A Conceptual Framework for Logistics Management and Project Planning in the Clinical Trials Industry

Emad Sadoon, Uday Venkatadri () and Alireza Ghasemi
Additional contact information
Emad Sadoon: Department of Industrial Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Uday Venkatadri: Department of Industrial Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Alireza Ghasemi: Department of Industrial Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada

Logistics, 2023, vol. 7, issue 4, 1-42

Abstract: Background : Logistics management in the clinical trials industry is a very challenging undertaking because it involves multiple stakeholders, complex processes, diverse software applications, intensive white-collar jobs, and onerous quality standards. Current business practices are inefficient and difficult to automate technologies. Methods : This paper reviews the theories and concepts of clinical trials logistics management. The inefficiencies in current logistics management industry are then addressed by building a conceptual framework based on contemporary software tools and architectures, such as web portals, software agents, business process management system, project cards, and resource cards, all interacting with specialized software applications such as accounting, inventory, and label design software. The framework supports data analysis at multiple levels of decision making. To this end, a project planning tool for facilitating and optimizing the operational planning in this industry is designed and presented. Results : The planning tool also contributes to the literature by contrasting several different resource scenarios such as the shared pool, dedicated resources for each project, and the creation of several work groups with dedicated resources. These are Pareto trade-offs. Conclusions : A framework employing a business process management is proposed for clinical trials logistics management. Different managerial scenarios with shared, dedicated, and work group resources are investigated using a case study.

Keywords: clinical trials; logistics management; service industry; software architecture; automation; business process management system; contemporary software tools (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L8 L80 L81 L86 L87 L9 L90 L91 L92 L93 L98 L99 M1 M10 M11 M16 M19 R4 R40 R41 R49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/7/4/88/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6290/7/4/88/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlogis:v:7:y:2023:i:4:p:88-:d:1287358

Access Statistics for this article

Logistics is currently edited by Ms. Mavis Li

More articles in Logistics from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().