Selection of the most suitable stock control method with the analytical hierarchy process in hospitals: A case study in a hospital

The selection of the inventory control technique is one of the most important challenges faced by not only hospital enterprises, but also all enterprises in the management of inventories. The aim of this study is to select the most appropriate inventory control method for hospital enterprises by using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHS) method, which is a multi-criteria decision-making method. The Analytical Hierarchy Process approach is one of the most preferred methods in decision-making problems due to its advantages such as being easy to use, easy to model in Ms Excel, having its own package programs, converting biased and unbiased judgments into the numerical format, and questioning inconsistency. In this context, in the first chapter of the research, general information about the definition, characteristics, basic functions, and classification of the hospital is given under the main title of "General Information on Hospital Enterprises". In the second chapter of the thesis, the concept of inventory, inventory management, inventory valuation methods, inventory cost measurement methods, and the most used inventory control methods in hospital enterprises are explained. In the third part of the study, general information about the Analytical Hierarchy Process and its application stages are given respectively. In the fourth chapter, where the selection of the most appropriate inventory control method and the model application in the field are explained, the stages and analysis of the selection of the most suitable inventory control method for a private eye hospital in Ankara are explained. In the conclusion part, the process is summarized with all its stages. It is emphasized that rather than which inventory control method is used, it is necessary to monitor whether the cost and effectiveness of the existing system have increased as a result of the changes to be made in the system. Finally, discussions and recommendations are presented.