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Purpose This paper aims to propose a combined methodology to help decision makers in evaluating and selecting the most effective part feeding system. Design/methodology/approach As a first step of the methodology, a hierarchical clustering analysis is applied to design a kitting or hybrid feeding system. Second, activity-based costing methodology is applied to determine which system is better according to their costs. Besides, sensitivity analysis is implemented to observe the behavior of the system in case of the takt time changes. Findings Using kitting systems purely can lead to problems because of the big and expensive parts in the mixed-model assembly systems. Therefore, the hybrid feeding policy can provide better solutions for such systems. Research limitations/implications A case study is conducted in a company and the most produced product of the company is considered to design the part feeding system. Results indicated that transportation cost has a large proportion on the total cost and the hybrid feeding policy may be a good solution to reduce this cost. Practical implications The paper includes implications for the design of hybrid feeding systems in lean-based assembly lines. The proposed methodology may be a practical tool for decision makers to design and decide on the part feeding policy. Originality/value Kitting design has not been studied yet to the best of the authors’ knowledge. Besides, there is no certain decision methodology indicating which system is better. In this study, different methods are combined as a new methodology with the purpose of industrial decision-making.

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Purpose: Medical tourism service requires involvement of multiple parties from the service network, however medical tourism is not well studied from a supply chain management perspective. This study suggests a conceptual model of medical tourism service supply chain (MTSSC) to provide a clearer understanding of its nature, and defines its business processes.Design/methodology/approach: Triangulation which makes use of literature review, in-depth interviews, and expert evaluations was applied to develop and validate the suggested model. The proposed model is initialized based on the relevant literature. In-depth interviews were used to refine and finalize the model. Expert evaluations ensure the trustworthiness of the model and the business process definitions.Findings: The proposed model uses a nested process structure rather than a one-dimensional supply chain model, where the assistance company maintains an intermediary role between the patient and all the service providers (e.g. medical institutions, transportation, accommodation). Additionally, the conceptual model identifies seven business processes: service design, service recovery management, customer relationship management, supplier relationship management, demand management, capacity and resource management, and service delivery management.Practical implications: The results provide a better understanding of the MTSSC structure and processes, and a recognition of the MTSSC members. The process definitions give the members an idea about their roles in the service design and delivery in practice. Additionally, a better understanding of the system as a whole leads to better process development and control. MTSSC members may shape their organizations internally and supply chain-wide by considering this conceptual model. Moreover, the model acts as a basis for supply chain collaboration decisions.Originality/value: The conceptual model is built upon the theories and practice of medical tourism services, supply chain management, and service operations management. This study contributes to the theory of medical tourism services management by explaining the MTSSC concepts and business processes, and extends existing knowledge.

Medical tourism service offers a professional healthcare opportunity by travelling abroad with the chance of touristic and cultural activities at the destination country. Medical travelers prefer a foreign country for treatment due to long waiting periods, high costs, excessive number of patients, inadequate number of healthcare professionals and inadequate cutting-edge technological equipment at their country of residence. An assistance company (AC) is a legal requirement to support medical tourists in Turkey during the treatment period, and offers alternative healthcare service providers (HSPs) that are public hospitals, private hospitals and private clinics at the first phase of the medical tourism service. Moreover, there are specific HSPs certificated by the government, and a few number of public hospitals authenticated for medical tourism. By taking the whole above statements into consideration, HSP selection is a key decision-making point differentiating from a traditional hospital selection of a patient. Medical tourists must evaluate various criteria in order to select a proper HSP. Additionally, these decision criteria are often vague, complex, indeterminate and inconsistent information in the HSP type decision. Hence, in this study, a decision making model based on neutrosophic fuzzy sets considering HSP selection in every aspect (truthiness, indeterminacy and falsity) is suggested.