Recent experience in seven countries has taught us how crucial it is to create a data culture for supply chain by focusing on people as well as technology. This new, people-centered approach takes the idea of a commercial sector control tower and applies it to public health.

This private sector concept is now gaining traction in public health supply chains, where our job is to ensure the right people, technology, and processes are aligned to deliver health products to families and care, providers, when and where they need them. Renamed as a “visibility and analytics network” (VAN), this strategy is still fairly new, and ministries of health often struggle with key challenges: poor visibility into the data, gaps in processes, capacity, and an organizational culture around using data.

Research demonstrates that pairing digital systems that enhance data visibility with this team approach achieves improvements in supply chain performance, thanks to better communication and such simple, local actions as timely redistribution of medicines. After IMPACT teams in Malawi achieved up to a 14 percent decrease in stockouts, the government scaled up this approach to all districts nationally. Kenya, Myanmar, and Pakistan are also expanding their pilot projects.

We’ve learned some key lessons in implementing IMPACT teams across seven countries to ensure they are successful and sustainable beyond the initial project:

  1. Make data uncomplicated and actionable.
  2. Offer basic training in data interpretation.
  3. Develop and strengthen leadership.
  4. Create networks across teams and levels.
  5. Recognize and celebrate progress.

Read the full article by Carmit Keddem and Yasmin Chandani about supply chain and public health from Devex International Development