Social media network concept on phone.
Everyone in software has had that awkward conversation with the potential client…
We have focused on feature Y to make it unique, its taken us years to perfect so that it makes a real difference in your business.
The answer until you get to know them and show what you can do… “We already have that,” or “Our team or outsourcers could develop that.”
I’m sure I look puzzled when I hear it, I have taken a look at the public services of the company in advance, often those haven’t been updated in a long time and where they have the feature I mention is at best a screen which allows an admin to set a data field, not a fully interactive well thought out feature.
I’ll attend conferences and companies I have met will aspire to facebook and google levels of functionality and intuitiveness. 5 years later it isn’t done. When we find out little or no focus or resource are focused on the problem it’s clear why. I’m disappointed when those companies lose market share or go out of business given I could have helped much earlier and saved the headache.
There are complex reasons why clients fail to address IT resource shortfalls, but usually, we as providers have simple answers to problems that really could transform businesses who are open to change.
It’s a much more positive situation when we get those inspirational people as clients who truly embrace the benefits IT can bring.
Those who take sensible advice, can ultimately also become our mentors advisors and often friends. We change their businesses by working in support of them. We as a result become better skilled and more experienced in our own field.
Clinisent offers a number of services, but has core competency in the laboratory supply industry. We understand laboratories and how they can scale regionally and globally and want to help. With years of experience we have on occasion taken what has been 4-6 months of managed effort with another supplier and charged a small price per unit, for a set agreed outcome and delivered in a week.
Its disappointing that the response from the person investing the $400-$1500 per day on the consultant for the 6 months. “Your too expensive,” “we don’t pay anything at the moment.” I watch large numbers of staff labouring away on menial tasks in the background as the statement is made.
The type of client we are talking about is often completely oblivious to the huge costs they already incur. From printing costs at $0.60+ per report, with significant human administrative cost to the loss of market share which based on Mckinsey report could be leading to loss of a market expansion opportunity of 50% of total revenue per hospital to be captured from those who don’t act now. The lack of compatibility with client systems, is often costing delayed integrations and headaches for IT, sometimes leading to the replacement of CTO’s/ CIOs when groups get left behind or don’t deliver. The security issues and the costs of a potential data breach which could run into reputational costs of $10,000,000s. I ask is the app compliant? A blank response.
I ask is the app compliant? A blank response.
“My LIMS/LIS does that.” Is of course common. Frost and Sullivan 2014 show that Data Management, Reporting and effective Data Sharing are the biggest issues for LIMS systems. I’m left thinking not every bespoke LIMs system could have delivered against these needs, as when we last looked during the week the largest providers hadn’t overcome the issues we deal with as yet. Frost and Sullivan 2014 identify data management, data sharing and reporting as 3 of the top areas of weakness in the LIMS/LIS of today, and our product means the problems can be solved with little cost and critically without replacement of the LIMS that is already in place.
For any lab replacing LIMS/LIS is a huge risk to operational delivery. Even In circumstances where LIMS/LIS don’t provide core services they are difficult to replace. Removing or transitioning a LIMS/LIS in a lab is similar to open heart surgery in a patient. The heart is essentially so intrinsic that it can’t just be removed. Our product as a result adds longevity to systems that deliver in terms of day to day lab processing but which don’t facilitate the lab communicating in the best ways with doctors and patients.
Another conversation style can be, we have been offered an “app like yours for $5,000,” they say it will take a month or 3 months, we can’t justify spending more. Again I look wary of the claims made by the development company. Have they done something like you’ve asked for before I ask? I may ask. Aware that my own platform took me 7 years of experience in the lab industry 2 of them in genetics as well as costs of $1,000,000s in applied time, consultancy and development staff.
I set out with a clear aim to disrupt the laboratory industry and yet a me to or copy cat has come along and stole my thunder, by offering to “build an app.” I start to think of the risks for the software provider who to me has just promised the impossible. Given the total bill they will charge the client for a product like mine will make the project financially unsustainable. Why don’t they license our software and then deploy it for what could be a big reward.
My experienced A player UK HQ team, now swelling beyond 20 have dedicated some 2 years to perfect a product that we believe will transform the diagnostics industry. Elevating its place in health. Yet some guy/ app developer who doesn’t know labs, can, in theory, build what we have built inside 20 days? Simply false.
I have often returned to the office wondering, were did I go wrong? Why do they think that something built with experience, knowledge blood sweat and tears could potentially just be an app. Then I reflect. Its not all bad.
I need to be clearer, but also need to realize Rome wasn’t built in a day. The guy on the other side of the table hasn’t experienced what I can do for them, they truly just don’t picture it the way I do, they don’t know the steps I have taken…
We reflect and learn and I come to the realisation that at this stage of the business I like others in my position will win some and will loose some. We will “kiss a lot of frogs,” so to speak and no doubt with market traction will gain along the way some of those I met at various points along the way. For myself and those like me, we need determination.
If you are a lab or a software provider and would like to know more please get in contact with myself or one of our team, we would be only to glad to explain why the features we have laboured on for years will transform a number of your central processes in tried and tested ways to make you a huge return.
If you are a lab software supply company, a LIMS provider or someone working perhaps with a number of labs and you are in it for the long term with. If you would like to add value to your own products, then why not reach out?
Nothing to loose and potentially a business-changing product that could compliment your organisations services very well.
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