Call with Ona re: OpenSRP- Feb 18, 2021

Date Feb 18, 2021

OpenLMIS participantsWesley BrownRebecca Alban (Unlicensed)Josh ZamorChristine Lenihan

Ona and other participants: 

Purpose of the call:

Chris W initially reached out re: a potential procurement in Nigeria to find out where the integration of OpenLMIS/OpenSRP stands. What would it take to get it up and running. The recommended approach. More and more countries are saying, maybe not now, but sometime in the future we will want a mobile application to use in the field . OpenLMIS is the only open source option but also is the only one that is lacking a native mobile solution. 

Where do we stand in terms of aligning on the requirements to meet the needs at a facility level?

  • Matt: We have done an initial integration around stock take at facility level; have built this out recently more related to our vaccine apps. The integration needs to be refreshed a little bit.  
  • Josh: It hasn't changed much over the last couple of years. You perform a vaccination and from that your stock update is filled out. Its not a full stock mgmt at all different levels of the supply chain. Its strictly at the dispensing level
  • Chris: To what extent is there to flesh out the stock mgmt at facility to be able to record receipts, wastage, loss, update inventory, etc . Also recording vvm status; tracking batch down to the SDP via barcodes, etc. those types of additional features that are delivered in some of the other eLMIS solutions. OpenLMIS can currently deliver from the district on up; is there a plan to bridge that gap? 
  • Wes: We can do that in a browser in an offline setting. Its not a mobile app, not FULLY offline, but mostly offline, but just not mobile component. 
  • Chris: Analog would be what DHIS2 is doing with their android app. It has decent stock mgmt and can use it as a program registry (EIR or other). Had resisted acknowledging DHIS2 initially but now they have supply chain people working there and its actually quite robust and would be a viable solution in combination with an OpenLMIS. It can do barcodes, VVM. This is a bit of a revelation. Their data needs to be transferred to an eLMIS Seeing more and more demand for mobile solution at the facility level than a laptop- that seems to be what excites country programs. Benefit of a single app that does multiple things, which is what OpenSRP does. 
  • Matt: We have been using this approach with our clients; integrated into the workflow. Do we push it into the database, DHIS2, or OpenLMIS. Its about having the upstream piece to plug into. Its transaction and can show the events that its linked to; so seems analogous to what DHIS2 is doing. 
  • Wes: this is something that we are prioritizing as OpenLMIS right now; have tentative plans this year to prioritize the development of a android app 
  • Josh: add just enough stock mgmt capabilities to apps that are running close to the dispensing level. Find ways as light weight as possible to add stock mgmt capabilities. From HCW perspective its best to use a single app then separate ones for different things
  • Chris: Are you planning on enabling barcode capture? I would encourage you to look at GS1 --it sounds like the trend. Matt: We have been looking at the WHO scanner; they are being commissioned by them...


Next steps:




OpenLMIS: the global initiative for powerful LMIS software