“Optimizing the Healthcare Services Through Supply Chain Management Practices in Bangladesh: A study on NOAPARA GROUP.”

Abstract

This thesis investigates the influence of supply chain management (SCM) practices on the performance of healthcare services within Noapara Group, a prominent healthcare and industrial organization in Bangladesh. The study aims to assess how effective supply chain operations, such as procurement management, forecasting and planning, inventory control, and logistics coordination, contribute to improved healthcare outcomes in an emerging-economy context. A structured questionnaire was administered to employees associated with supply chain, operations, logistics, procurement, and healthcare administration. A total of 50 valid responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to understand the relationships among key variables. The results indicate that SCM practices have a significant positive effect on supply chain performance, highlighting the importance of transparent procurement processes, accurate demand forecasting, optimal inventory maintenance, and efficient distribution networks. SCM performance was also found to have a strong positive effect on healthcare service outcomes, suggesting that improved operational efficiency directly enhances patient service quality, availability of supplies, and treatment responsiveness. Interestingly, SCM challenges such as supplier delays, transportation disruptions, and technological limitations did not significantly influence performance or healthcare outcomes, implying that Noapara Group has effective mitigation mechanisms in place. Moreover, SCM performance emerged as a key mediator between SCM practices and healthcare outcomes, demonstrating that improvements in supply chain functions translate into tangible healthcare benefits. The findings contribute valuable insights to the understanding of supply chain dynamics in healthcare organizations within developing countries. They also provide practical recommendations for strengthening procurement governance, digital inventory systems, logistics resilience, and organizational communication. The study concludes by outlining implications for policy, management, and future research, emphasizing the strategic importance of SCM in enhancing healthcare delivery in Bangladesh.