Countries and Depots

Overview

In the first step of trial configuration, you define the supply chain network for your clinical trial: the countries where your trial operates, the depots that store and ship kits, and how supply flows from manufacturing to patient sites. Everything configured here feeds directly into kit planning, demand forecasting, and supply risk analysis.

See Study Setup for an overview of all wizard steps.

The Visual Network Editor

This step presents an interactive canvas — a flow diagram that maps how clinical supply moves from central manufacturing through depots to your trial countries.

Reading the Diagram

The diagram flows left to right across four columns:

Connections (edges) between nodes represent shipping routes. Each connection carries a lead time — the duration it takes to ship between those two points.

• Blue edges connect Central Depot to Local Depot
• Gray edges connect Local Depot to Country
• Green edges (faint) connect Central Depot directly to Country

You can drag nodes vertically to rearrange the layout. Click Organize to auto-arrange nodes and minimize crossing edges.

Adding Countries

You must add at least one country before building a distribution network.

1. Click Add Countries.
2. Search by country name in the dialog. The list filters in real time.
3. Select one or more countries — a counter shows how many are selected.
4. Click Add. Countries appear as green nodes on the right side of the diagram.

Each new country defaults to 0 sites, 0-day site lead time, and direct shipping off. You must connect it to a depot and configure its details before proceeding.

To remove a country, right-click its node or click the trash icon. This also removes all connections to that country.

Depot Types

Central Depots

Your primary supply hub — typically a manufacturing site or global distribution center. Shown as a blue node on the left side of the diagram. You need at least one. Central depots can ship to local depots, local depot groups, or directly to countries.

Local Depots

A regional warehouse or distribution center that receives supply from a central depot. Shown as a gray node in the middle of the diagram. Optional — you can skip local depots and ship directly from central to country.

Local Depot Groups

A chain of two or more local depots in sequence — for example, an import warehouse that feeds a regional distribution center. To create a group:

1. Click Create Depot Group and name it.
2. Add at least 2 local depots.
3. Reorder members using arrow buttons — order matters, as supply flows first to last.
4. Set the lead time between each depot in the chain.
5. Click Save.

The group appears as a single slate-colored node on the diagram.

Adding Depots

1. Click Add Depot (Central or Local).
2. Search and select from your organization's existing depots, or create a new one inline.

Connection Types

Connections define how supply flows through your network. Prognosis supports four distribution topologies, and you can combine them within a single trial.

Standard Multi-Tier

The most common topology. Supply flows from your central hub to a regional local depot, then onward to countries. Connect your central depot to a local depot using the + button, then connect the local depot to country nodes.

Multi-Warehouse (Depot Group)

For supply chains where kits pass through multiple warehouses in sequence before reaching a country. Connect your central depot to the group node, then the group node to a country.

Direct Shipping

Supply ships directly from your central depot to clinical sites, bypassing intermediate depots. Click + on the central depot and click directly on a country node. The country is automatically flagged for direct site shipping.

Mixed (Hybrid)

Different countries can use different topologies within the same trial. Simply create whichever connections make sense for each country.

Lead Time Configuration

Every connection carries a lead time — the expected duration from shipment at the source to arrival at the destination. Lead times are critical for demand forecasting and supply risk analysis.

Setting Lead Times

1. Click any edge (connection line) in the diagram.
2. Enter the lead time as a number and select the unit: Days, Weeks, Months, or Years.
3. Click Save.

Lead times must be greater than zero. A connection without a lead time is flagged as incomplete.

Impact on Forecasting

Lead times directly affect when orders must be placed, buffer stock calculations, and supply risk scoring. Longer, more variable routes need more safety stock and carry higher disruption risk.

Sites Per Country

Each country requires a number of clinical sites — the hospitals or clinics where patients enroll and receive treatment.

1. Double-click a country node or click its configure button.
2. Enter the Number of Sites (must be greater than zero).

Site count affects kit distribution, demand projections, and logistics complexity.

Last-Mile Delivery

Last-mile delivery is the time from when kits arrive at a clinical site to when they are ready for patient administration. This includes receiving, unpacking, storage, and any site-level processing.

In the Country Configuration dialog:

1. Enter the Site Lead Time (last-mile delivery duration).
2. Select the unit (Days, Weeks, Months, or Years).

This field is optional but recommended for accurate demand timeline modeling. Add extra days for remote or hard-to-reach sites.

Status Indicators and Validation

The diagram uses visual cues to show completion status:

Connections without a lead time are also flagged as incomplete.

Requirements to Proceed

Before continuing to Step 2, all of the following must be true:

• At least one central depot is added
• At least one country is added
• Every country has its number of sites set to a value greater than zero
• Every country is connected to a depot (via local depot or direct shipping)
• Every connection has a lead time configured
• All auto-saves have completed

If any condition is unmet, the Continue button remains disabled.

Auto-Save

Changes are saved automatically 1.5 seconds after you stop editing. This applies to adding or removing countries and depots, creating or deleting connections, changing lead times, and updating country configuration. Deletions save immediately.

A save status indicator appears in the wizard toolbar:

Your work is preserved even if you navigate away or close the browser. When you return, the diagram loads your last-saved configuration.

Tips

• Start with Standard Multi-Tier for most trials. It gives you the most flexibility and is easy to change later.
• Set lead times on every connection. Missing lead times block progress and lead to inaccurate forecasts.
• Use realistic site counts. Site counts feed into enrollment projections and kit demand calculations in later steps.
• Use depot groups for multi-hop routes rather than chaining individual local depots manually.
• Configure last-mile delivery for remote clinics or sites with complex receiving processes.