About

OpenBoxes is an open-source inventory management system developed by supply chain professionals working in resource-scarce settings.

In the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Partners In Health (PIH) embarked on a mission to provide essential healthcare to the people affected by this catastrophic event. Amid the chaos and urgency, a vital need arose—the need for a robust and efficient inventory management system to ensure that critical medical supplies and resources reached those who needed them most.

This need ignited a spark of innovation within the dedicated team at Partners In Health. They recognized that effective supply chain management was not just a logistical challenge; it was a matter of life and death. Drawing on their deep understanding of healthcare delivery in resource-constrained settings, they set out to create a solution that would revolutionize the way organizations managed their inventory, from procurement to distribution.

And so, OpenBoxes was born.

At OpenBoxes, our mission is deeply rooted in our origin story. We exist to empower organizations—particularly those serving underserved and vulnerable populations—to take control of their supply chains, optimize their operations, and, ultimately, save lives.

As open-source software, the source code is available to use and modify at no charge under the terms of the Eclipse Public License. The source code can also be configured and customized for interested parties to meet their specific needs. Already existing functionality includes inventory tracking, lot and expiry tracking, stock movement and shipment tracking, purchase orders, stock requisitions and fulfillment, as well as built-in and customizable reports.

OpenBoxes was designed specifically for low-resource settings where existing infrastructure for electronic inventory management is limited. With minimal hardware requirements, flexible implementation options, an intuitive user interface, and user-friendly workflows, the software provides immediate results for organizations working in challenging environments who are looking for better inventory control and planning possibilities.

While OpenBoxes was built to address the specific needs of healthcare supply chains and supply chain staff in developing countries, new workflows and functionality can and have been built to adapt to the needs of other contexts.

OpenBoxes is supported by a community of software developers and implementation specialists who have supply chain expertise within the global health context. The OpenBoxes community is continually optimizing existing features and developing new features to innovatively meet users’ needs.

OpenBoxes community members are available to provide the following services: