In the age of Amazon, efficient global commercial supply chains are essential for successful companies to deliver their products to consumers. These companies use sophisticated analytics, have end-to-end visibility in all aspects of their supply chain operations right down to the last mile, and operate with a level of precision that their customers demand. As we manage the United States Agency for International Development Global Health Supply Chain Program — Procurement and Supply Management Project, or GHSC-PSM, we are increasingly incorporating these commercial tools, techniques, and approaches, and adapting them into the low-resource settings that we serve.
We recognize that the challenges we face are not experienced by established commercial supply chains of similar size and scope. Rather, our deliveries of life-saving health commodities are provided to areas with sometimes poor infrastructure, connectivity and, at times, places where civil order has broken down. At its core, our work is humanitarian. People, not profit, is what drives our mission. So, when we were challenged in the project’s second quarter of deliveries with a low on-time and in-full delivery rate, we knew we had to take action to turn things around.