MOBILE DATA COLLECTION

Logistics & Supply Chain Management

The need for systematic approaches to inventory management and informed resupply is chronic across multiple sectors serving the last mile. To help organizations address unique problems related to logistics and supply chain management, Dimagi has developed a specialized CommCare Solution called CommCare Supply, which is designed to inform and empower supervisors and supply officers with key supply information.

By proactively tracking stock among a workforce, anticipating stockouts, suggesting reorder quantities, and facilitating resupply, CommCare Supply has played a crucial role in reducing stockouts for frontline workers in countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. To date, CommCare Supply has received nearly one million stock reports from over 7,250 active facilities and more than 3,000 community health workers (CHWs) using the system.

Benefits of Mobile Data Collection for Frontline Workers

Problem: Many frontline workers provide supply to a community, but have no reliable method of resupply; workers spend long periods without adequate stock, decreasing beneficiaries’ access to quality services and essential products

Mobile applications enable consistent reporting of stock on hand and requisition orders.

Average consumption and suggested reorder quantities are automatically calculated, helping users to place more accurate orders and reduce reducing time spent on complex logistics calculations.

Automatically inferred stockout dates guide resupply scheduling, reducing wasted travel to pick up supplies that are not ready.

Streamlined requisition process helps workers monitor the delivery schedule and improve the rationing of supplies between deliveries.

Tracking orders through to delivery enables accurate communication with beneficiaries on stock availability, increasing trust and quality of service.

Benefits of Mobile Data Collection for Supply Workers

Problem: Supply Officers often lack visibility of supply chain data and stock management at the community level; Supply Officers are unable to provide fast, accurate, resupply for community frontline workers.

Mobile reporting reduces calculation and reporting overhead by managing worker information over time, automatically calculating each worker’s consumption level.

Order status can be effectively communicated between Supply Officers and frontline workers, digitally tracking new requisitions, filled orders, and confirmation receipts upon delivery.

Mobile applications increase availability of key decision-making data, made available both offline and through a web-based interface.

Benefits of Mobile Data Collection for Organizations

Problem: There is a lack of visibility of supply chain data and stock management at all levels of the system; inefficiencies lead to high losses and decreased impact of services and products.

All data generated at the last mile either through SMS or mobile applications is automatically made available in real-time through a web-based interface.

The system reduces organizations’ calculation and ordering burden, displaying current stock on hand for different programs and locations, and streamlining the requisition process.

Data collected through the interface of scheduling resupply and tracking order delivery enables organizations to see and predict loss.

Real-time data reports stock on hand and expected future consumption, identifying products in highest demand to inform purchasing.

Go deeper with this recorded webinar to explore what secure data management looks like at every stage of maturity

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Featured CommCare-Based Logistics & Supply Chain Programs

cStock: Supply Chains for Community Case Management | Malawi

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) in Malawi is actively working to strengthen community health systems. Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) play a vital role in assessing and treating minor conditions for children under five. To ensure they have access to essential, life-saving medicines, the MoHP introduced the “cStock” tool. This tool provides greater visibility into community-level data and is being implemented under the leadership of the MoHP with funding from the Global Fund, managed by World Vision Malawi.

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SMASH Mobile: CommCare for Improving Local Supply Chains | Haiti

Brasserie Nationale d’Haïti (BRANA), a subsidiary of Heineken, launched the Smallholder Alliance for Sorghum in Haiti (SMASH) program to strengthen the local sorghum supply chain. SMASH Mobil, a mobile technology and reporting system supported by CommCare, facilitates real-time monitoring of the program’s activities, from land preparation to grain delivery to BRANA.

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Hear from Customers using CommCare to Improve their Frontline Program Performance

Cure Violence Global

“CommCare is a mission-critical, strategic platform for us. We have been able to turn data into a strategic advantage, showcasing our impact and driving funding.”

- Dr. Charles Elliott, Director of Data Management

Catholic Relief Services

“We use CommCare extensively to design data collection tools for both development and humanitarian contexts, appreciating its flexibility for both one-off surveys and case management.”

- Nora Lindström, Senior Director, ICT4D

MHP Salud

“CommCare has allowed us to really streamline the data collection process. CHWs find it easy to capture critical information in the moment with families.”

- Dr Maggie Dante, CEO

Learn more

In the news: Devex

Could this app transform delivery of last-mile health services? Catherine Cheney covers CommCare Connect.

A milestone: 100,000 services delivered

Key milestones for CommCare Connect, strengthening the pillars of digital learning, verification, and payments to Frontline Workers.

Hear from the team: High-Impact Growth Podcast

Mercy Simiyu, Sarvesh Tewari, and Dhivya Sivaramakrishnan join host Jonathan Jackson to share insights from their work with locally led organizations and CHWs on CommCare Connect