User-centered design approach is important to the development of OpenLMIS. The following personas are designed to help the development in understanding the viewpoint and experience of the users. A persona is depicted as a specific person but is not a real individual; rather, it is synthesized from observations and input from various stakeholders across multiple countries. An important aspect to these personas is that they sit at different levels of the supply chain.
We can use these personas to:
- to build empathy
- develop focus
- communicate and form consensus
- make and defend decisions
- measure effectiveness
- give clear expectations of the user's expectations
There are three main categories of user personas:
- Those who support the system (Question from Vidya: I took this to mean people who configure the system, maintain the "health" of the software system, etc and do things on the backend, eg. role played by Ben in SELV/SIIL. Is this right?)
- Those who use the system to support a business process, and
- Those who consume information from OpenLMIS externally.
- Has internet connectivity
- Med. - low technical skills
- Would like to see stock levels of lower facilities to decide how much to issue going forward instead of relying on static number to give each month
- Would like an easy to use and intuitive system
Title: Immunization Nurse/HW Technician
Pull-Systems Requisition Role: Submit Requisitions
Push-Systems Allocation Role: Be present during a delivery visit; compare delivery receipt to actual order delivered and if acceptable, sign. When not acceptable, provide reasons.
Data Role: Maintain stock card of what's in the CCE; maintain consumption record of how many children were vaccinated; maintain CCE functioning log.
Stock Mgmt Role: Manage Vaccine Stock present within the SDP's CCE (usually 1:1 ratio of CCE to SDP)
Level 1
Service Delivery Point
(This could be a health facility or a health post - think one room-4 walls - in the most rural areas that does a little bit of everything but has almost very little resources)
- To manage my CCE's vaccine stock levels.
- I want to minimize stock outs.
- I want to minimize vaccine wastage due to CCE failure.
- I want my facility to have the right stock at the right time. I want to ensure the right stock is being ordered and/or delivered.
- Receive verified quantity and review quality of vaccines and determine need for remedial action when necessary.
- Uphold FEFO by ensuring correct stocking of vaccines inside the CCE
- Completes monthly requisition forms
- Manage POD to verify delivered quantities.
- Records stock movements: stock issues, receipts, adjustments
- Views and monitors stock on hand
- Receives and responds to low stock and stock out alerts
- Records consumption via children vaccinated daily tally.
- Stock out, over stocks
- CCE failure affecting vaccine storage and having to thus play CCE troubleshooter role but not being a cold chain technician!
- Not knowing when a distribution will be made to plan for immunizations and stock needed (push)
- Not knowing when a district depot will have stock in order to go pick up for facility's needs (pull)
- Plays multiple roles
Time spent on reporting/data entry - Managing multiple programs' reporting needs
Tech aptitude: Low technical skills
Title: Nurse Supervisor or HF Supervisor (used generically)
In addition to having the same roles as persona above, acts as their supervisor and supervisor of the HF
Level 1
Service Delivery Point
(This could be a health facility or a health post - think one room-4 walls - in the most rural areas that does a little bit of everything but has almost very little resources)
- Request vaccines and supplies by Sending order requisition to DIVO
- Receive vaccines and any other related supplies
- Manages CCE
- Conducts Physical count
- Uphold FEFO
Title: District Immunization & Vaccine Officer (DIVO) / District EPI Supervisor
Pull-Systems Requisition Role: Receives Requisitions from facility; aggregates multiple facility requests to submit requisitions to level above (regional/provincial store)
Push-Systems Allocation Role:
IF receiving from level above: Be present during a delivery visit; compare delivery receipt to actual order delivered and if acceptable, sign. When not acceptable, provide reasons.
IF delivering to facilities: prepare order and POD
Data Role: Maintain stock card of what's in the CCE at district depot; maintain CCE functioning log; aggregate paper-based requests submitted by facilities for vaccine orders to level above; use SMT and DVMDT in absence of other electronic tools.
Stock Mgmt Role: Manage Vaccine Stock present within the depot's CCE (usually 2:1 ratio of CCE to depot); manage requests from facilities with stock on hand at depot versus placing orders for more stock from regional/provincial store.
Level 2
District- I want my facilities to have the right stock at the right time. I want to ensure the right stock is being ordered. I want to minimize stock outs or overstocks
- Request vaccines and supplies by Sending order requisition request to Regional/Provincial Vaccine Store
- Receive vaccines and any other related supplies; in some instances, might have to go pick up vaccines themselves as well
- Issues vaccines and supplies to Health facilities (pull)
- Distribute vaccines and supplies to Health facilities (push)
- Manage Cold Chain Equipment at District vaccine store (DVS) and Health facilities within their districts
- Conduct Physical count and do stock adjustment (if needed)
- Supervise all immunization related activities being done at the facilities – both in terms of vaccine handling (keeping vaccine vials in right temperature, mixing diluents with vaccines as needed etc) and vaccine usage (immunizing people)
- Uphold FEFO
- Received paper-based requisition forms from each HF and uses it to complete monthly requisition forms for the whole district
- Manage POD to verify delivered quantities (if receiving stock from level above)
- Prepares order and POD if delivering to facilities
- Prepares order and store receipt if HF picking up from district
- Records stock movements: stock issues, receipts, adjustments
- Views and monitors stock on hand
- Receives and responds to low stock and stock out alerts from own depot as well as that of HF in the district
- Aid the Inter-facility transfers to address low stock/stock-outs or moving stock from a HF where CCE is not working to one where it is and which has extra space to store
- Records CCE functioning of district depot's CCE
- Late receipt of requisition requests and other crucial data forms from HF
- Late receipt of stock from level above that makes managing and supply stock to HF problematic
- Lack of visibility into stock levels of HF day to day
- Lack of visibility into CCE performance of HF day to day
- Failure of CCE in HF needing me to troubleshoot which other HF has CCE space to store the stock for the HF that has no functioning CCE anymore; troubleshoot where to route the people seeking immunizations for that HF that no longer has working CCE; troubleshoot how many immunizations can be done by just relying on emergency cold box for that problem HF, etc.
Title: District Data Manager
Pull-Systems Requisition Role: Receives Requisitions from facility; aggregates multiple facility requests to submit requisitions to level above (regional/provincial store) – note, in some places, due to capacity/staff time available, district data manager will assist DIVO persona above by doing the aggregation and digitizing of HF paper requisitions into an online system. But does not have a formal/ traditional role to play in the logistics/supply chain.
Data Role: aggregate monthly service delivery data received from HFs via paper and either put information in a paper form or digitize online via an HMIS (such as DHIS-2) – service delivery data could be info like # of kids immunized for each vaccine type in that month, # of malaria cases, # of confirmed TB cases, etc.
For iSC: when needed, aggregates paper-based requests submitted by facilities for vaccine orders to level above; use SMT and DVMDT in absence of other electronic tools.
Stock Mgmt Role: NONELevel 2
District- aggregate monthly service delivery data received from HFs via paper and either put information in a paper form or digitize online via an HMIS (such as DHIS-2) – service delivery data could be info like # of kids immunized for each vaccine type in that month, # of malaria cases, # of confirmed TB cases, etc.
- For iSC: when needed, aggregates paper-based requests submitted by facilities for vaccine orders to level above; use SMT and DVMDT in absence of other electronic tools.
- Time spent on reporting/data entry
- Managing multiple programs' reporting needs
- Has internet connectivity
- Med-low tech skills
Title: Vaccine Intermediate Warehouse/Store Manager
Pull-Systems Requisition Role: Approver and may Submit Requisitions to level above (i.e. national warehouse or a regional warehouse in larger countries)
Push-Systems Allocation Role: Bundles orders to be delivered by warehouse staff (usually called logisticians or field coordinators) and decides how much for each facility in discussion with logistician
Data Role: Updates stock movements and CCE functioning; reviews and edits requisitions that have come in from lower levels; submits requisitions to level above.
Stock mgmt: Manage Vaccine Stock present within the warehouset's CCE (several CCE or even a cold room depending on how large the country's population is); manage monthly requests from levels below and places quarterly orders for more stock from national level
Level 3 or Level 2 (in large countries)
Intermediate store
(various levels – starting with regional, provincial, zonal, and even districts in large countries – essentially someone who has to manage multiple vaccine CCE or cold room and the stock stored in them)
- Visibility (into stock levels, orders) into my own facility and those I'm responsible for supplying
- Ensure timely ordering/issuing of the right commodities in the right quantity.
- I want my districts and their facilities to have the right stock at the right time. I want to ensure the right stock is being ordered. I want to minimize stock outs or overstocks
- Receive verified quantity and quality of goods into store and determine need for remedial action when necessary.
- Uphold FEFO
- Manage the budget of my warehouse/store
- Creates and edits and authorizes requisitions.
- Records stock movements: stock issues, receipts, adjustments
- Receives stock issued by national warehouses.
- May do local fulfillment (to facilities and users within OpenLMIS)
- May do fulfillment (fulfill many requisitions with one delivery)
- Views and monitors stock on hand at their own warehouse and lower elvels
- Manage POD to verify stock shipped quantities.
Immunization Nurse
Otherwise known as: Immunization Health Worker, HW Technician, HF Supervisor
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District Immunization & Vaccine Officer (DIVO)
Otherwise Known As: AKA District EPI Supervisor/Officer
Goals
For my vaccines store and the facilities I supervise, I want all stores to have the right stock at the right time. I want to ensure the right stock is being ordered. I want to minimize closed vial wastage, stock outs or overstocks
- Request vaccines and supplies by Sending requisition (pull) or report (push) to Regional/Provincial Vaccine Store
- Receive vaccines and any other related supplies; in some instances, might have to go pick up vaccines themselves as well
- Issue vaccines and supplies to Health facilities (pickup system) or
- Distribute vaccines and supplies to Health facilities (delivery system)
- Manage Cold Chain Equipment at District vaccine store (DVS) and Health facilities within their districts and ensures routine maintenance/service to prevent/address failure
- Conduct Physical count and do stock adjustment (if needed)
- Supervise all immunization related activities being done at the facilities – both in terms of vaccine handling (keeping vaccine vials in right temperature, mixing diluents with vaccines as needed etc.) and vaccine usage (immunizing people)
- Uphold FEFO
Roles
Stock Management role
- Monitors vaccines store stock levels and ensures physical stocks match stock records
- Organizes by FEFO
- Segregates expired or damaged stocks
Issuing (or Order Fulfillment) role:
- Receives requisitions or reports from facility
- Approves requisitions or calculates allocation
- Picks and packs consignments
- Prepares proof of delivery (POD) and manages or makes deliveries to the SDP (delivery system) or transfers stock to their agent (pickup system)
Receiving role:
- Aggregates multiple facility requests to submit requisitions to level above (regional/provincial/zonal store)
- Based on above, receives consignment from level above, compares to requisition, signs POD and notes any exceptions with reason
This process works whether it's a pickup or a delivery system, since receiving can happen either at user's own depot or at the higher-level depot
CCE & Data Management role:
- Maintain stock card of what's in the CCE at district depot
- Maintain CCE functioning & temperature log
- Aggregate paper-based requests submitted by facilities for vaccine orders to level above
- Use SMT and DVD-MT in absence of other electronic tools
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Level 2 - Intermediate |
Key Pain Points
Late receipt of requisition requests and other crucial data forms from HF
Late receipt of stock from level above that makes managing and supply stock to HF problematicLate receipt of requisition requests and other crucial data forms from HF
- Lack of visibility into stock levels of HF day to day; Lack of consistent awareness regarding when facilities require replenishment
- Lack of visibility into CCE performance of HF day to day
Failure of CCE in HF needing me to troubleshoot which other HF has CCE space to store the stock for the HF that has no functioning CCE anymore; troubleshoot where to route the people seeking immunizations for that HF that no longer has working CCE; troubleshoot how many immunizations
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Cold Chain Technician
Goals
- I want to be informed of failing CCE that fall under my purview so that I can schedule their repairs
- I want the country to procure spare parts based on data analysis about CCE failure so that I’m like to have the spare parts I need when I have to repair CCE in the future.
- I want to know common causes of CCE failure so I can make more accurate predictions/preparations about the types of repairs I’ll have to make
Role
- View CCE functionality statuses to inform his/her maintenance and repair schedule
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Level 3 or Level 2 -- Central/National OR Intermediate (in large countries) OR possibly an outsourced vender |
Key Pain Points
- Not enough information on what's causing CCE failure
- Outdated CCE catalog so not sure which type and make of CCE is actually at the HF and when it was installed, how old it is, when it was last maintained, etc.
- Inadequate resources to carry out my work: limited funding for transport, not having access to the right spare parts
- Lack of access into system (lacking computer) means that I can’t see problems as they are logged but instead must wait for my manager (RIVO type role) or HF staff to tell me when there's a problem. Then I have to travel to HF once funds are provided to make the trip.
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• Might have internet connectivity |
Intermediate Level Vaccine Warehouse Manager
Goals
- Visibility (into stock levels, orders) into my own facility and those I'm responsible for supplying
- Ensure timely ordering/issuing of the right commodities in the right quantity.
- I want my store, my districts, and their facilities to have the right stock at the right time. I want to ensure the right stock is being ordered. I want to minimize stock outs or overstocks
- Receive verified quantity and quality of goods into store and determine need for remedial action when necessary.
- Uphold FEFO
- Manage the budget of my warehouse/store
- Ensure my CCE is serviced periodically to prevent failure
Roles
Stock Management role
- Manages Vaccine Stock present within the warehouse's CCE (several CCE or cold room(s) depending on how large the country's population is)
- Records stock movements: stock issues, receipts, adjustments
- Views and monitors stock on hand at their own warehouse and lower levels
- Ensures all transaction (eStock Card) data are accurate and up-to-date
- Receives stock issued by national warehouses
- Manage POD to verify stock shipped quantities
Issuing (Order Fulfillment) role:
- Creates and edits and authorizes requisitions
- Fulfills orders from levels below; places orders for more stock from national level
- May do local fulfillment (to facilities and users within OpenLMIS)
- May do fulfillment (fulfill many requisitions with one delivery)
- Manages Vaccine Stock present within the warehouse's CCE (several CCE or cold room(s) depending on how large the country's population is)
CCE Performance role:
- Monitors CCE performance
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Level 3 OR Level 2 (in large countries) Various levels – starting with national, regional, provincial, zonal, and even districts in large countries – essentially someone who has to manage multiple vaccine CCE or cold rooms and the stock stored in them. |
Key Pain Points
- Stock out, over stocks
- Poor visibility into lower level inventories and therefore unable to be proactive
- Plays multiple roles
- Does not receive requisitions and necessary approvals in time
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Intermediate Level Logistician
Otherwise known as: Intermediate Level Distributor/Field Coordinator
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- Records stock movements: stock issues, receipts, adjustments
- May do local fulfillment (to facilities and users within OpenLMIS)
- Views and monitors stock on hand at their CCE and lower levels (see note in last column)
- Receives notifications for low stock/stock outs at lower level facilities and depots
- Audits physical stock count for each facility that s/he is delivering to
- Not enough time
- Stock out, over stocks
- Plays multiple roles
- Does not receive requisitions and necessary approvals in time
- Has internet connectivity
- Med. - low technical skills
- Would like to see stock levels of lower facilities to decide how much to issue going forward instead of relying on static number to give each month
- Would like an easy to use and intuitive system
Title: N Program Supervisor
Requisition Role: Approve Requisitions
(N could be district/regional/central level)
Varies
Central, Regional, District
- To have the right stock available for the needs of the service delivery point and district depots
- Review the requested quantities to ensure the appropriate amount of stock is being requested/ordered.
- Review Budgets
- Logs in to approve/reject/edit requisitions made by DIVO or DIVO-type role at their level
- Reviews and monitors stock movements and stock on hand at service delivery points.
- Receives and responds to notifications for low stock/stock outs at lower level facilities.
- Usually becomes aware of problems with stock or CCE because DIVO/district EPI supervisor persona is informing and not because s/he logged in and reviewed the data
- Late reporting (requisitions submitted) from SDPs
- Late reporting (stock issues/adjustments/etc. on a monthly basis) from SDPs
- Stock out, over stock
- Failing CCE
Tech aptitude: varies
- Likely a medical professional (MD or Pharm.) with limited to no logistics knowledge
- Not a primary user of nor familiar with OpenLMIS
- Only uses OpenLMIS to approve/reject requisitions
Title: Vaccine Warehouse Clerk
Requisition/Orders Role: Convert to Order
Level 3
National, Central, Regional in larger countries
- Manages the orders for the national vaccine warehouse.
- Works primarily in the national ERP.
- Maintain chain of custody and appropriate environmental conditions for stock and inventory.
- Converts approved requisitions to orders
- Views Orders
- Responsible for a lot of paperwork
- Lack of time
- Doesn't want to log into another system
- Well educated
- Sits at the central/national warehouse
Central Logistics Personnel
Requisition Role: Approver
Stock Management Role: Decision Maker
- Approve or reject R&Rs for all districts/regions/provinces that report to her
- Reach 100% reporting rate
- Increase data quality of reporting districts/regions/provinces (to decrease her workload)
- Create monthly / quarterly reports for higher-ups
- View reports
- Reporting rate
- Approve requisitions
- View requisitions
- Initiates stock recalls
- Create monthly / quarterly reports for higher-ups
- Uses stock estimated and usage data from system for long term supply and program planing
Tech aptitude: ??
- Verify compliance / impact via indicators measured in OpenLMIS
- Confidence in the supply chain through transparency
- Receives reports and aggregate data (need to understand this better)
- Limited time
- Very high-level, aggregated data
- Exchange data
- well documented APIs
- Clearly defined standards for sending/receiving data
- clear error handling protocols
- timely support and response times
Role: Administrator
Name: Ray Charles
- Assist users in their use of the system
- Makes sure the system is up and running
- Maintains the system (backups, performance, data)
- Responsible for ongoing administration of the system.
- Add users, products, facilities, etc. as the system evolves
- intuitive navigation
- robust configuration
- Global permissions
- Basic technical skill set (create csv file imports)
- Must have all data needed for configuration of the system
- Has internet connectivity
- Most likely a national of the host country with a local degree in information systems
Role: Implementor
Name: Pawel
- To set up OpenLMIS to the country's specifications.
- Ensure all the appropriate configurations are made so that OpenLMIS users can appropriately manage stock levels.
- Basic technical skill set (create csv file imports)
- Must have all data needed for configuration of the system
- Has internet connectivity
- Needs more research!
Other roles to potentially add:
data analyst / VAN advisor
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Title: Intermediate Level Logistician/Distributor/Field Coordinator
Push-Systems Allocation Role: Works with warehouse manager to bundles orders to be delivered to lower levels and helps warehouse manager decide how much for each facility
Data Role: In Informed Push SC systems (like in Mozambique and Benin), this role is the one that digitizes facility level data regarding stock movements and CCE functioning, because they have access to this data when visiting facilities with scheduled distributions. They either make paper copies of facility level data to bring back to their level and digitize using computers at that level, or they are provided with tablets that they can use for direct data entry from the facility by referencing the paper forms available there.
Stock mgmt: Manage Vaccine Stock present within the warehouset's CCE (several CCE or even a cold room depending on how large the country's population is); manage monthly requests from levels below and places quarterly orders for more stock from national level
Level 3 or Level 2 (in large countries)
(various levels – starting with regional, provincial, zonal, and even districts in large countries – essentially someone who has to manage multiple vaccine CCE or cold room and the stock stored in them)
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EPI Program Supervisor
Otherwise known as: EPI Program Manager (Central level), Regional Immunization and Vaccine Officer (RIVO), Provincial EPI Chief (Regional
Goals
- To have the right amounts of potent stock available for the needs of the service delivery point and district depots
- Review the requested quantities to ensure the appropriate amount of stock is being requested/ordered.
- Review Budgets
- Be able to communicate needs of clinics/districts under his/her purview to people in level above to inform overall EPI strategies
- To ensure CCE within my administrative area remain functional; maximize CCE uptime.
Roles
(Does not handle vaccines or manage vaccine store)
Approval role:
- Approve requisitions (pull) or allocations (push) in order for depot to fulfill orders
- Logs in to approve/reject/edit requisitions made by DIVO or DIVO-type role at their level
- Reviews and monitors stock movements and stock on hand at service delivery points
- Receives and responds to notifications for low stock/stock outs at lower level facilities.
- Usually becomes aware of problems with stock or CCE because DIVO/district EPI supervisor persona is informing and not because s/he logged in and reviewed the data
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Varies -- Central/National, Regional, District |
Key Pain Points
- Late reporting (requisitions submitted) from SDPs
- Late reporting (stock issues/adjustments/etc. on a monthly basis) from SDPs
- Stock out, over stock
- Failing CCE
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National Vaccine Warehouse Manager
Goals
- Manages the orders for the national vaccine warehouse
- Works primarily in the national ERP
- Maintain chain of custody and appropriate environmental conditions for stock and inventory.
Roles
Order Fulfillment Role:
- Convert approved requisitions to order
- Views orders
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Level 3 OR Level 2 (in large countries) Various levels – starting with national, regional, provincial, zonal, and even districts in large countries – essentially someone who has to manage multiple vaccine CCE or cold rooms and the stock stored in them. |
Key Pain Points
- Responsible for a lot of paperwork
- Doesn't want to log into another system
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Central Logistics Personnel
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System Administrator
Goals
- Assist users in their use of the system
- Makes sure the system is up and running
- Maintains the system (backups, performance, data)
Roles
- Responsible for ongoing administration of the system.
- Add users, products, facilities, etc. as the system evolves
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Central Level |
Key Pain Points
- Lack of intuitive navigation
- Lack of robust configuration
- Lack of global permissions
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Intermediary Data Manager
Otherwise known as: District Data Manager
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