2018-01-23 Requisition and Batch Requisition Feedback from Malawi

The following are notes from a conversation between Nuran Idris (Unlicensed) and Nick Reid (Deactivated) about how Requisitions and Batch Requisitions are currently being used in the OpenLMIS-UI, and where users are experiencing problems.

Performance issues with requisition product grid

Video of users trying to enter data into the requistion product grid

• Lag in moving between fields makes entering data super frustrating
• Issue is found when users clear their cache, which happened after OpenLMIS v3.2.1 release
  • After completing data entry on page 2, lag is noticible
  • After completing data entry on page 3, lag is intolerable
  • Eventually, the program "catches up" and data entry lag isn't noticeable
  • Issue found in Chrome, and hasn't been noticed/reported in Firefox
    • If Chrome is used in incognito mode, the issue is resolved immediately
    • Using incognito mode in daily use is frustrating for users

OpenLMIS performance overall

After the performance enhancements in OpenLMIS v3.2.1, comments about "the system being slow" has gone down - but this is still a common problem in using OpenLMIS.

• Users would benefit if they could differentiate between a performance problem in OpenLMIS vs an internet problem
  • Fixing internet problems is understandable
  • Figuring out why OpenLMIS is frustrating for OpenLMIS users
• Showing loading messages that describe what OpenLMIS is doing would be helpful
  • Currently the OpenLMIS-UI just shows a loading icon, which leaves users wondering what is the current state of the system

Overall, performance has improved enough that organizational issues in requisition reporting are being voiced and discussed - which is more informative than complaining the OpenLMIS is slow.

Batch Requisitions

The batch requisition screen is being used a lot to approve requisitions. About 60% of requisitions (380 forms) were approved and converted to an order in the month of December, and this number is increasing.

Most districts which use the batch requisition approval process have between 12 and 30 facilities (the minimum is 4 facilities, and the maximum is 70 facilities).

• Need to be able to select more requisition forms to include in batch approval process
• User needs to allocate their budget across all facilities in district
  • Currently users create multiple batch requisition pages, and then use paper to make sure budget is correct
  • Seems to lead to users allocating more resources to first 10 facilities
• Need to select by requisitions by processing period (or similar)
  • Error prone to select multiple facilities and use filters to search for all requisitions for specific facility at specific time
  • Emergency requisitions are not approved in the same process as regular requisitions
  • "It is useful to sort by requisition period to find collected requisition forms"
  • "Driving it by period would be helpful"
• Programs other than Essential Medicines are used for reporting, and are never converted to an order
• Setting all approved quantities to zero is used only in Essential Medicines
  • Used to "clear the log" – they don't want CMST to approve the orders, just reset them
• Batch approval screen is "Jumpy"
  
  • "I don't know how far I scrolled down the page"
  • On smaller screens, there are only two visible rows, and as scrolling is done the screen seems to visually go white and disappear
  • On larger screens (that show 8 rows) this is less noticible