Reflection

Test the right sales strategy with a Learning Launch.

1. Challenge: Describe your challenge, including all relevant information.

As a result of a design thinking project, ideas were developed that were to be subjected to a  critical review. The target groups are doctors in private practice with practices where  patients come for consultations and treatment. The project aims to improve the often  inadequate data protection in practices. The current situation is that in many practices,  information that should actually be treated confidentially, such as names, medical history,  medication, etc., is often communicated in a way that is audible to all present and thus  violates the desired confidentiality. In the project, three product ideas were developed to  help organise the necessary processes in medical practices in a more confidential way.

2. Selection: In your own words, briefly describe the tool you selected (e.g., what it is and why

you selected it for your challenge -- including any appropriate video lecture references).    In order to find out whether the product ideas actually achieve the desired effect and are  also accepted by the relevant decision-makers in the practices (doctors and employees)  and whether the patients also perceive and honour the improvement, a learning launch is  to be carried out.

This tool is presented by Ha Schaefer in the 4th week of the course. It is used to test  the assumption that the product ideas are helpful and saleable in reality in order to  confirm it or to recognise it as wrong.

The special challenge in this case is the fact that the product idea primarily solves the  problem of the patients (insensitive handling of confidential patient data). However, this  group does not decide on the purchases and equipment of the practices. It is therefore  necessary to find out whether the responsible owners and operators of the practices also  recognise the value of the innovation and are willing to invest in it. If possible, this insight  must be gained before larger sums are invested in the production and marketing of the  product innovation.

3. Application: Describe how you applied the tool you selected to your challenge (e.g., what you

did and how the tool was applied effectively or ineffectively).    The Learning Launch was prepared by formulating several assumptions that were then to  be tested in practice. These assumptions are:

-  Patients want their data to be handled confidentially and do not want it to be  revealed to the public.

-  The use of the innovative product ideas does not hinder the existing processes,  so that the employees do not suffer any disadvantage in the implementation of  their work.

-  The operators of the practices recognise the benefits and are willing to invest  finances to improve data protection and the customer experience.

Six doctor's practices were recruited for the Learning Launch and were willing to  participate in a 4-week phase. These were divided into two groups:

-  Group A The practices were visited by interviewers and product innovations were  introduced through presentations and product samples. A list of questions was  discussed with staff of different qualifications and responses were recorded.

-  Group B These practices were equipped with the innovative products for a 4- week test phase, without the staff being informed in detail about the theoretical  advantages and benefits. The same questionnaire that was used for group A was  only worked on with the staff at the end of the four weeks and also documented.

Afterwards, the documented results of the two groups were evaluated and compared to  determine which results were achieved with the respective approach.

4. Insight: Describe the insight you gained from applying the tool you selected to your challenge

(e.g., how an insight affected your thinking about the challenge and about design thinking  more broadly).    The comparison of the recorded answers to the questionnaires showed that in all  relevant categories the results of the respondents of group B were approx. 30 to 50 %  more positive than those of group A. This proved that the test equipment of a practice  caused more approval for the innovative products than the common practice of offering  such products by sales representatives via sales presentations.     By using the Learning Launch, it was possible to establish the right sales strategy and  create considerable sales success within 18 months. The percentage of medical  practices that were willing to purchase and use the products after a free trial was 83%  during this period.

5. Approach: Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you

selected or a different one -- and the reason(s) why.    The learning launch approach was successful overall and would be used again in a  follow-up project. In retrospect, the thought came up whether there should not have been  a third test group, where the test setting is made, but also the considerations on benefits  and advantages are communicated at the beginning. That might have been a good  alternative. We would therfor definitely take this into account in future learning launches  for new innovations.

Thank you for your review –

please contact me if you have further questions.

