes um-ealistically onerous for these traces of non-intentionally added substances. The need for realistic exposure assessment and a description of some of the tools now emerging to facilitate this is covered elsewhere in this book. 

DuPont Canada has developed a new business model that redefines its relationship to its key customers through managing material supply chains. Working with the Ford Motor Company on processes for applying automobile finishes, the firm found it could reduce the amount of paint used, close-loop the painting system, turn waste streams into useful products, and, thereby, develop new ways to generate revenue (GEMI, 2001). 

Specific job functions are responsible for maintaining control at each stage of the critical materials supply chain. See Figure 1 -1. 

Ensure a feedback system is in place for reporting discrepancies by all functions in the critical materials supply chain. 

Document not only nonconformance but also causes of nonconformance so that problems may be passed back to purchasing in order to eliminate them from your materials supply chain. 

RECEIVING AND VERIFYING MATERIALS SUPPLY CHAIN-ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES... 

Wider availability and ease of nse to the full range of hazardous materials supply chain personnel... 

Processing operations have a choice of several systems for drying of the granulates, whereby the driers are often integrated in the material supply chain. Schroer and Wortberg [9] provide a summary report on this aspect. 

The healthcare delivery network comprises two distinct supply chains service supply chain and material supply chain. Service supply chain includes healthcare services such as admissions, diagnosis, lab test, surgery, treatment, and recuperation. Material supply chain involves procurement, storage, and deployment of healthcare products - pharmaceuticals, sensors, wearable devices, test equipment, and communication devices. As shown in Fig. 10.2, the materials supply chain includes all the entities, except the employers and the service supply chain excludes drug manufacturers, device manufacturers, and retailers. 

Next, we discuss the healthcare drivers shown in Figs. 10.3 and 10.4, both external and internal (as outlined in Chap. 1). In what follows, we include both the service and material supply chains in the discussion of drivers, and delineate them when we discuss delivery network capabilities. 

It should be apparent that the external and internal drivers are predicated upon a specific set of capabilities in the healthcare delivery network. In Fig. 10.5, we show these capabilities for both the service and material supply chains, using the framework developed in Chap. 1. The cluster of capabilities, labeled demand management refers to external drivers, whereas the other four clusters labeled fund management , provider management , operations and supply chain , and E-healthcare , are relate to internal drivers. 

Managing operations, and coordination of the material supply chain are vital in supporting the service deUvery chain, discussed earlier. First, we examine the operations effectiveness in hospitals. This is followed by an analysis of the supply chains of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. 

Three fundamental factors make outsourcing to low cost regions attractive the low cost of labor, a large labor pool, and proximity to the material supply chain. Several factors also make it difficult to do business language barriers, distant locations, and social and political differences. The positive factors currently outweigh the negative factors. 

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