POST 01127E : STOCK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

POST 01127E : STOCK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Follow-up on Post 01114E 24 July 2007 _____________________________________ The following message is from Mogens Munck, from Spain whose name was quoted in the previous posting on this topic. A few members reported problems in downloading mSupply. Links are functional but communication goes through a large number of intermediate servers, one of which may be temporarily down or overloaded. If the transfer speed falls below a certain level communication risks interruption. One must then keep trying and be patient. If you wish to explore the software and are still unable to access it, we advise that you contact Craig Drown directly. _____________________________________ Dear Technet members, In the last Technet Forum posting the mSupply software was introduced to Technet members by Mr. Craig Drown from Sustainable Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Drown correctly mentioned that with some assistance from me mSupply had been modified in order to meet the requirements for use in Vaccine Stock Management. Later I encouraged Mr. Drown to present the mSupply software in the Technet Forum. The most important reasons for why I want Technet members to learn about mSupply are the following: 1. Working with colleagues from Euro Health Group, Denmark, on a project for computerizing the Central Medical Stores in Ghana I came to know of mSupply. Very soon I realized that here was the stock management software that we had been looking for so long, and particularly lately with the introduction of new costly vaccines. 2. mSupply is being upgraded constantly. 3. It is easy to learn how to use mSupply. Even non-professionals (like me) can learn to use it reasonably well within a week, following the tutorial. 4. mSupply has audit trail. 5. mSupply can be obtained in Single User version, as well as in Multiple User version. 6. mSupply has two modes: store mode and dispensary mode. The store mode is used for stock management, and the dispensary mode for dispensing drugs and vaccines. The dispensing mode might be useful for those who want to keep good records on patients to whom costly vaccines were given. 7. mSupply is specifically designed for stock management of drugs and vaccines. Management Sciences for Health, Boston, USA, had a software prepared in the early 1990s also for stock management of medicines, but it did not run on Windows, and is not used anywhere now. 8. mSupply permits import of data from Excell spreadsheets, a very convenient feature when initially setting up mSupply, as existing data on clients and suppliers can be inputted in a question of minutes. Particularly not having to retype hundreds of long names and addresses is a great advantage. 9. Data in mSupply can also be exported to a software like Moneyworks (used for Finance Management) in case financial records have to be kept. 10. The location management feature (by which the location of items are recorded) in mSupply has been expanded considerably, precisely in order to accommodate the requirements of Vaccine Management, where it is necessary to know exactly the space available in each and every ILR and freezer, more exactly then when dealing with drugs in a bulk store, where supplies are stored on pallets or large shelves. 11. The editor of Technet Forum admitted Mr. Drown’s presentation of mSupply, because the single user version can be downloaded and used free of charge by non-profit institutions in developing countries. The multi-user version cost about 2.000$ a year. Support, if required, can be obtained for a fee of 900$ per year. Commercial software packages can be extremely costly. So, Technet members who are interested in good management are strongly encouraged to go to the web-page of mSupply and download the software and the user guide and start getting acquainted with mSupply. Best regards, Mogens Munck ______________________________________________________________________________ All members of the TechNet21 e-Forum are invited to send comments on any posting or to use the forum to raise a new discussion or request technical information in relation to immunization services. 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