Public health supply chains are growing, and current systems are becoming challenged by the growing complexities that come with this growth. Supply chain segmentation offers a good solution for managers who want to streamline and consolidate program-specific supply chains, and who understand there is no one-size-fits-all solution in public health. Supply chain segmentation, a strategic tool, manages a wide range of products and improves efficiency by identifying similar characteristics in the products and/or its customers, who in this case are the service delivery points. Products are placed into segments, which can then be managed as separate supply chains based on the criteria and priorities within each segment. This guide describes the process of segmenting a supply chain and provides a hypothetical example of an in-country application. The segmentation approach is a powerful tool for improving customer service and can easily be applied to public health supply chains.
