WVI: Last Mile Mobile Solutions
In 2015 World Vision International was looking for a partner that could support their internal IT team with software development and help develop their long-term IT strategy. We’re proud to say that today we are still their partner!
Last Mile Mobile Solutions – LMMS
World Vision International is one of the largest global humanitarian organisations that assists people in need around the world. They are active on almost all continents and and their activities range from empowering the poor to emergency disaster response.
When you are doing unbelievably important work like World Vision International, where everything you do directly impacts real world problems and people – you need to have a solid software development partner. In 2015 when World Vision International invited us to take part in their Request For Proposal (RFP), we understood they had an internal IT team, just not specialised in Java development. Additionally, they needed experts who could assess and advise on the next steps of their application developments and how they would align with their strategic goals. Simply put – they needed a reliable software development partner.
While the eventul outcome has been years of great cooperation between World Vision International and Yameo, we have also seen that the solid solutions we helped developed have also had a real impact.
The real-world usage was key!
After our first discussion with the WorldVision International team we understood that the real-world usage would be important to understand. We learnt that the environment where the LMMS solution would be used could often have little to no internet connectivity. This was key for us as it meant it would impact how we would develop their Java based solutions.
The Last Mile Mobile Solutions RFP
The Last Mile Mobile Solutions (LMMS®) was created to address a fundamental business problem in food commodity distribution – the ability to ensure the food gets to the intended recipient in a timely and accountable manner. Starting from the identification and registration of persons entitled to the benefit, then enrolling them into a project (typically grant funded), and schedule distributions at an agreed upon final distribution point. Reporting and compliance are key elements of meeting requirements as well as analytics, tracking attendance and activity for conditional humanitarian interventions such as cash and food for work.
One project borne continuous collaboration for application development
After the initial RFP we supported their IT and Disaster Management team and developed a working solution. The initial solution built focused on:
- data privacy
- offline capability
- beneficiary dignity
- donor compliance
- mobility to enable humanitarian aid workers to deliver to the most vulnerable.
The LMMS CORE application drives the definition certain processes that are executed for data collection on a thin-client mobile application, reported on the application and in a separate dashboard application and integrated (via API) with a mobile registration application and attendance mobile application. To specifically address the need to track commodities in warehouses, a separate Commodity Tracking System was created with manual integration when commodities move from warehouse to distribution.
Software development for industry leaders
Continual Development
After the initial launch and success of the solid solution we were asked to continue and help develop and continually update the solutions.
2017
The focus was on data privacy, offline capability, beneficiary dignity, donor compliance, mobility to enable humanitarian aid workers to deliver to the most vulnerable.
2019
New items added to be integrated into the process focusing on Non-food items, Logistics process of inventory stock management, warehousing, spoilage & loss management and distribution.
We continually analysed their work environment
As their industry evolved and cash in various modalities emerged, it introduced new partners such as financial service providers (FSP), mobile money operators, banks and merchants, requiring greater digital dexterity, security and agility. To address this shift we discussed with WorldVision International about investments in enabling technology for the latest advancements and mechanisms provided by donors for individuals and households – born was the multipurpose Cash and Electronic Voucher.
2020
LMMS’s Electronic Voucher System launched – a mobile first system with a modern modularised application, modern architecture, Field Officer app, Merchant POS app and interface (API) with beneficiary registration processes and LMMS core application. Cash projects are linked to individuals and groups whom payments are intended and they received the cash via SMS mobile payments, paper vouchers, FSPs and merchants who facilitate redemption at shops via NFC enabled cards, mobile or paper.
2021
In 2021, a mobile application to register loan applicants & process their loan applications in support of micro-finance projects is to be added and intended to integrate with other LMMS applications.
2022
In 2022, we were asked to build an offline distribution (via mobile devices) + ICT (item commodity tracking) mechanism for LMMS. This feature enables better logistical tracking of commodities, goods and aid for recipients.
So what have been the results of these developments?
Well according to WorldVision International, users of LMMS have reported efficiency gains, cost benefits and improvements in accountability, including:
- At least a 50% time reduction for registration, distribution & reporting activities
- 47% reduction in registration time
- 30% reduction in project related budgetary costs for LMMS versus manual activities
- 40% reduction in distribution staff and a corresponding reduction in related office and travel costs
- Multiple agencies report a reduction in fraud and double dipping – zero losses in inventory post LMMS
- Improved beneficiary targeting and savings through reuse of data
- Electronic audit trail of user activity and reports on which family member collected rations.
- Comprehensive reports by LMMS eliminate the need to capture thumbprints or signatures on paper – a development welcomed by both donors and beneficiaries alike
“LMMS enables efficiencies in time and cost, improves reporting and accountability, and enhances the experience for aid recipients.”
The global success of LMMS
Discover how LMMS works, where it is used and who are World Vision International
WorldVision International’s thoughts on Yameo
“Their services are both high-quality and affordable. We’ve engaged other companies with the same scope of work and received much more expensive quotes.”
The benefits of a solid software development partner
Through our excellent cooperation with World Vision International we have also developed other solutions for them and their subsidiaries.
- Loan Officer App: Platform aimed at helping families leave poverty – for good.
- EBODAC: Community engagement platform to help with distribution of Ebola vaccins.
Loan Officer App
We were asked to help develop a whole new solution, namely the Loan Officer App for Vision Fund. The platform allows World Vision International to help people avoid poverty or in extreme instances help those in poverty avoid extreme poverty. The platform enables lending to those in need with a host of benefits and features to maximise their chance of getting out of poverty.
EBODAC
World Vision Ireland, a sister company to World Vision International reached out and asked if we could help them with their platform development needs. EBODAC or Ebola vaccine Deployment, Acceptance & Compliance – is a platform aimed at effective distribution, awareness and administering of the Ebola vaccin to impacted regions in Africa.
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