Real-Time Tracking:

Ensuring End-to-End Visibility in Healthcare Supply Chains

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), healthcare supply chains face unique challenges—from fragmented systems to managing commodities from multiple funding sources. The journey of a health commodity, from arrival in-country to reaching the patient, often involves multiple touchpoints, increasing the risk of delays, stockouts, and wastage.

At Healthcare Systems Solution (HCSS), we enable real-time end-to-end tracking that connects every stage of the supply chain, ensuring visibility and accountability regardless of the product’s source.

The Journey of Health Commodities: A Typical Process in LMICs

1️ Arrival at Port: Entry into the Country
Health commodities, such as medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies, typically arrive at ports where delays or mismanagement can disrupt downstream delivery. Real-time tracking ensures:

Immediate updates on shipment arrival.
Efficient port clearance with accurate documentation.
Visibility of the transition to central warehouses.

2️ Central Warehouses: Storage and Distribution Hubs
Once cleared, commodities are stored in central warehouses before being distributed to health facilities. At this stage, our VisiLite Inventory provides:

Real-time inventory visibility to optimize stock levels.
Tracking of batch numbers, expiry dates, and product attributes.
Integration of products from multiple donors into a single, unified system, ensuring transparency.

3️ Health Facilities: Bridging the Distribution Gap
From warehouses, commodities are sent to health facilities. Real-time tracking allows stakeholders to:

Monitor shipment progress and delivery timelines.
Prevent loss, theft, or misallocation through digital audit trails.
Maintain visibility across diverse supply chain networks.

4️ Dispensaries: Ensuring Last-Mile Delivery
Dispensaries serve as the final distribution point before commodities reach patients. Real-time tracking supports:

Up-to-date inventory levels to prevent stockouts.
Accurate allocation of supplies to meet community demands.
Monitoring of deliveries to ensure all products maintain their integrity.

5️ Patients: Delivering Impact at the Last Mile
The ultimate goal of any supply chain is to serve patients effectively. By ensuring end-to-end tracking, HCSS empowers healthcare systems to:

Deliver the right product to the right patient on time.
Monitor the distribution lifecycle for accountability and reporting.
Aggregate data for improved planning and forecasting.

Key Differentiator: Agnostic and Adaptable Technology
Our VisiLite Inventory is uniquely designed to adapt to the realities of LMIC supply chains:

Source-Agnostic Tracking: Whether commodities come from global donors, government agencies, or private partners, VisiLite provides unified visibility across all products.
Integration Across Systems: VisiLite seamlessly integrates into existing workflows, eliminating silos and enhancing data-driven decision-making.
End-to-End Visibility: From port to patient, stakeholders have access to real-time data to optimize supply chain efficiency.
In-Depth Data Analytics: Implementations of VisiLite enable advanced analytics through barcode scanning, helping stakeholders:
- Identify areas for improvement in the supply chain.
- Monitor the effectiveness of treatments by tracking product movement and usage.
- Optimize resource allocation and forecasting based on real-time insights.

Real-time tracking is no longer optional—it is essential for healthcare supply chains in LMICs. By contextualizing every stage of the journey, from port arrival to patient delivery, we ensure transparency, efficiency, and accountability.

At Healthcare Systems Solution, our mission is to transform healthcare logistics with flexible, agnostic solutions like VisiLite, ensuring commodities reach the people who need them most—on time, every time.