The Foundations of Supply Chain Visibility - PPMR Transition Summary

Publication date: 2021

The Foundations of Supply Chain Visibility PPMR Transition Summary For nearly two decades, the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (the Coalition) and its members have enhanced visibility and averted supply crises using resources that have become bywords in the community, such as the Coordinated Assistance for Reproductive Health supplies group (CARhs), Coordinated Supply Planning group (CSP), RH Interchange (RHI) and the Procurement Planning and Monitoring Report (PPMR). From scanning for signs of imminent stock issues to systematically tracking stock levels at central medical stores, we have successfully identified threats and reacted quickly. The Coalition has rushed deliveries, arranged product transfers, and driven new procurement. Altogether, it is estimated that our actions have generated more than $100M in cost savings and new product procurement. VAN The Power of Transformation Today, the Coalition, with financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, FCDO, UNFPA and USAID, continues enhancing visibility by assembling all the functions formerly played by the CARhs and CSP groups, RHI, and PPMR under the Global Family Planning Visibility & Analytics Network (VAN). Thanks to additional funding support from USAID over the last year, on June 30, 2021, the PPMR database was officially retired after a successful transition of all PPMR data and processes into the VAN. What does this transition mean and why is it important? By transitioning the functionality of the PPMR to the VAN, global and country partners both benefit from more streamlined data entry, access to incoming order and shipment data linked to their inventory and consumption, and centralized collaboration. The PPMR transition is the last in a series of steps to consolidate formerly disparate supply chain support mechanisms (CARhs, CSP, RHI, PPMR) under the singular VAN umbrella. The VAN now includes 37 of the 38 countries previously reporting data through the PPMR, with 33 trained in the platform in the first six months of 2021, and the rest trained previously. These new members can now comprehensively track product movement throughout their supply chains, from orders to shipments and inventory—as of September 2021, VAN users can track almost 4,800 orders and more than 6,300 shipments for 43 products. Former PPMR countries now have an automated mechanism for sharing exceptions management and data validation requests with the Consensus Planning Group (CPG), allowing for rapid problem-solving and strengthened supply planning. 37 193 countries previously sharing data through the PPMR transition to the VAN new individual VAN users trained during the transition period. https://www.rhsupplies.org/gfpvan/ https://www.rhsupplies.org/gfpvan/ Next Steps Partnerships will continue to be essential to success, as the VAN Management Unit works to fully support all former PPMR countries, including regular technical support from the Control Tower Analyst Pool and ongoing outreach. We will also be working closely with partners to identify and engage member countries who may be interested in leveraging the advanced features of the VAN by moving up to Premium membership. Finally, the VAN will ensure members are getting the most out of their membership through ongoing engagement activities including refresher training, member spotlight communications, and “office hours” with VAN leadership and partners. Approach to Transformation The rapid progress over the six-month transition period was possible due to the unparalleled partnership between the VAN Management Unit and USAID, UNFPA, GHSC-PSM, GHSC-FTO, and WAHO, among others. These partners worked together to brief country stakeholders and train just under 200 new VAN users to share inventory data and exceptions management requests directly through the VAN for collaborative response. Important early collaboration between GHSC-PSM and the VAN Management Unit ensured PPMR management functions were transferred to the VAN. Between October 2020 and January 2021, the PPMR online tool was used to maintain data sharing continuity as systems were put in place to transition countries to the VAN. From January to June 2021, the partners above implemented a targeted evidence-based advocacy campaign to secure buy-in from critical local and global stakeholders, ultimately resulting in all but one country being transitioned to the VAN before PPMR retirement. Essential foundation-setting activities that took place before January 2021 include creating the CPG by integrating CSP and CARhs; defining the SmartLoader Approach to standardize and harmonize data collection and validation across countries supported by both USAID and UNFPA; and establishing new legal frameworks to facilitate interim and long-term data sharing. Learn more PPMR Transition Factsheet PPMR Transition Overview presentation CPG 2020 Year in Review infographic The VAN Factsheet Let’s get in touch! For more information, contact Julia White, Director and Greg Davidson, Supply Chain Officer. http://PPMR Transition Factsheet https://www.rhsupplies.org/uploads/tx_rhscpublications/VAN_Overview_PPMR_Transition_Jan2021.pptx https://www.rhsupplies.org/uploads/tx_rhscpublications/CPG_2020_FINAL.pdf https://www.rhsupplies.org/uploads/tx_rhscpublications/The_Global_Family_Planning_Visibility_and_Analytics_Network.pdf mailto:jwhite%40rhsupplies.org?subject= mailto:jwhite%40rhsupplies.org?subject= mailto:gdavidson%40rhsupplies.org?subject=

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