Optimal inventory policy within hospital space constraints

Area of Science:

• Operations Research
• Healthcare Management
• Supply Chain Optimization

Background:

• Hospital materials management requires efficient inventory policies for service delivery and cost control.
• Future infrastructure changes necessitate adaptable inventory strategies.
• Existing policies face challenges due to space and delivery constraints, impacting service levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new constraint-based model for optimizing inventory stock levels in hospital settings.
• To account for critical factors including storage space, delivery frequency, and item importance.
• To prepare inventory policies for future hospital infrastructure changes.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel constraint-based inventory policy model.
• Incorporation of constraints related to space, delivery logistics, and product criticality.
• Validation of the model using real-world data from an intensive care unit at Cork University Hospital.

Main Results:

• The proposed model effectively determines optimal stock levels for diverse products.
• It successfully balances service level requirements with practical storage and delivery limitations.
• The model's applicability was demonstrated in a critical care environment.

Conclusions:

• The developed constraint-based model offers an effective solution for optimizing hospital inventory management.
• It provides a robust framework for anticipating and adapting to infrastructural changes.
• This approach enhances service delivery while managing operational constraints in healthcare logistics.