The matching of supply to demand is paramount in the response to COVID-19. During the recent White House Coronavirus daily briefing, various members of the administration's task force and the media addressed the topic of supply & demand matching of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Clearly this is a complex topic, as evidenced by the various attempts at a response to the question.
Next Steps
That said, the processes that facilitate the matching of supply to demand are well-proven. Volley Solutions initially developed a supply & demand matching engine at two of the Big 10 universities. The team at Volley is now working to make that technology available to any organization around the world.
Are you able to assist with the coronavirus response? We want to highlight two organizations that are providing specific responses to the call for N95 masks to be delivered to the areas of greatest need.
AFYA Foundation
Mask-Match
RRP Canada
Volley acknowledges these organizations (and many others) for their contributions to the response to this global crisis. We would be honored to serve you. Let's talk.
UPDATE
There have been myriad breakthroughs on the topic of masks since the original post. Prices are bid up, but demand is so much greater than supply that it's not physically possible to procure the necessary materials for healthcare workers. As such, the stories of actually getting critical PPE involve harrowing tales of late-night international phone calls and meetings at undisclosed locations.
NPR's Planet Money recently featured the story of how the State of Illinois came about procuring 1.5 million masks. Slight spoiler alert... it culminates with a $3.2 million check riding shotgun in the Comptroller's passenger seat... definitely worth a listen...
Topics: matching, healthcare