Orders: Type, split and treatment

Describe the different types of orders that a partner can place with MSF -Supply, specifying the responsibilities of each one, the implications on the rest of the MSF-Supply activity and the management of the order.

This service is available for all types of articles, medical and logistic.

There are 2 types of orders received by MSF-Supply :

Technical Order (CT)

Technical requests are request for research of items that are not valid/not known for sale in the MSF-SUPPLY catalog. CTs are not firm orders.

During the creation of any Order in the portal, these articles will be automatically put on a Technical Order (CT). There is no firm order at this stage. A return to the Partner will then be made to propose possible alternatives. The Partner will then be able to place the firm Order.

Purchase order (PO)

The Purchase Order is the Partner's order, it can be divided into several "Op" (internal order) at MSF-SUPPLY. An Op is therefore an internal reference of MSF-SUPPLY. These references will follow the Order up to the delivery of the goods.

POs are firm orders, once they are placed and validated in the Portal, they cannot be canceled except under conditions mentioned in Order cancellation and modification

Quotation

A quotation is for specific price requests from the partner. It concerns items that are part of our catalog. The request is processed off-portal.

The mission will send the quotation to msf-supply via the email box msfsupply.order@brussels.msf.org, copy to the OPE Desk

The partner must place his order or technical request in the portal (ordering tool of MSF-Supply). He will have to split EACH order according to the following logistic and financial principles:

1. One order by Requested Delivery Date (RDD): if some items are requested faster than others, you must group these items by RDD (in 6 months, 3 months, 1 week...).

2. One order per Project Code: 01 Coordination - 42 HIV... for financial reasons.

3. One order per category (Med/Log): medical and logistic items must be ordered separately. Therapeutic food can be considered as a medical order if specifically requested by the local authorities.

4. One order per mode of transport: based on the type of transport requested: by Air (see below for items requiring air transport), by Sea, by Direct Shipment, by Express or by Hand Cargo.

5. A separate order for Narcotics and Psychotropic drugs: because a specific license is required for export and import. This order must imperatively be accompanied by an import license from the requesting country.

6. A separate order for Precursors: Drug precursors are materials that can be used for the illegal production of psychotropic substances and narcotics (FAMHP). MSF Supply must apply for an export license from the Ministry of Health in Belgium (See the list of regulated products on the extranet.msfsupply.be website under the tab Search / List of regulated products).

The controlled temperature items (TC items: SLAS, DORA, DINJ, DEXT, DEXO, DDIS) must be transported to the field by AIR or reefer containers as soon as they are available for the country of destination.

In addition, it is mandatory to request transportation by Air for the following items: 

• Cold chain items: all items that need to be maintained between 2°C and 8°C such as vaccines...

• Short shelf life items: a list of short life items (< 24 months) is available on the extranet.msfsupply.be in the menu Search / "Short shelf life items".

• Dangerous products: all dangerous items must be sent by Air except for articles with engine (Generator, cars, engine pumps...).

Additional Criteria on Order Split

In addition to the basic rules, the partner can define additional criteria for splitting orders. Below you will find some questions to can ask yourself and tips to define these criteria:

If you face constraints on the import of certain products, then you will have to make a separate order for these specific objects. A few examples:

• Drugs and medical equipment cannot be included in the same shipment.

• Therapeutic food must be declared as a logistics product.

• If you have to pay taxes on some logistics products and not on others, then you will have to make 2 separate orders.

• Countries with multiple entry points: obligation for certain items (e.g. narcotics) to transit through the capital.

• Authorized or facilitated importation when the value per packing is less than a certain amount.

Reminder: Splitting orders creates an additional administrative follow-up for you and MSF Supply.

If finance needs / wants to follow up the mission expenses per destination and/or per project, it is recommended to make the cost breakdown via the FIOR annex (on the extranet.msfsupply.be under the Finance / FIOR annex tab).