Redlands, US: Nonprofit Direct Relief International used latest technology from Esri and SAP AG to simplify operations that provide medical supplies to underserved populations. As a result, the Drucker Institute was awarded USD 100,000 first-place prize for the 2011 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation to the organisation.
“When a nongovernment organisation can, at a moment’s notice, accept medicines and supplies from major pharmaceuticals, deliver them to an area struck by a disaster, report exactly the location where the resources were received, and provide drill-down visibility at the click of a mouse, it’s a beautiful thing,” said Bob Courteau, president, SAP North America. “When that organisation has fewer than 60 people, it is an incredible testament to the operational efficiency and effectiveness of Direct Relief International. We are proud to be working with Direct Relief and Esri to create solutions that are helping to positively impact communities in need and save lives.”
The organisation has built a commercial-grade IT system that enables a more precise, targeted, and efficient flow of donated medical supplies to nonprofit health care facilities in more than 70 countries, including the US. “Using solutions from Esri and SAP, we were able to create a common platform for knowledge and understanding that renders complex issues much more rapidly comprehensible than I had thought possible,” said Andrew Schroeder, director of research and analysis for Direct Relief.
Built with assistance from researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the system integrates Esri’s ArcGIS technology with SAP solutions—including SAP ERP, SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM), SAP BusinessObjects solutions, and the SAP NetWeaver platform—which Direct Relief uses to track inventory. This combination makes it possible to take detailed assistance data from the SAP solutions and map it using the ArcGIS location-based interface.
“Direct Relief has created a successful model for all organisations interested in creating a healthy business as well as being strong global citizens,” said Jack Dangermond, president of Esri. “Using geography as the medium, Direct Relief understands exactly what is going on in the areas they serve and makes sound decisions that improve the lives of people all around the world. What they are accomplishing with the limited resources they have available is exemplary and something that we can all strive to achieve.”
The Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation is given each fall to three US-based nonprofit organisations in recognition of existing programs that have made a difference in the lives of the people they serve. The award has been given annually since 1991 and is accompanied by two runner-up prizes of USD 7,500 and USD 5,000. The program is supported by the Coca-Cola Foundation.
Source:Â Esri
