Operational efficiency in blood component production: time-driven process mapping study from a national blood service in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Abstract Background Efficient blood service operations are critical to safe blood supply in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Process mapping provides a systematic approach to understanding operational complexity and identifying inefficiencies. This study aims to map the blood component production cycle at a national blood service. Methods We conducted a detailed process mapping exercise across four stages of blood production: donor recruitment, blood collection, blood processing and testing, and storage and dispatch. We enumerated client pathways and recorded active process times at each stage, guided by a time-driven data collection framework. The e-Delphyn blood donor management system supported data capture at static and mobile collection sites. Results The blood component production cycle comprises four sequential stages, generating 31 distinct client pathways at the donor recruitment stage alone, reflecting substantial operational complexity. Donor recruitment active organization time ranged from 6 to 148 min, depending on the mobilization approach and site. Blood collection followed a consistent patient flow regardless of site, with optimal completion time of ~ 31 min. Under minimum batch conditions, blood processing and testing required a minimum of 113 min. Blood component production times varied substantially from 15 min for packed red blood cells via platelet-rich plasma extraction to a minimum of 555 min for cryoprecipitate. Conclusions Process mapping revealed significant operational complexity within the non-remunerated volunteer donor-based blood component production cycle. By embedding process times into the mapping framework, this study demonstrated how variability in each blood processing stage shapes overall system efficiency. These time-driven insights provide the first granular, evidence-based foundation for informing efficiency analysis and resource allocation across Sub-Saharan Africa and other LMIC blood services. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Health Services Research, 2026 · DOI ↗