Business Process Re-Engineering Case Study
BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING AT THE HOSPITALS: A CASE STUDY AT SINGAPORE HOSPITAL
Arun Kumar and Linet Ozdamar School of Mechanical & Production Engineering Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue, SINGAPORE-639798 Email: makumar@ntu.edu.sg
KEYWORDS Business process reengineering, Healthcare. ABSTRACT As health care costs increase, there is a need for healthcare service providers to look for ways to contain costs and to achieve a higher efficiency at their operating facilities without sacrificing quality. This paper studies a case in employing business process reengineering techniques on one aspect of a health care service – surgical work. The system is simulated focusing on the processes that contribute to the effective functioning of an operating theatre. INTRODUCTION Business process reengineering (BPR) has become increasingly important in recent years. Customers now have the choice of different product and service providers, to provide them with the same core product or service that they want. Over the last fifteen years, companies have been forced to reengineering their business processes to stay competitive because customers are demanding better products and services. Improving and redesigning business processes is paramount for businesses to stay competitive. With the escalating health care costs, healthcare service providers in Singapore are also continuously seeking ways to stay competitive and provide quality service to the customers. Little research has been done on the employment of BPR in healthcare systems. Healthcare industry has traditionally emphasized on breakthroughs in operating procedures and technology in the bid to stay competitive. Healthcare service providers are beginning to understand that BPR initiatives could be a better solution to achieving competitive advantage. The operating theatre suite is a critically important segment of any healthcare organization
that delivers surgical care to patients. It can consume
Arun Kumar and Linet Ozdamar School of Mechanical & Production Engineering Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue, SINGAPORE-639798 Email: makumar@ntu.edu.sg
KEYWORDS Business process reengineering, Healthcare. ABSTRACT As health care costs increase, there is a need for healthcare service providers to look for ways to contain costs and to achieve a higher efficiency at their operating facilities without sacrificing quality. This paper studies a case in employing business process reengineering techniques on one aspect of a health care service – surgical work. The system is simulated focusing on the processes that contribute to the effective functioning of an operating theatre. INTRODUCTION Business process reengineering (BPR) has become increasingly important in recent years. Customers now have the choice of different product and service providers, to provide them with the same core product or service that they want. Over the last fifteen years, companies have been forced to reengineering their business processes to stay competitive because customers are demanding better products and services. Improving and redesigning business processes is paramount for businesses to stay competitive. With the escalating health care costs, healthcare service providers in Singapore are also continuously seeking ways to stay competitive and provide quality service to the customers. Little research has been done on the employment of BPR in healthcare systems. Healthcare industry has traditionally emphasized on breakthroughs in operating procedures and technology in the bid to stay competitive. Healthcare service providers are beginning to understand that BPR initiatives could be a better solution to achieving competitive advantage. The operating theatre suite is a critically important segment of any healthcare organization
that delivers surgical care to patients. It can consume
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