Section 15. Acronyms
This page provides definitions for commonly used acronyms and terms within the QAT application and documentation.
If you're looking for a specific term, use Ctrl+F on your keyboard to search this page for the term directly.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Alternate Reporting Unit (ARU) | The product and unit in which a country's data (consumption or stock) is reported. This may differ from the planning unit. QAT allows users to define an ARU and a conversion factor (multiplier) to the planning unit. See Section 4.A3 (Alternate Reporting Unit) for details. |
| Application Programming Interface (API) | A set of rules and endpoints that allow QAT to securely exchange data with other systems (for example, LMIS, ARTMIS, or GFPVAN). |
| Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) | A statistical time‑series forecasting method used to predict future consumption or demand based on historical trends and patterns. |
| Automated Requisition Tracking Management Information System (ARTMIS) | GHSC-PSM's system for tracking procurement, shipping, and delivery status of health commodities financed by U.S. Government programs. |
| Average Monthly Consumption (AMC) | A dynamic value calculated month-to-month based on average product usage over a specific period. See Figure 1 below. |
| Comma Separated Values (CSV) | A simple file format used to store and exchange tabular data, commonly used for importing and exporting data in QAT. |
| Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) | QAT is designed to interface with various procurement management systems (ERPs). Currently, an interface with ARTMIS enables the direct import of USAID product and shipment data which reduces manual planning efforts by auto-updating delivery dates and statuses. |
| Equivalency Unit (EU) | A standardized unit that converts different product strengths or pack sizes into a common measure for comparison and aggregation in quantification. |
| First Expiry, First Out (FEFO) | Inventory management principle where products with the earliest expiration dates are issued or used first to reduce wastage. |
| Forecast / Forecasting Module (FC) | The QAT module used to generate, review, and adjust forecasts of product demand based on historical data, assumptions, and forecasting methods. |
| Forecasting and Supply Planning (FASP) | Forecasting: An estimate or prediction of the quantities of products to be consumed by clients or consumers over a future period. Supply Planning: The component of supply chain management focused on fulfilling demand plan requirements. The goal is to balance supply and demand to meet the financial and service delivery objectives of the health program. |
| Forecasting Unit (FU) | The smallest unit of measure used in QAT when forecasting demand in QAT (for example tablets, tests, or vials). Forecasting Units are always smaller than or equal to Planning Units (PUs). |
| Global Family Planning Visibility and Analytics Network (GFPVAN) | A global platform that provides visibility into family planning product pipelines and supply chains, often integrated with QAT analyses. |
| Global Health Supply Chain Program – Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC‑PSM) | A USAID‑funded program that supports procurement, supply planning, and data systems for global health commodities, including QAT. |
| Global Location Number (GLN) | A unique identifier used to identify physical locations or organizations in supply chain systems. |
| Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) | A globally unique identifier for products, used to distinguish specific items, pack sizes, or presentations. |
| Inventory Turns (IT) | A performance metric indicating how many times inventory is used or replaced over a given period. |
| JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) | A structured data format commonly used for data exchange between systems and APIs, including QAT integrations. |
| JSON Web Token (JWT) | A secure, compact token used for authentication and authorization when accessing QAT APIs or services. |
| Last Expiry, First Out (LEFO) | An inventory management approach where products with the latest expiration dates are issued first, generally discouraged due to increased risk of expiry. |
| Logistics Management Information System (LMIS) | A system that collects, manages, and reports logistics and inventory data for health commodities. |
| Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) | A public health focus area covering health services and commodities for mothers, newborns, and children. |
| Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) | A forecasting accuracy metric that measures the average percentage difference between forecasted and actual values. |
| Mean Squared Error (MSE) | A statistical measure of forecast error that averages the squared differences between forecasted and actual values. |
| Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) | The smallest quantity of a product that can be ordered from a supplier. |
| Ministry of Health (MOH) | The government body responsible for public health policy, planning, and oversight in a country. |
| Months of Stock (MOS) | An inventory metric indicating how many months existing stock will last based on average consumption. See Figure 2 below. |
| Planning Unit (PU) | The primary unit of measure used in QAT for supply planning, typically related to product packs or logistics quantities. PUs are always larger than or equal to Forecasting Units (FUs). Supply planners can also choose to enter data in Alternate Reporting Units (ARUs). |
| President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | A U.S. Government initiative to prevent and respond to HIV/AIDS globally. |
| President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) | A U.S. Government initiative aimed at reducing malaria morbidity and mortality worldwide. |
| Progressive Web Application (PWA) | A web‑based application that offers app‑like features such as offline access and improved performance; QAT uses PWA technology. |
| QAT Problem List (QPL) | A QAT feature that highlights data issues, inconsistencies, or warnings that may affect forecasts or supply plans. |
| Quantification Analytics Tool (QAT) | A web‑based tool used for forecasting, supply planning, and analytics of global health commodities. |
| Requisition Order (RO) | A formal request for commodities, typically generated to initiate procurement or replenishment. |
| Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) | A commonly used forecasting accuracy metric that measures the square root of the average squared forecast error. |
| Service Delivery Point (SP) | A facility or location where health services and commodities are provided directly to clients. |
| Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) | Official clinical guidelines that define recommended treatments and affect forecasting assumptions in QAT. |
| Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) | A unique identifier for a specific product, strength, formulation, and pack size used at the country level. |
| Stock on Hand (SOH) | The quantity of usable stock physically available at a specific location at a given point in time. |
| Supply Plan / Supply Planning Module (SP) | The QAT module used to plan procurement and shipments over time to meet forecasted demand while maintaining target stock levels. |
| Triple Exponential Smoothing (Holt‑Winters) (TES) | A time‑series forecasting method that accounts for level, trend, and seasonality in historical data. |
| Weighted Absolute Percentage Error (WAPE) | A forecasting accuracy metric that measures total absolute error as a percentage of total actual demand, weighted by volume. |
Figure 1: Average Monthly Consumption (AMC) Formula
Figure 2: Months of Stock (MOS) Formula