Difficulties in classifying logistics applications that utilize knowledge from areas sometimes extending beyond economic sciences, as well as recognizing new areas of its application as “logistical,” occupy a portion of the scientific community. Their source lies, to some extent, in the interdisciplinary nature of the studied problems. Borrowing research methods between sciences is an increasingly common process. The emerging new applications of logistics, which are becoming established in practice and providing new generalizations, are a contemporary fact that we cannot escape, nor can we pretend they do not exist. This refers to so-called non-classical or atypical applications of logistics, which over time gain their place among specific logistics fields; such as the already well-known city logistics, or humanitarian logistics, sports logistics, healthcare logistics, or more broadly – social logistics.
Delivering medicines in the form of blood and its components, in the right quantities, in the right condition (maintaining rigorous storage and distribution conditions), to the right places and at the right time, to the right customers – beneficiaries, is an absolutely necessary condition for the efficiency of logistical operations, which are a component of the functioning blood donation and blood treatment system. Delivering blood and its components can present many implementation problems. These problems are usually related to the material flows being realized, the processes of acquisition, processing, and storage, as well as the method of acquiring and the scope of the acquired, processed, and transmitted information. In such a configuration, logisticians immediately recognize the possibilities of applying logistics, which offers a range of methods and tools for optimizing flows, provided by its theory and practice. The flows in question are realized in the form of commodity chains, and can be (or are partially) in the form of supply chains.
The purpose of the article is to indicate the potential, measurable benefits resulting from applying the logistics concept to blood management.
Identification of groups of logistics processes and activities in blood supply chains
Logistics, according to Cz. Skowronek and Z. Sarjusz-Wolski, is a sphere of economic activity creating an integrated system. A system is a collection of components (parts, elements) linked together, enabling the achievement of a goal. Each of the components can be treated as an independent system (subsystem). Regarding blood management, one can speak of a system consisting of the following functional subsystems:
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collection,
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management of returns,
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distribution,
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blood processing and subsequent storage,
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regulation – controlling the flows of material goods and necessary information.
The logistics system of blood resource management defined in this way is presented in Figure 1. Thus, the blood management system defines a set of functional tasks that include the operations of blood acquisition, storage, and processing centers, shaping policy regarding blood inventory storage, executing deliveries, and the infrastructure necessary to perform these tasks. The system enables the management of blood flows between system units and the final recipient (patient, beneficiary). The logistics system for blood management combines the logistics processes and activities realized within it into a single whole, increasing the efficiency of blood and blood component flows, information, and reducing the costs of system operation.
Observing the civil blood donation system functioning in Poland, the authors concluded that in practice, it is possible to distinguish blood supply chains containing logistics chains, in which classic logistics processes and activities are realized. An outline of logistics processes and activities in blood resource management is presented in Table 1.
The large number and diversity of logistics processes and activities that would need to be coordinated in practice is sufficient justification to solve these problems using logistics concepts. Logistics therefore has the chance to organizationally support the recognized and applied medical solutions of the blood donation and blood treatment system.
The article comes from the journal “Logistyka” 6/2010.