Llamasoft, Zipline partner on drone deliveries of medical supplies

The supply chain optimization firm and drone delivery company will build four distribution facilities in Tanzania in order to improve the public health supply chain in the African country.    Supply chain optimization technology firm LLamasoft has partnered with drone delivery system company Zipline to deliver urgent medical supplies to patients in need.
   Zipline has already worked with LLamasoft in Rwanda and now in Tanzania with four distribution centers to simulate their operations and quantify the cost and performance benefits, said the company. Likewise, LLamasoft’s global impact team worked with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Medical Stores Department on supply chain projects including a transportation optimization project and a strategic review of their supply chain, the company said.
   “As Zipline builds the agile supply chain of the future, LLamasoft’s expertise in supply chain modeling and optimization has been extremely valuable,” said Will Hetzler, co-founder of Zipline. “LLamasoft is widely respected in the global health community, and they already worked to optimize portions of the public health supply chains in many of the countries where Zipline plans to operate. LLamasoft’s familiarity and credibility with these health systems has helped Zipline communicate the value of our services.”
    Regional Director for LLamasoft IMEA Sid Rupani said, “Zipline is one of the most innovative companies out there, not only in the world of public health supply chains, but supply chains more broadly. We at LLamasoft’s Global Impact Team are excited to be working with Zipline to quantify the expected value they can bring to public health supply chains and to help design their operations.
   “This collaboration fits squarely into our mission as a prime example of a fascinating supply chain design problem and one that could potentially deliver great positive social impact,” continued Rupani.