MSF Logistique

Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique understands the importance of accurate and reliable data. As one of the largest distribution centers for medical and non-medical supplies for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other humanitarian organizations worldwide, ensuring that the right supplies arrive on time to MSF and other partners providing emergency aid is literally a matter of life and death.

But Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique has been faced with several data-related problems:

• Data quality: Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique’s data were highly variable, often making their interpretation incorrect and unreliable. In addition, missing or indecipherable information could compromise their response and put compliance with legal, regulatory and financial frameworks at risk.
• Data governance: the organization lacked a common language for data, making it difficult for users to trust the data. In addition, data collection policies and practices were inconsistent, and lacked the necessary controls to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data captured.
• Regulatory compliance: as an association under the law of 1901, Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique operates under three statutes: pharmaceutical establishment, bonded warehouse and ECHO-approved humanitarian supply center. These statutes impose compliance with a legal, regulatory and financial framework to ensure the safe distribution of medical products to Médecins Sans Frontières patients.

The team selected DataGalaxy to help them quickly improve the quality of their data by ensuring control, quality, and security of key data elements throughout the lifecycle. They also implemented a general data governance policy that established a common data language and engaged relay data stewards across the business to support data quality improvement.

To begin, Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique prioritized a use case related to the complex import constraints of their medical products in their destination countries. Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique works in 80 different countries, and each one has a specific set of requirements, including types of products, required documentation, and suppliers that were blacklisted from the country.

Capturing medical product and supplier data consistently was key to avoiding missteps. But Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique lacked a common language across the organization. In order to establish the true definitions of data elements for everyone who needed them, Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique needed to formalize and validate all of their existing definitions. And once validated, they also needed to implement consistent practices for data collection to ensure users entered data consistently across systems.

Using DataGalaxy, Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique implemented a business glossary that captured the true definition of the data, enabling them to bridge the gap between IT and the business. The user-friendly, ergonomic design made it easy for users to find the data they needed via the search and discovery features, which enabled Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique to develop impact analyzes quickly. Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique was also able to use DataGalaxy to identify and correct data that was noncompliant and monitor that data so it remains accurate on an ongoing basis.

By establishing processes to capture data consistently, Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique improved their overall data quality. And because they now had trust in their data, they were able to implement an algorithm that used the data to calculate whether or not products can enter a destination country. The algorithm results indicated which products to pick up at the warehouse based on the specific destination country requirements. Not only did this insight improve productivity, but it also helped Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique feel confident that they were in compliance with country-specific requirements.

Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique cites that a key to their success was business engagement. The data team engaged business experts and entrusted them with the role of relay data steward. This role not only acknowledged the business’ expertise, but also gave them direct responsibilities and a sense of ownership for the data. The team actively engaged the data stewards in the deployment of data governance policies and DataGalaxy’s data knowledge catalog, which helped to increase engagement across the organization.

Today, DataGalaxy serves as a reference tool for everyone across the business, providing clarity on key business definitions. Looking ahead, the team at Médecins Sans Frontières Logistique plans to deploy a general data governance policy and expand the use of DataGalaxy to all areas of the organization.