Table A1

Interview quotation analysis for supply chain manager (SM01)

ParticipantNumber-Quote number) “… variables in Phrase(s)” (word count in variables/total word count in causal statement)Phrase(s) from participant quote denoting model variablesInterpreted model variablesCausal link between model variables (→=causal link, --‖→=causal link with delay, +/− =positive or negative polarity)Comments
SM01-01) “…They communicate information, get information together to get work done to achieve our goals as an organisation. …The procurement will need to know what the budget looks like, before they start quantifying or forecasting on what will … procured for the organisation. The data visibility will have to come up with the data. …The warehousing will have to inform the team …to keep all the commodities that are needed to be procure. There has to be information sharing and communication among teams. It can be in form of … sharing of reports …or having data so that everybody could see or … use the data to create a dashboard that every team can see and interpret what is going on in the organisation.” (123/186)- get information together to get work done
- will need to know
- will have to come up with
- will have to inform the team
- before they start quantifying or forecasting
- create a dashboard that every team can see
- There has to be information sharing and communication among teams
- having data so that everybody could see
Time delay
Process integration
Information sharing
Visibility
Process integration–‖→+Information sharing–‖→+VisibilityThe time delay in getting information across teams affects medicine availability. When teams do not get information at the same time reduces process integration
SM01-02) “…The teams will have to first understand that they need each other to be successful, it’s not a competition. …it needs to be an integration and a collaboration within the team. Then secondly based on how the operation of that organisation flow, …will have to look at their process and pinpoint the best way to communicate, communication is key, so if they are good in technology, that’ll be fine.” (69/133)- it needs to be an integration and a collaboration
- based on how the operation of that organisation flow
- will have to look
- if they are good in technology
Internal integration
Time delay
Process integration
Technology integration
Internal integration–‖→+Process integration→+Technology integrationTeamwork increases internal integration, and the need to align processes and increase flow of information can be achieved with technology
SM01-03) “…communication with patients is providing the needed commodities that the patient needs as our clients, … transcribe to getting the records of what was given to the patient directly. This consumption is used to quantify what we need. …to communicate with suppliers is … we don’t share data with them. …we only tell them what we need, and how much of it we need. We also communicate with the suppliers on our processes for them to understand the organization’s goal. So we can work better. … when it comes to performance on the supplies needed by the organisation, I will say that the communication with the patients are minimal.” (109/186)- providing the needed commodities
- quantify what we need
- we don’t share data with them
- communicate with the suppliers on our processes
- when it comes to performance
- communication with the patients are minimal
Customer orders
Medicine inventory
Time delay
Supplier integration
Internal performance
Customer integration
Customer order--‖→+Medicine inventory
Supplier integration→+Internal performance--‖→−Customer integration
Increasing communication with suppliers leads to availability of more medicines, but also a reduced interaction with patients prevents them from stocking what the patients’ needs
SM01-04) “I would say by doing their best to ensure that the patient gets their medicines when they need it, …everybody will seek to ensure that happens to improve communication with patients.” (31/49)- ensure that the patient gets their medicine
- improve communication with patients
Fill rate
Customer integration
Fill rate→+Customer integrationBetter communication with patients enables stocking of the right medicines
SM01-05) “… improve our working relationship with the suppliers by sharing information. …i think that is lacking. Currently, there’s no information sharing especially data. …sharing information with the suppliers, that can help the suppliers to serve us better. Then also improving communication with the suppliers on contract terms and reviewing contracts so that it will not be just …selling and buying kind of relationship.” (63/90)- improve our working relationship with the suppliers
- no information sharing, especially data
- improving communication with the suppliers on contract terms
- it will not be just …selling and buying kind of relationship
Hospital-supplier relationship (Trust)
Time delay
Contract management
Transactional relationship
Hospital-supplier relationship (trust)--‖→+Contract management→−Transactional relationshipBuilding closer ties with suppliers is hindered by the delay in building trust, which leads to transactions with suppliers and prevents optimal stocking of medicines
SM01-06) “The best way to improve …is to collaborate with stakeholders by engaging them in whatever we are doing. Always ready with … our … plans so that we don't have partners doing their own plans or activity on the organisation. And we will support them as they also support us in achieving our goals. I also think that the information sharing with other partners include sharing achievements of the organisation. Sharing the plans of the organisation to help with better collaboration.” (81/137)- collaborate with stakeholders
- Always ready with … our … plans
- don’t have partners doing their own plans or activity
- information sharing with other partners
Collaboration
Time delay
Non-alignment
communication
Partner collaboration--‖→−Non-alignment of partners→+CommunicationPartners working independently is caused by delay in collaboration and shared vision which is improved with communication
SM01-07) “…for patients we share limited information …. What we share currently is the prices, the unified selling prices of the medicines we have at the facility, i.e. giving the patient’s visibility for them to know the cost of the medicines they’re using, thereby improving relationships with patients and improving visibility as a way of the patient to trust in government in hospitals. With higher stakeholders we share information on summary report of the basic performance including performance on medicine availability at the facility which translates to whether patients got medicines when they visited those facilities.” (95/165)- for them to know the cost of the medicines they are using
- improving relationships with patients
- medicine availability
Price visibility
Customer integration
Fill rate
Price visibility→+Customer integration→+Fill rateCustomers can access more medicines when there’s transparency in pricing
SM01-08) “I love technology. However, I know that basically we’ve not gone far on technology. However, if wishes were horses we can ride, i’ll prefer that we have a platform like a dashboard and all the stakeholders depending on the level can have access to the data and information. They can view them and readily accessible. However, …we can have newsletter, maybe quarterly report sharing whether hardcopy or e-copy, a summary of supply chain performance at different levels. Information sharing should be part of the culture of the organisation.” (88/134)- we have not gone far on technology
- have access to the data and information
- should be part of the culture of the organisation
Technology integrationTechnology integration→+Access to information→+Information sharing cultureInformation sharing culture is improved with technology and access to information
SM01-09) “The …dashboard is used to analyse and … we use to make decisions, good … from all the data we're getting from operations.” (23/79)- dashboard is used to analyse
- use to make decisions
Data analysis
Data-driven decisions
Data analysis→+Data-driven decisionsAnalysing data enhance decision-making
SM01-10) “…we can only improve performance by using the real consumption data to drive our activities and operations. The data should be available and visible for use to everyone. The information should be shared with the suppliers to collaborate better to understand …our consumption rate to plan for production of needed medicines.” (50/96)- real consumption data
- data should be available and visible
- to collaborate better to understand … our consumption rate
- plan for production of needed medicines
Time delay
Information sharing
Collaboration
Production
Information sharing--‖→+Supplier collaboration--‖→+Medicine productionCollaboration is delayed by information sharing, which also delays production of medicines
SM01–11) “It will help the donor to know what is already available so that they don’t duplication effort by doing what the organization is already doing.
… help government by encouraging accountability and lead to more support from the government,…the government can go ahead to support more because Government wants to see accountability of whatever resources that have been allocated to any organisation. for the Civil Society Organizations … visibility will help them work with the community to get people to patronize hospital and create demand that will increase the population of people attending the hospitals and the volume of demand will increase economy of scale and trust at the community.” (110/130)
- what is already available
- duplication effort
- encouraging accountability
- can go ahead to
- allocated to any organisation
- create demand
- increase economy of scale
Medicine inventory
Medicine in transit
Committed funds
Time delay
Available funds
Customer order
Medicine inventory
Medicine inventory--‖→+Medicine in transit--‖→+Committed funds→+Available funds
Customer order--‖→Medicine inventory
When receiving medicines is delayed from the supplier, available funds for procurement of medicines is depleted and customer orders cannot be fulfilled
SM01-12) “Yes, because it means that the organization is achieving its goals …and it’s an incentive for the organisations to do better. There is increased demand and on-shelf availability of products which will lead to higher turnover for the drug revolving fund even though it is a government organisation … is not for profit. However, it will reduce out of pocket expenses for the patients.” (64/66)- incentive for the organisations to do better
- on-shelf availability
- which will lead
- turnover
- reduce out of pocket expenses
Internal performance
Medicine inventory
Time delay
Available funds
Medicine equity
Performance--‖→+Medicine inventory--‖→+Available funds--‖→+Medicine equityThe subsidised medicines from government will increase equity after time delays

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