PROBLEM
A bedside communications technology company needed new products to remain competitive. They requested help determining which features to include in a configurable product suggested by their R&D group.
ANALYSIS & INTERVENTION
In collaboration with Sage Research & Design, we conducted a design exercise with nurses in three cities employed by different hospitals in each city. At first, the results seemed inconclusive – even nurses from the same hospital couldn’t agree on the desired features! Nurses’ preferences depended heavily on the configuration of existing technologies in their facility as well as the physical layout of their unit and the type of care provided.
The Product Team Leader observing the sessions was beside himself. “How are we going to make sense of this? They don’t agree on anything except the emergency button!”
The solution was to help the Product Team shift from fixed-feature thinking to a modular platform approach that allowed for customization and reconfiguration at the unit level without the need for re-engineering. This would enable the same physical product to be quickly installed in diverse facilities. The software could be customized on a unit-by-unit basis by a technician with basic skills working directly with the unit manager or leadership team.
RESULT
The client has now extended the modular platform approach across their full product suite. A single information platform integrates information flows across all their physical communication products. This has allowed them to expand into new functionality and form factors (signage, mobility, patient monitoring) faster than previously thought possible.
