A new digital platform aimed at transforming health and humanitarian supply chains across Africa and other underserved regions, has officially been launched.
Created by Scott Dubin, Supply Chain Private Sector Engagement Adviser at The Global Fund, and built by Logixity, Logistics Marketplace aims to streamline how freight services are discovered and procured by public- and private-sector stakeholders.
Designed to overcome persistent bottlenecks in logistics operations such as fragmented service availability, slow procurement cycles, and limited visibility of qualified providers the new venture offered an open-access Software-as-a-Service SaaS environment, a statement said.
Governments, humanitarian agencies, manufacturers, distributors, and global health partners can use the platform to search for logistics partners, issue tenders, and manage sourcing activities through a single secure interface.
Dubin highlighted that the primary obstacle in delivering vital goods in many low- and middle-income countries was not infrastructure, but rather the challenge of locating the right logistics providers. The platform was developed specifically to bridge this gap and enable more efficient service matching.
Currently, catering for both buyers and logistics providers with plans to support hybrid users who both source and deliver services the platform supports registration from transporters, warehouse managers and cold chain operators.
Key features include mobile-optimised access, provider profiles, and user-generated ratings.
Health supply chain specialist, Lantos Pin, said Logistics Marketplace delivered a long-overdue solution for the sector, helping stakeholders to save both time and resources when engaging logistics services.