Supply departments are instrumental in keeping hospitals running smoothly; however, organizational failure — when care processes fail — may still occur despite supply departments' perfect completion of tasks. Here are five ways in which operational failure from supply issues may arise, from a Harvard Business Review Blog Network post.
1. Organizational design — Failures between nursing units may result when one unit stocks supplies in response to individual patient needs, and the other stocks supplies in predetermined quantities. This may result in insufficient quantities of supplies for unit requirements.
2. Inadequate knowledge handoffs between departments — When care orders are processed, relevant information must be translated into supply requests. Indirect information transfer in similar situations may result in insufficient supply quantities.
3. Ambiguous handoffs — Clarity of which department is explicitly responsible for each care process is necessary for appropriate unit supplying processes. Without this clarity, supplies may be in excess or may be missing altogether.
4. Limited physical space — Space must be appropriately designed for its use. Outlet positions, hand hygiene stations and other necessary items must have locations that allow them to be accessible at all times.
5. Violations of work-design principles — Not making an effort to operate in the most efficient ways possible can also hinder the care process. This includes placing people with the wrong expertise at the front lines of care, having redundant processes and allowing numbers one through four above to persist in an organizational capacity.
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