Engineer 1 P 03 Software Engineering Project Design

Engineer 1 P 03 - Software Engineering Project Design of a Software System for a Medical Supply Distribution Centre in the Developing World Prepared for Engineers Without Borders Wednesday, April 7 th, 2005

The Need Wide, equitable availability

AIDS • Africa has been devastated by pandemic infection • Demand for antiretroviral drugs is exploding • Medication reaches few

Income • Africa has worlds lowest incomes • Many live on less than $1 per day • North American annual drug cost: $15, 000 • African annual drug cost: $600

Two Pronged Approach • Minimize cost to patients • Target marginalized populations

The Centre Two purposes, two units

Institutional Unit • Institutions: Hospitals and Clinics • Double purpose: – Distribution warehouse – Logistics centre

Institutional Unit Goals • Reduce price of supplies by acting as a non-profit wholesaler • Improve reliability and access to supplies • Foster communication and cooperation amongst institutions and NGOs • Allow institutions to concentrate on their primary goal: healthcare

Personal Unit • Acts as a pharmacy • Fills personal prescriptions – On Location – Remotely • Sells non-prescription items

Personal Unit Goals • Cost reduction • Improve access to required treatments • Education efforts

Physical Design • Integrated for efficiency • Separated to prevent conflict

Physical Design

Accessibility • Access provided by: – – – Internet Phone Fax Mail In person

The Software Coordinate and monitor the centre’s two units with six main components

Stock Monitoring • Monitors levels of Institutional and Personal stock • Responds to changes in demand • Recommends quantity for orders • High importance of the products • Large margin of error

Institutional Ordering • Allows the institutions to place orders • Orders placed: – Primarily over the internet, but – Phone – Fax – Snail mail also available

Personal Ordering • • Allows individuals to place orders Orders from homes Order and pick up in person. Authorization required for remote prescription orders

Doctor’s prescription writing • Doctors encouraged to use software systems – Creates and prints prescriptions – Preferably, this entirely online – Offline access – Non-electronic access • Doctors may choose not to use the system • Write prescriptions in the traditional manner

Security Systems • Broad responsibility • Broken down into four components – Loss Prevention – Environmental Control and Monitoring – Physical Access – Power Supply

Loss Prevention • Track what theft occurs • Monitoring stock in front of the store, and comparing it with sales data • Discrepancies are noted • Large areas of theft are reported. • Security cameras and security personnel in store • Vested interest

Environmental Control and Monitoring • Many products require refrigeration • Software system monitors and controls these environments • All errors are reported

Physical access security • Keycard system restricts access • Integration with the scheduling software

Power Supply • • • Inconsistent power supply Reliable supply ensured with: Hardware regulation equipment Software monitoring equipment Power failure measures

Employee Scheduling • Three main functions: – Ensures staffing requirements met – Facilitates payroll functions – Security measures

Software System Structure Design • UML • Three main levels: -Interface -Server/Application -Database

UML Structure Diagram • GUI

UML Structure Diagram • GUI • Application Server

UML Structure Diagram • GUI • Application Server • Data Base Server

Conclusions • Aids is a widespread problem in Africa • Addresses the needs of aids distribution • Versatile system can be modified to address other problems

Questions