CommTrack from a CommCare App Designer's Perspective
If you are used to designing a CommCare application, there are many parallels from CommCare that might make you understand CommTrack better:
- Unlike CommCare where web users can build forms and configure case management, CommTrack app building will be done by developers until CommTrack becomes fully self-service. FMs would need to setup locations, products, and programs for their supply chain. This can be easily done in the relevant project space on HQ.
- Each location or supply point is a case in CommTrack just as each registrant (mother, child, farmer) is a case in CommCare.
- Unlike CommCare where cases are registered, updated, and closed by mobile users, locations in CommTrack can only be created by web users.
- In addition, after locations are configured, location information is available in the form through the special locations Lookup Table.
- Each location / supply point is associated with a set of products configured per domain. Product information is made available through lookup tables, not cases.
CommTrack can auto-populate a lookup table to assist with consumption and forecasting calculations. This lookup table provides a configurable rolling average monthly consumption. This data can be referenced in CommCare forms, and is essential for translating the raw data on ‘how much do I have in stock?’ into meaningful information on ‘how many days before I run out?’ and ‘how much should I reorder?’
When CommTrack is enabled for a given CommCare domain, you'll notice the following differences. None of these changes should break any pre-existing apps.
- A tab labeled 'Setup' appears on the top navigation bar: This is where web users can set up the locations and products for the project's supply chain
- In the 'Reports' tab, a set of five CommTrack reports appears.
- Additional CommTrack-specific settings are available when configuring web users, mobile users, and the project settings