Examples of our Work
We hope the following selection of case studies will give you a sense of how our services have accelerated the adoption of other clients’ medical devices and perioperative solutions.
Case Study #1:Development of a Value Proposition for a Perioperative Information Systems Company
Situation
An information systems firm decided to expand its offering by developing a set of modules that delivered new capabilities to its clients. To help its sales and marketing teams, the company sought a third-party assessment of the potential financial benefits arising from the new modules.
Approach
Twin Peaks Group drew on its expertise and experience in business case development, consulted articles in peer-reviewed medical literature, and interviewed the authors of some of the articles on methodology and assumptions. Using the data and information derived from the exercise, it prepared a comprehensive assessment of the potential impact of the main features of the modules – when used to facilitate process improvements. For each feature, Twin Peaks Group prepared a description of how the feature would facilitate the impact, presented the relevant formula, listed the data and assumptions, and calculated the impact.
Outcome for the Technology Company
The information systems company not only gained a highly credible and auditable estimate of each feature’s impact, it also acquired a tool that it could flexibly adapt to different customers’ environments. Our client had so much confidence in our work that it offered the tool to its prospective customers so that they could independently perform sensitivity studies. The business case and new white paper were both well received by the sales and marketing teams.
Case Study #2: Reducing Non-Operative Time at a Metropolitan Hospital
Situation
The manufacturer of a system of mobile OR tables had sold its first U.S. system to a large hospital and had coached the hospital on its use. The new process did not catch on, leaving the vendor without a U.S. reference site and the hospital with little to show for its significant investment in a novel technology.
Approach
Twin Peaks Group organized a project using a team of clinicians and other staff, guided by a steering group consisting of managers and led by the chief surgeon. The problem was re-cast in terms of reducing Non-Operative Time from 65 minutes to 40 minutes. To achieve the goal, processes were redesigned throughout the perioperative system, in part to achieve more parallel processing, and some simple technology was introduced. After developing a training program and performing dry runs, the process was introduced into two ORs performing short cases.
Outcome for the Technology Company
The success of the project and the enthusiasm of the perioperative staff created a referral site that resulted in three new customers in six months. The experience also led the technology company to revise its value proposition and its sales, implementation and training processes for the system.
Outcome for the Hospital
Within three weeks of introducing the changes, the Non-Operative target was attained, yielding the opportunity to add one case per day without increasing resources. The annual value was estimated to be about $500,000. In addition, the clinical leaders published an article in Surgery, which received favorable comments.
Case Study #3: Accelerating Sales of a Novel Technology for a European-Based Company
Situation
Sales were much slower than expected in a key European market for a European device manufacturer. The causes of anemic sales were uncertain. Buyers were said not to have funds. The value proposition to the clinician user was unclear. A significant number of proposals were being generated, but few sales made.
Approach
Twin Peaks Group, working in conjunction with Logue Consulting, LLC, conducted a series of customer interviews in Europe to map the buyer’s process and better understand the customer’s perception of value. We also conducted extensive interviews with the sales and marketing leadership in both the targeted European market and the technology company’s home office.
A revised sales process was gradually developed and implemented. Highlights included the creation of multiple sales tools to strengthen the sales process, including a white paper showcasing one private practice’s experience in the early use of the technology; an Excel-based tool that clarified under what conditions profitable use of the technology could be achieved and a survey of a patient advocacy group’s membership, to gain insights into how the technology was valued by this critical constituency – insights that could then be shared with the membership and “early user” clinicians.
Outcome for the Technology Company
Interviews conducted with academic hospital users and private practitioners confirmed the device’s strong competitive position relative to a competing therapeutic approach, and reproducibility of results between users. Physician interviews further clarified the clinical conditions for which physicians preferred to use the device, and why. The Excel-based tool allowed the salespeople to make a significantly more rapid determination of whether a given practice could make profitable use of the device and the patient survey was particularly informative and helpful. It demonstrated that although patients were increasingly aware of the device and its capabilities, only 17% had learned of it via their physician specialist; that patients were specifically seeking out physicians who had access to the device and that until government reimbursement could be achieved, an overwhelming 59% of patients interviewed said they would be willing to pay out of pocket for a procedure.
The rate of sales in this important European market doubled the following year.
