Dashboards for Dentists
May 1, 2008
This week I had my bi-yearly checkup with my dentist. I have never really minded going to these appointments. For the most part, other than always being gently scolded for not flossing regularly (come on, it’s a pain to do!), my visits are routine and without surprises. Over the last 10 years or so, one item I have always puzzled about is the WALL of patient files that exist behind the receptionist’s desk. How many patients’ records exist in that wall? How many are active patients? How many versions of x-rays exist per folder? What happens if the office goes up in smoke or is the victim of water damage? Does the history of the patient disappear?
Well this visit was a bit different, let me explain. I sat down in the chair and my hygienist explained it was time for x-rays. Ok no problem…put on lead vest…open wide and bite down on film…absorb some radiation…print out x-ray…review x-ray on white screen. To my surprise, my assumed process stopped at “absorb some radiation”. Instead of printing out the x-ray to film, the results of my x-ray immediately displayed on a LCD monitor next to my chair within “Dave’s dashboard”! My dentist had recently installed a new system and was in the process of converting the WALL into the digital age.
So what did “Dave’s dashboard” include?
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A repository of x-ray films. This allows the dentist to quickly move between versions of films and allows him to monitor changing patterns in the mouth (tooth gaps widening/shrinking, jaw alignment, etc.)
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Historical view of past visits. Included were procedures performed, costs associated, insurance company billed, future scheduled visits, etc.
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A graphical representation of all the teeth in MY mouth. It showed my incisors, my molars, etc. But the neat part was that if something was “special” about a tooth, that “special” was represented in the graphic. Fillings were shaded grey. Cosmetic work was green. Areas “being watched” were blue. I was told areas with potential enamel problems would be another color.
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A bunch of other “tabs” of information that I wasn’t able to view (couldn’t ask, mouth was full)
How cool is that? All information about a patient was online and accessible in a concise easy to read format. A format that can be shared directly with the patient to help them understand why their tooth is hurting or what their teeth may look like “after” a cosmetic change.
I attempted to ask my dentist about the software to get a feel for what technologies were used to create this. Obviously he didn’t have a clue, but it was running in Windows Vista and appeared to be client/server in nature. Not only did this appear to make the dentist and hygienist’s job easier from a paperwork perspective, but now this vital information was easily maintained, backed up and tucked away in the event of an office disaster. The reliance on the WALL was subsiding. So in a world where businesses are consistently trying to improve themselves, exposing the same old information in new exciting ways may just help turn on a light bulb to a new way of thinking or acting/reacting…even a dentist.
If I ever need to change dentists, I now only have to request my records be forwarded electronically to my next dentist. I don’t plan on doing so anytime soon though. I very pleased with my current one and he’s getting hip with the times and using software/technologies that I have expressed interests in.
Now where is that floss…
Dave
Sphere: Related ContentBooks 24×7: The New Google??
April 9, 2008
So the other day as I was working in my new luxurious cubicle out at my client site (this is no joke, I really got the hook up here), I came across a coding “problem” that I had to fix fairly quickly in order to meet my deadline of EOD. Now as a seasoned developer in need of the type of solution I was seeking, I quickly jumped into my FireFox browser and navigated to Google; your friend and mine for these quickies…
Now after about ten minutes and 5+ different search strings later on Google, I decided that this was no longer a “quickie” as it should have been. All I was looking for was a small code snippet to help me with my task at hand. Most of my searches returned results where I needed to purchase a book or subscribe to sort of a service to “view the solution”. Now if you’re like me, I don’t like to sign up for random pages where I will NEVER remember the username and/or password; So I kept on keepin on, figuring up different search queries to find the solution to my issue here. I still got results where I needed to purchase BOOKS! Then it hit me… (LIGHTBULBS!) I just purchased a license to Books24×7… Hmmm…. I quickly retrieved my username and password for the Books24×7 service, typed in the EXACT queries I sent to Google, and in LESS time I found the nice, little code snippet I was looking for! SWEET! Back to work finally…
After I finished what needed to be completed for the day, I decided to check out this Books24×7 service in more detail. I wanted to put it to the test to see if this is going to be a great service for me. After spending about an hour logged in, I found many great things about the service that I feel like I’m going to really get some use out of. First off, you can search for almost any technical book out there and read the entire thing. Second, if you’re looking to gain yourself a certification, you can read the books to help you get prepared and then search for an online course (which are all included I believe…) to help prepare you for the exam. Also, there are Exam Preps which are pre-tests you can take before the actual exam. There are also Job Aids, simliar to what you find on an end cap at a book store with all the “need to knows” information about a certain subject.
Okay, so I really don’t think that Books24×7 is going to take over Google… However, I do believe that this service is a great side kick for all of us to have as an additional resource. I highly recommend it and if you get the chance, you should definitely check it out.
My two cents have been spent, enjoy your day!
- Josh Davis
Sphere: Related ContentBusiness Intelligence/Data Management Capabilities
March 31, 2008
The Beauty of the Wheel!
Or is it the ‘Magic’ of the wheel….
Communicating an idea efficiently is challenging, especially when that idea covers many IT functions that can each by themselves stand alone. In an effort to communicate our Business Intelligence and Data Management capabilities in a way that takes less than a 7 day training, we put together this graphic. Of course, the colors were selected by IT guys and not by our marketing department, but we feel that we have captured the essence of our complete capabilities within the BI/DM space - the stages and relationships of our capabilities as well as the breadth of our talent.
Internally, we call this model the FABI Wheel. Why FABI? It stands for the (Henry) Ford Approach to Business Intelligence, and was inspired by our smart guys (and gals) here at LUCRUM. This unique approach is important because it is an approach to thinking about business intelligence and data management in a way that is not driven by technology or bad habits. It is driven by the pursuit of delivering value quickly by unhiding data in a method that puts ownership in the hands of the business people. We know that BI is a journey, we have been there before and this is how we think. Let me explain…
First, the outer wheel has three sections; Strategic, Tactical and Operational. This communicates that LUCRUM has offerings in each of those areas. We have a mature strategy and can engage at these levels.
Strategic. This is the level that can set us apart from others. It is here that we help our customers set direction. If we engage here correctly, we will win a client for the long term. At this level, we are architects (helping to ‘plan the city’, where the city represents systems) - we build relationships and architect solutions here.
Tactical. This is where we are the builders. We deploy as warehouse architects and engage to carry out the plan. We are builders and implementers. Our unique collaborative and iterative approach sets apart from the rest. We focus all our energies on delivering value and doing it quickly!
Operational. This is where the results are seen. This is the 10% of the ice berg that is visible. We are deploying here, always listening and always understanding. We are working to bring the parts of the customer’s organization together - we are working as facilitators of change.
Second, the outer wheel is self-sustaining and self-connecting. It’s easy to see the transitions; but notice the transition from Operational to Strategic. Within the operational phase we are always listening and always understanding…so that we can complete the feedback loop and build ‘the next strategy’. As we deploy reports, cubes, dashboards, we are touching the area of the business that is strategic, they need the unhidden information to make the best decisions. Well, there is always that next round of unhidden information and it is here that we make relationships and bridge for the next opportunity - which naturally begins with strategy; we are either building out the strategy to the next level or developing game changing strategy with the customer. It’s how we provide extra value to our clients and mature our relationships.
Third, the inner wheel does have connections to each of the arrows both before and after. These connections are fuzzy, but real. As we operate within one arrow, we have direct opportunity to grow our business in both the next one and the previous one. For example, if we are building a warehouse, we will have visibility in to the next effort, reporting. But don’t forget the previous arrow’s opportunities ‘data integration’. If we get tasked with the data integration portion, don’t forget the previous opportunity ‘MDM and Metadata’. It’s not possible to integrate without a strategy for MDM and Metadata - how far we go with this depends upon our relationship with the customer. The magic of the inner wheel is to help us understand both where we are and where the opportunities come from (looking forwards and backwards at the same time) all to deliver value to the client so that they are successful.
Fourth, finally, putting it altogether, we are focused on getting the right information to the right people delivered the right way at the right time…so that our customers can engage their business and succeed. This is the heart of the wheel.
~Scott Felten
Sphere: Related ContentLUCRUM in The News…
March 21, 2008
If you happened to pick up the March 21st edition of the Cincinnati Business Courier, you might have read an article about LUCRUM. The article outlines some of the highs and lows that we experienced in 2007, and goes on to talk about some of our future plans for growth. The great thing about having a company blog is that I can immediately share my feedback on the article as part of our ongoing conversation - one that you are welcome to join by placing comments below.
There is only so much information that can be published in a 1/4 page article, so I will elaborate more on it here. LUCRUM is very excited about our partnership with Diane Egbers of Leadership Excelleration Inc (mentioned in the article). Diane has been working with the senior managemnt team to develop a 5 year strategy to address some of the shortcomings mentioned in the article. With her assistance, LUCRUM has made changes to both personnel and policies in an effort to become more nimble and better able to serve the emerging needs of our clients. This effort began in late 2007, and we are already seeing positive results. The Business Development Group has added 4 senior members in the last 4 months, and will be joined by another new member next week. We are not stopping there. Look for LUCRUM to add Business Development personnel in the coming weeks. Along with the new Business Development team members, comes new opportunites and clients. LUCRUM has engaged 10 new clients in the past several months, and is working on exciting data warehousing and business intelligence projects. In addition, we continue to leverage our partnership with Salesforce.com, as we are Cincinnati’s only certified Salesforce provider. The new marketing team led by David E. Bowman, is making great strides in changing our approach to Marketing. We are shifting from the traditional approach of marketing as a monologue to engaging the world in a dialog. My invitation above, seeking comments on this post, is a direct result of that shift in mindset. David is bringing in great young talent like Greg Levine, a recent Xavier graduate, to help further his efforts.
Not only are we investing heavily in restructuring our Business Development Team and Marketing Department, but our Delivery Organization, led by Jodie Heflin, is focusing on providing world class technical solutions for our clients. LUCRUM does not take client satisfaction lightly. In fact, we view it as the key to our future growth and success. Jodie and her team have worked hard to address the systemic problems that led to the issues listed in the Business Courier article. Since her tenure as leader of the Delivery Organization began in September 2007, LUCRUM has been delivering a level of service that is unmatched in the industry.
Ultimately, LUCRUM is a company that is about people. With Andy Erickson as the leader of our talent acquisition effort, LUCRUM is hiring the best and the brightest to join us in our goal of creating world class technical solutions. Be sure to check the People section in future editions of the Business Courier, as I plan on having new hires to LUCRUM making regular appearances there.
In summary, while not all of the information about LUCRUM in the article was positive, the negative information it contains is a part of our past. These problems have been dealt with. We have moved forward. And ultimately we are now a stronger company as a result. We have amazing people, a renewed sense of purpose, and a strategy for success. LUCRUM is focused on the future, and in the spirit of the 2008 theme for the Business Development kickoff meeting in Florida, “the future’s so bright we’ve gotta wear shades.”
Thanks to Laura Baverman for thinking enough of our company to write about us. I have attached a link to the article here. I hope you give it a look. Even more, I hope you will leave your thoughts on the article in the comments below.
Sphere: Related ContentMaking Software Meaningful
February 14, 2008
A lot of customers that I’ve worked with for years are always wanting to know, “John, what’s next? Where do you think LUCRUM will be in five years?” Coming into our 15th anniversary this weekend, I want to look backwards and reflect on our past. When I started the company, I always had a vision of being a big “software construction” company. I always used the term “construction” instead of development since I felt that construction was more “concrete and real.” The software we created had purpose and was very meaningful to business. Nowadays, I see too many IT organizations spending too much time “making software operate” versus “making software meaningful.” And if you can make it meaningful, then there’s business purpose and with real purpose, there’s profits!!! That’s the vision.
So, one of our future goals is to provide “data-as-a-service” for our business customers. In doing so, we can allow them to spend their valuable time analyzing the business and not figuring out how to get at the data.
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