Title: Blood supply chain risks in disasters - a fault tree analysis approach

Authors: Amir-Reza Abtahi; Reza Yousefi Zenouz; Mohammad-Reza Ghaderian; Afsaneh Aghaie

Addresses: Department of Operations and Information Technology Management, Faculty of Management, Kharazmi University, Iran ' Department of Operations and Information Technology Management, Faculty of Management, Kharazmi University, Iran ' Department of Operations and Information Technology Management, Faculty of Management, Kharazmi University, Iran ' Iranian Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Education and Research in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Timely delivering of the required blood and blood products to beneficiaries is one of the most critical issues during disaster strikes. Risks are the events that can interrupt the process and hinder the blood supply chains from attaining their predetermined goals. In this paper, we designed a process map that shows the workflow of the blood supply chain visually from donation to the distribution of blood products to the hospital. Then, the risks associated with each activity of the main processes identified. By aggregation of expert judgments using the fuzzy Delphi method, the final list of risks extracted. Then the identified risks were classified and consequently, by using fault tree analysis (FTA), the probability of failure in the blood supply chain in each main level calculated. Findings can help related organisations to manage the risks better and design effective mitigation plans.

Keywords: blood supply chain; risk; process map; fuzzy Delphi method; fault tree analysis; FTA.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMOM.2019.106877

International Journal of Modelling in Operations Management, 2019 Vol.7 No.4, pp.269 - 283

Received: 25 Feb 2019
Accepted: 22 Aug 2019
Published online: 24 Apr 2020 *

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