Complaints management and operational performance of public pharmaceutical supply agencies in Uganda: A case study of National Medical Stores - Entebbe

Abstract

Complaints management is a planned and controlled way of receiving, recording, processing, responding to and reporting on complaints as well as using them to improve services and decision-making (Ombudsman, 2019). The term "complaint management" is used to include service commitment and involves the receipt, investigation, settlement and prevention of customer complaints and commitment of the customer (Taleghaniet al, 2018). Operational performance is the measure of the optimal utilisation of organisational resources and processes such as production cycle-time, inventory turnover, and reliability to produce quality products or service. Thus, its effect on efficiency, effectiveness and customer satisfaction is the cardinal measure of performance (Azim et al,2015; and Slack et al,2011). Customer satisfaction is the comparison between quality of service received and expected performance. It is about gratifying the customer (Kinga et al, (2015; & Biesok & Wyród-Wróbel, 2011). Operational efficiency and effectiveness is concerned with ‘doing operations right in broader concept’ and ‘doing right things in executing operations’ (Gyaneshwar, 2012). Logistics is the positioning of resources at the right time, in the right place, at the right cost, of the right quality. It is that part of the supply chain process that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customers’ requirements” It encompasses processes such as transportation, warehousing, distribution, vehicle routing problems (VRPs), and packaging (Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, UK, 2005; Zanjir et al, 2019; & Council of Logistics Management, 2003).