TCS builds interactive model to boost capacity for International Medical Corps


10/07/2022

TCS enables capacity building for IMC’s global operations.


TCS believes in building a business that can be a catalyst for change, with the aim to connect people to opportunities in the emerging digital economy; this mission is at the heart of how it operates as a company.
Innovation, partnerships and collective knowledge are key components of its operations through which it believes it can drive positive change for all stakeholders.

An in-depth grasp of digital transformation, technology and business applications lays a strong foundation for developing solutions to many of the world's most pressing problems at scale. To this end, TCS's interactive model leverages intelligence, technology, finance and human capital to create exponential global impact.

In the digital age, non-profits must have a strong digital presence to be sustainable and build trust with a multitude of stakeholders.

Sharing mission values, and initiatives to generate revenue as well as to engage the community at large by means of technology can bring about increased visibility, accessibility and transparency in an organization. All of these are critical to an organization's success and ability to manage a lean operation by automating their day-to-day operations.

The leading first responder agency, the International Medical Corps (IMC) provides emergency relief to those affected by conflict, disaster and disease, wherever they are and under any conditions, doing Work with them to restore, rebuild, and acquire the skills and tools needed for autonomy.

Once the emergency has passed and their disaster relief efforts have ended, the IMC transitions from emergency medical response to long-term medical support and training.

The organization provides resources and training to help local employees provide a range of services, including health care, food, water, and sanitation support to their communities.

IMC got in touch with TCS for assistance in digitizing its supplier prequalification platform. When procuring medical products, IMC pre-assesses suppliers to ensure that suppliers meet minimum quality standards. This prequalification system is an essential part of the procurement process.

IMC will not purchase supplies from a supplier who has not completed a quality assessment or whose qualification has expired, which could result in shortages of essential supplies.

While earlier, the prequalification team was required to visit the relevant suppliers, evaluate the suppliers' products, obtain copies of relevant documents, and complete a paper prequalification form. All of these were then sent to the Global Pharmaceutical Services Unit (GPSU) vide email, which entailed a prolonged exchange of mail; at the end of this, every time vendors were approved, the GPSU had to update an Excel sheet to make it visible across the organization.

When TCS was handed over the project, its team conducted extensive research to gain insight into IMC's Supplier Prequalification System and its mechanics on how it integrates into its global operations; they had to get a thorough understanding of how users participate in the funding process.

The assessment process is conducted in conjunction with the IMC and includes stakeholder mapping, user personality development, understanding the organization's technology background and its priorities.

“Being a first responder organization means our work is fast-paced and vital to vulnerable populations. Working with TCS enabled us to increase the efficiency of our vendor prequalification process, which is critical to our operations,” said Salma Abdelfattah, Pharmaceutical Services Coordinator, International Medical Corps.

TCS evaluated, redesigned and enhanced IMC's existing supplier prequalification system by placing it on a more transparent and accessible digital platform for the IMC prequalification team and Service Units Global Pharmaceuticals (GPSU).

The system provides the prequalification team with a structured workflow to maintain supplier information, track supplier qualification criticality, and ensure the organization has concurrent access to requests for key information in the supplier's database.

“Partnering with IMC has expanded my view on how non-profit organizations like this can make a huge impact on disaster-stricken communities,” said Habibul Ali Shah, TCS Architect. 

“My team and I worked closely with IMC and gained an appreciation for all that goes into their work providing both immediate relief and long-term support. We’re grateful that we were able to work with IMC to digitize their vendor pre-qualification system and support their important work.”

In 2021, IMC directly served the needs of more than 18 million people in 30 countries on five continents, including more than one million in the United States.

“Access to health services – both emergency and basic – is a global crisis. For many millions of people around the world, medical care is out of reach despite a crucial need,” said Balaji Ganapathy, Chief Social Responsibility Officer, Tata Consultancy Services.

“TCS is proud to have been a pro bono partner to International Medical Corps, expanding their capacity to bring much needed medicine and care to people in over 30 countries.”