Running head: OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 1

Operations and Supply Chain Management

Students Name

University/College
OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 2

Flow diagram

The process flow diagram of the Massachusetts General Hospital's Pre-Admission

Testing Area (PATA) will provide information in regards to the visit from the perspective of the

patient[ CITATION Kel12 \l 1033 ].

New and returning patients

Pharmacy patients

Capacity analysis tool

The bottlenecks in the organization can be determined using the utilization formula.

Employees Number Service Arrivals Available UTILIZATION

time time
Security 1 2 150 11 0.45455
Medical 7 8 120 7 0.24489

Assistants
Clerks 4 8 150 6 0.83333
Physicians 9 20 120 7 0.63492
Pharmacy 3 7 120 7.5 0.62222

Staff
Coordinators
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Pharmacy 3 11 90 7.5 0.73333

staff
Physician 8 37 120 7 1.32143

rooms
Vitals rooms 3 6 120 7 0.57142

Formula for utilization: Utilization Calculation = (Service time x Arrivals)/ (Available hours +

Available servers x 1hour)

In this case, to calculate utilization for employees =

- (2 X 150)/ (11 X 1 X 60)

- 300/ 660

- 0.45455

Based on the capacity analysis tool, a major bottleneck at Massachusetts General

Hospital is physicians. It arises from the utilization rates that is over 100%. Indeed, this would

mean that the rooms are used beyond their intended capacity. Essentially, these rooms are for

more than the stated time[ CITATION Kel12 \l 1033 ]. It can also arise in cases where patients

have to wait at a different location or in cases where the information is not captured in the

statistics provided. In many scenarios, it is very difficult to achieve a utilization rate that is over

100%.

Three task force analysis

There is little time between the appointments. It arises from a large number of patients

and the low number of personnel. In this context, the patient will not have sufficient time to

detail their issue, and to get the best prescription that is effective. The little time in place is

applicable in dealing with a large number of patients, and it is not effective. Additionally, the
OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 4

high number of patients is demanding, and they require quick consideration. It means that the

personnel has to maximize in the delivery. It leads to minimal time during the patient

appointments[ CITATION Kel12 \l 1033 ]. Furthermore, there are not enough physicians and

rooms in the organization. It is a major issue in the hospital. The long wait time also arises from

the underutilization of other services. It includes the use of the server system that deals with

patient information. Many employees find it difficult to save the information via online means,

and it is stored in folders and physical documents. It leads to an increase in wait times, and the

personnel has to go through the patient data when looking for particular information. In many

cases, it takes a lot of time when the hospital has received many patients at an instance. It limits

the efficiency of the organization.

Variability

The factors that lead to variability include buffering and processing times. It affects the

production rate within a system. It is dealt with using a service system design. It means that the

organization has to improve its services. It would be the best form of control to eliminate the

issue. A call center can also be used. It should also be very efficient. Efficiency means that there

is a need to ensure the employees are working at all times. It is essential to improve productivity

and efficiently[ CITATION Kel12 \l 1033 ]. The employees should also be encouraged to

communicate often. It ensures all personnel is way about their roles in the system. It would lead

to a high variability in the time required for the provision of services.

Eliminating the queue of work is imperative. It is a significant factor that would minimize

wastage of time. Indeed, when the lead time is small, the customer orders are processed faster.

The hospital also records all the patient data, and this makes it easier to deal with the particular

needs of the patient. Through the use of queues, it is mc easier to record patient data, and
OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 5

determine the physicians who have prior experience with them, and they will lead to better

outcomes. It minimizes the time spent in determining the patient history. It also deals with the

issue of recording g patient data[ CITATION Kel12 \l 1033 ]. Essentially, some information

might have been missed while recording the information, but the physician can recall the

particular ailment to be resolved.

Recommendations

PATA can be improved through a variety of methods. The first recommendation would

entail changing the process so that the pharmacy customers are not required to register. It will

minimize the time used. Additionally, touch screen should be installed. These can be used to for

customer registration, leading to a better pace of collection patient data. In the current context,

the medical assistants are characterized by a utilization rate of 3%. It would result in the

reduction in the number of personnel[ CITATION Kel12 \l 1033 ]. A recommendation will also

entail converting one of the important rooms to become a physician chamber. The patients can

then wait at the waiting room, and the doctor can easily see a patient once they are available. It is

also imperative to reduce the time required for registration. It can be achieved by pre-registering

new patients through mail or on-line. Moreover, failsafe methods should be established to ensure

that the processes work as required. It includes coding the x-rays to improve delivery times.

References
McCarty, K., Gallien, J., & Levi, R. (2012). Massachusetts General Hospital's Pre-Admission
Testing Area (PATA). MIT Sloan Management.
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