Namibian pharmaceutical distributor Nampharm and South African software developer QBCon have developed a drug distribution system specifically designed for African conditions, based on the Progress Software4GL database and development language. The application, QBPharm, has been successfully implemented in Namibia, and will be jointly marketed into Africa by Nampharm and QBCon.
QBPharm is specifically geared for managing drug distribution in African countries. "The application takes into account the logistical and distribution challenges of operating in African countries, and requirements for generic drugs which differ from those of Western countries," says Gustav Piater, technical director of QBCon.
QBPharm consists of core financials, distribution management, point-of-sale and a call centre selling solution. Nampharm`s 200-strong customer base in Namibia includes medical practitioners, pharmacies, hospitals and the government. They are scattered over a wide geographical area, from Katima Mulilo in the north-eastern part of Namibia to Oranjemund in the south.
"Medicine needs to be controlled by batch number and expiry date," says Frikkie van der Walt, IT manager at Nampharm. "We needed a system that could handle batch tracking, expiry dates and telesales, where speed is of the utmost importance, as well as an integrated financial system and stock control. We could not find an appropriate packaged solution, so we approached QBCon.
"QBPharm contains all the essential elements needed to run a business in a developing country," says Van der Walt. "It has built-in business rules and checks and balances, which means it does not need a highly skilled person to use it. Secondly, because it is developed in Progress, it does not require a full-time database administrator to manage it - a skill in short supply in Africa."
Piater says Progress development skills are readily available on the African sub-continent, making it a simple operation to fine-tune the system for individual companies` needs.
"The latest development by Progress to make its development environment open source means applications developed using Progress are an even more attractive option for African countries," says Piater. "Progress`s low total cost of ownership and elegant development environment are primary reasons we used it for developing the system."
"QBCon is one of the most innovative Progress independent software vendors in SA," says Rick Parry, MD of Progress Software South Africa. "Their recognition of the benefits of using Progress for their development projects is paying off. This project is just one of several exciting and interesting ventures they are involved in."
Share
Editorial contacts