Impact of e-business technologies in changing hospital supply chain processes : a conceptual model

While the e-business revolution has drastically transformed the supply chain landscape for the manufacturing and retail sectors, researchers and practitioners are currently grappling with how to strategically diffuse these technologies along the health sector supply chain. This paper critically reviews the literature in the area of e-business, supply chain management and health services management and assesses the extent to which these technologies have been diffused along the hospital supply chain. It also recognises the importance of the “soft” enabling factors such as relationships, trust, information sharing and collaboration. The paper proposes a conceptual model that seeks to provide a framework for examining the relationship between e-business technologies, enabling factors and supply chain performance measures.