Design Thinking

Feb 7, 2016

Al Kain

Design Thinking Tools used for Aspira Diagnostics Ltd

Background: I run a small biotech company in India – ICT Center It is predominantly  focused on making diagnostic reagents. The company has a young and knowledgeable product  development team. Within a decade of its initiation, the company has established itself in the global  market as an assured source of quality material. The top diagnostic companies in the world are our  customers. However, the segment we have chosen is small and niche and there is limited scope of  expanding the business.

With this background, we set up an internal team to review possible options for diversification. The  obvious choice was to forward integrate and make diagnostic kits. However, this was a risky option.  One, because it meant directly competing with our existing customers and secondly the business  needed complete change of the model we had followed. The top team was not willing to jeopardize its  relations with the customers.

I was therefore given the responsibility of looking out for options for expanding the business. One of the  possible business option was to go a step down the value chain – to set up a Pathology Lab so that we  would not compete with our customers and in fact become their customers. Logically, this seemed the  best strategy but we knew nothing of the Pathology Lab business and there were established players in  the market. In order to develop an innovative business model and identify value preposition from the  point of the stakeholders, I used a combination of following tools – Journey Mapping, Visualization and  Mind Maps. A brief of the insights obtained, points of differentiations identified and the development of  business model is provided in this note.

Journey Mapping and Visualization:

I identified various stakeholders in the Pathology Lab business and mapped their journey. The diagram  overleaf provides a snapshot of that journey. I actually visited local labs and mapped this journey. From  the journey the following things were evident:

  The patient had to spend substantial time in moving from the Clinic to the Lab several times.

  The patient was incurring out of pocket expenses like travelling, loss of mandays etc even for  now value adding activities like collecting the samples, sharing results with Clinicians etc.

  The results were delayed because of sample logistics and this resulted in delayed treatment.

  I found that the cost of things like loss of mandays for self and the person accompanying the  patient, travelling costs and other out of pocket expenses were as high as the cost of testing and  treatment for routine diseases.

  The cost of a re-test and the second iteration of this process was at least repeated once for  every patient.

Design Thinking

Feb 2, 2017

I interviewed the Patients and realized that there were many different sub-groups of patients –  Pediatric, Neonatal, Elderly Patients, Working men and women, people suffering from infectious  diseases and chronic diseases etc. Each of these patient had different requirements. For example, I  made the following observations for the elderly diabetic people who need regular blood sugar testing to  be done.

a) They prefer a phlebotomist to come and collect the sample from their home.  b) Because of their age and disease they are anxious whether the phlebotomist would come on

time or not.

Clinician

Checks and

Recommends a

Test

Patients goes to  a Patholgy Lab

Lab collects

samples and the  testing charges

Patient comes  after a day (or  more) to collect

result

Lab hands over

the results

Visits Clinic with

results

Physician  prescribes

medicines or  asks for addn

tests

Can it be done

internally?

Run the test

Yes

Sends sample

to ref Lab

No

Sample

reaches ref lab

Lab confirms

receipt of

payment from

local lab

Lab runs test

Provides result

to local lab

Patient Journey Lab Testing Journey

Design Thinking

Feb 7, 2016

c) They are anxious whether the results would show a substantial increase in their blood sugar

level.

d) If there is a little delay in the collection or in the reporting then they get irritated.

These insights would be extremely important in designing the logistics of sample collection as well as  dealing with such patients.

Insights from the use of design thinking tools:

The tools have provided many insights to develop a business model that meets the unmet and unstated  needs of various stakeholders. Some of these are:

a) A solution needs to be developed so that the multiple trips of the patient to the clinic and labs

can be minimized. This will reduce cost as well as expedite the treatment available to the  patient.

b) We need to clearly develop specific programs for the various patient categories. Each of them

have a different and unique requirement and this fact is being ignored by the existing players in  the market.

c) The automation and IT systems used in the lab are disconnected. Therefore, a patient needs to

be registering every time in different centers of the same lab. Also, the report generated by LIS  is printed and physically delivered to the patient instead of using tools like emails, whatsapp,  text messages etc. The clinics, the labs and the patient are not connected together through any  IT system. It is therefore necessary in the what-if and what-wow stage of this project to identify  solutions that could make this possible.

d) Most of the lab focus on collecting the samples and forget to acknowledge the emotional

requirements of the patient in trauma. Thus, the ambience of the labs is not made comfortable  and relaxing. No lab offers counseling service to the patient. We need to identify possible  solutions and conduct a launch test in the next phase.

End note: The design thinking training was indeed useful to me for the assignment undertaken in my  organization. It helped me to look beyond the obvious. It made me shift my focus from me-too solutions  to a holistic solution that addressed the need of all the stakeholders. The insights obtained from the  what-is stage of this project would be useful in the subsequent phases of the project.


Design Thinking Feb 7 , 2016 Al Kain Design Thinking Tools used for Aspira Diagnostics Ltd Background : I run a small biotech company in India – ICT Center It is predominantly focused on making diagnostic reagents . The company has a young and knowledgeable product development team . Within a decade of its initiation , the company has established itself in the global market as an assured source of quality material . The top diagnostic companies in the world are our customers . However , the segment we have chosen is small and niche and there is limited scope of expanding the business . With this background , we set up an internal team to review possible options for diversification . The obvious choice was to forward integrate and make diagnostic kits . However , this was a risky option . One , because it meant directly competing with our existing customers and secondly the business needed complete change of the model we had followed . The top team was not willing to jeopardize its relations with the customers . I was therefore given the responsibility of looking out for options for expanding the business . One of the possible business option was to go a step down the value chain – to set up a Pathology Lab so that we would not compete with our customers and in fact become their customers . Logically , this seemed the best strategy but we knew nothing of the Pathology Lab business and there were established players in the market . In order to develop an innovative business model and identify value preposition from the point of the stakeholders , I used a combination of following tools – Journey Mapping , Visualization and Mind Maps . A brief of the insights obtained , points of differentiations identified and the development of business model is provided in this note . Journey Mapping and Visualization : I identified various stakeholders in the Pathology Lab business and mapped their journey . The diagram overleaf provides a snapshot of that journey . I actually visited local labs and mapped this journey . From the journey the following things were evident :  The patient had to spend substantial time in moving from the Clinic to the Lab several times .  The patient was incurring out of pocket expenses like travelling , loss of mandays etc even for now value adding activities like collecting the samples , sharing results with Clinicians etc .  The results were delayed because of sample logistics and this resulted in delayed treatment .  I found that the cost of things like loss of mandays for self and the person accompanying the patient , travelling costs and other out of pocket expenses were as high as the cost of testing and treatment for routine diseases .  The cost of a re - test and the second iteration of this process was at least repeated once for every patient . Design Thinking Feb 2 , 2017 I interviewed the Patients and realized that there were many different sub - groups of patients – Pediatric , Neonatal , Elderly Patients , Working men and women , people suffering from infectious diseases and chronic diseases etc . Each of these patient had different requirements . For example , I made the following observations for the elderly diabetic people who need regular blood sugar testing to be done . a ) They prefer a phlebotomist to come and collect the sample from their home . b ) Because of their age and disease they are anxious whether the phlebotomist would come on time or not . Clinician Checks and Recommends a Test Patients goes to a Patholgy Lab Lab collects samples and the testing charges Patient comes after a day ( or more ) to collect result Lab hands over the results Visits Clinic with results Physician prescribes medicines or asks for addn tests Can it be done internally ? Run the test Yes Sends sample to ref Lab No Sample reaches ref lab Lab confirms receipt of payment from local lab Lab runs test Provides result to local lab Patient Journey Lab Testing Journey Design Thinking Feb 7 , 2016 c ) They are anxious whether the results would show a substantial increase in their blood sugar level . d ) If there is a little delay in the collection or in the reporting then they get irritated . These insights would be extremely important in designing the logistics of sample collection as well as dealing with such patients . Insights from the use of design thinking tools : The tools have provided many insights to develop a business model that meets the unmet and unstated needs of various stakeholders . Some of these are : a ) A solution needs to be developed so that the multiple trips of the patient to the clinic and labs can be minimized . This will reduce cost as well as expedite the treatment available to the patient . b ) We need to clearly develop specific programs for the various patient categories . Each of them have a different and unique requirement and this fact is being ignored by the existing players in the market . c ) The automation and IT systems used in the lab are disconnected . Therefore , a patient needs to be registering every time in different centers of the same lab . Also , the report generated by LIS is printed and physically delivered to the patient instead of using tools like emails , whatsapp , text messages etc . The clinics , the labs and the patient are not connected together through any IT system . It is therefore necessary in the what - if and what - wow stage of this project to identify solutions that could make this possible . d ) Most of the lab focus on collecting the samples and forget to acknowledge the emotional requirements of the patient in trauma . Thus , the ambience of the labs is not made comfortable and relaxing . No lab offers counseling service to the patient . We need to identify possible solutions and conduct a launch test in the next phase . End note : The design thinking training was indeed useful to me for the assignment undertaken in my organization . It helped me to look beyond the obvious . It made me shift my focus from me - too solutions to a holistic solution that addressed the need of all the stakeholders . The insights obtained from the what - is stage of this project would be useful in the subsequent phases of the project .