Developing a coordination framework for pharmaceutical supply chain: using analytical hierarchy process

Managing independent members who share common goals is a frequent concern in any supply chain. More specifically, due to the critical role of the pharmaceutical industry in producing and delivering the right product to the right people at the right time, coordination of pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) members is a critical factor. Therefore, the purpose of this study (PSC) is to identify and prioritise factors affecting coordination of a PSC. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to prioritise six strategic criteria, with 26 sub‐criteria, for coordinating PSC operations. To run AHP, 44 interviews were performed to collect data for deep analysis. In this study 26 factors affecting coordination in a PSC were grouped to the six strategic factors. The results showed that, of these factors, organisational structure is perceived as the most important factor, followed by information technology, relationship and decision making, mutual understanding, management commitment, and regulatory affairs.