Good software is...
Posted by Michael Carpenter on April 15, 2008 9:47 AM
I've been in the software industry for 25 years... longer than I've been married (19 years), longer than I lived with my parents, longer than anything else I've endeavored to do. In that time I've seen a few truly good software products/services and lots of great software development teams. My identical twin brother, who also has spent most of his working career in the software biz, sent me a document years ago that encapsulated what we had both experienced with good software. A guy named Dror Eyal had written a manifesto called "The Six Laws of the New Software" - nice work Dror and thanks.
The point that resonated with me the most was something he titled "Dissapear" and it has proved to be fundemental in getting healthcare workers to actually use software for something as mundane as tracking inventory. Read Dror's manifesto here: http://www.changethis.com/12.SixLawsSoftware
Once the foundation of good software is in place the question always comes, what do we have our software development team work on? First and always, the most important opinion is not our own, it is the customer's. After all, with out the customer would we have anything to do? Listen intently to what your customers say, observe how they use the software and then be relentless with making improvements. Sure, those of us who interact with customers have a steady stream of ideas for great new features, but most often it is the little tweaks that mean the most to users on a day-to-day basis. Removing one extra click from the process of completing a common task can do wonders for users satisfaction and as a result the size and strength of the benefit derived from using the software.
Good software should be descirbed by users like this: "it feels like it was built just for me". That sentiment will ensure compliance and in-turn you'll get the outcomes you need.
Can Avanten make a difference?
Posted by Michael Carpenter on April 2, 2008 11:23 AM
As I put the plan for Avanten together one of my concerns was the cost of healthcare for me and our employees. Could we afford to start a company and provide good benefits?
We’ve all seen the data: an aging population, costs rising at 3x inflation, reduced reimbursements and shortage of healthcare professionals to name a few. Everyone should be concerned about the future affordability of healthcare, but like me you may wonder what can be done. Perhaps a more socialized approach, a.k.a. universal health care?
I recently had the opportunity to work with hospitals in the EU and I did not anticipate that the value proposition of “Charge Capture” would play in that market the same way it does in the US. After all charge capture is primarily an issue for accurate submission of a bill to an insurer. So, does this signal that the EU model is migrating towards the US model and what does that mean for the needed reform of the healthcare system?
Like other significant challenges (social security comes to mind) fixing the healthcare system would be easier today then 5, 10 or 20 years from now. Let’s hope the next administration gets the mandate to address what is likely to be the biggest financial challenge our country will face in the years and decades to come.
Reducing waste, lowering costs and increasing productivity will enable providers to do more with their scarce resources. Maybe Avanten can make a difference…
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