Health Care Logistics

The changed political conditions and rising cost pressure in health care sector require steady alignment. Efficient and economical logistics, which are able to adjust flexibly, provide you with the essential advance in health care marketplace.

As an innovative partner, we develop special solutions for our customers in health care sector starting at the basic concept up to realisation. The planning and optimisation of logistics in and around the hospital are tasks of the department “Health Care Logistics” at Fraunhofer IML.

We offer integrated planning and optimisation of your logistics accomplished by a professional project management and an interdisciplinary workforce. Our services do not end after conceptual design. We accompany your hospital or company up to the successful implementation of the corporate developed concept.

Logistics as useful instrument for efficiency, quality increase and cost decrease are focused more and more in hospitals. Now it is important to accommodate current changes in health care sector, to make us of the prospects, to be aware of one’s qualities and to take the right way to success. The development and realisation of an optimal integrated logistics system is a great challenge for hospitals. With the help of professional support your hospital can be quickly led to the desired aims.

A hospital is a complex technical system of many actions, structures, material flows and people. Different wards and areas of operations are involved in the daily routine of a hospital. Chemists, storage, laundry, kitchen, administration, laboratory, sterilisation, cleaning, disposal etc. are influencing the success of a hospital enormously. Aside from the medical attendance, efficient actions and the coordination of all logistic items contribute to the hospitals quality. Logistics in hospitals are efficient when they fulfill their functions and are unnoticed by employees.

Below you find an overview of our achievements for hospitals:

• Analysis and optimisation the supply of wards,
• Logistics planning in hospitals,
• Management of logistics in hospitals,
• Development of logistical operational concept and
• Logistics checks in hospitals to show potentials.

More details about hospital logistics can be found at this link “Hospital Logistics”.

In addition to planning and optimisation of logistics in hospitals the department “Health Care Logistics” of Fraunhofer IML also supports service and manufacturing companies which act in health care sector.

Today continuous modernisation in technology and organisation are the main important processes in industrial production and distribution – and therefore decisive sources for innovation and growth. The trends of continuous improvements and reorganisations have been accelerated for previous years.

Like in other sectors of industry, the basic conditions for service providers in health care have changed. Cost pressure through competitors, regulatory expenditures and costly researches are the reasons why health care sector wants to invest in optimisation methods for logistics. These methods are extended along the whole supply chain – from production across storage to the point of distribution of wholesaler to end user. Today an integrated point of view which does not end at a single company or at the next level of distribution is indispensable for continuous developments and improvements.

In context of continuous improvement and competitiveness, logistics become more and more important. Efficient and transparent logistics are the basis for the future including potentials to cost reduction, flexibility and service. Therefore the goal should be to adopt optimisation potentials from business perspective.

Manufacturer of medical engineering and medical products have to meet special challenges. Increased significance of health care sector desires continuous developments and improvements. In this connection costs, time and quality play important roles. Optimised logistics help to ensure decisive advantages – reduction of costs and assurance of high quality of products for health care sector.

Another field of activity of Fraunhofer IML, department “Health Care Logistics”, develops innovative logistics concepts for the pharmaceutical industry that meet the special requirements and regulations. By using artificial intelligence, new digital technologies and automated systems, the team aims to improve pharmaceutical logistics. Adapting medicines to individual genetic characteristics requires more flexible production processes. Automated systems and robots support efficient production supply. The integration of digitalization and automation enables comprehensive monitoring and control of production processes. Investments in employee data skills and technology infrastructure as well as the implementation of security measures are crucial for the protection of sensitive data and the smooth collaboration of skilled workers with machines.