How To Use ‘Service Blueprints’ For Health Tech App Development And Product Strategy

If you've spent any time in the digital health app or software, you've surely heard the term "service blueprint" many times – and that's a good thing! Service Blueprints can be a highly helpful strategic tool to clarify the process and ETA for the project's developmental phases for all stakeholders. Furthermore, by creating a diagram that visualizes each team member's role throughout the process, you will likely provide new opportunities for the way your company operates.

However, as the health-tech sector continues to boom, not all product startups and developers implement such an approach that how, where, and when blueprints should be used. In this post, we'll explore how to best use Blueprints in a digital health product development setting.

Importance of Strategic Thinking

Too often, organizations either fail to align on an integrated approach before starting a project, or they rush through the process, failing to identify gaps or misconceptions that will illuminate the process ahead. Implementing change later is more difficult and costly.

On the other hand, when alignment is achieved through a strategic blueprint, it provides a foundation for all stakeholders. With goals and checkpoints mapped out, as well as each stakeholder's role in the process, the project can start with everyone on the same page.

It also makes estimating budgets and timelines much easier, giving your team more time to do other important tasks, like creating the investor pitches and promotional launch materials you're known for.

What Matters Most in Healthcare App Development - The End User

At Think 360, we have a ‘healthy obsession’ with human-centered design. We find out why the end user needs the app, what features they find useful when they use it, and what features they may find overwhelming.

To find answers to these questions and find potential blind spots, we start with a journey map that shows how users navigate the app and access its features. We also do user testing, which is also an important part of the Blueprint process. It's easy to make assumptions about what the user needs - the problem is that these assumptions are often wrong.

For this reason, we use our user testing process that provides the qualitative data needed to check whether the product in development provides the value we think it will. Once we understand what the user needs, it becomes clear which product features to include – and which to leave from the layout.

What If Things Don't Work According to The Plan?

This is a good question. It's also one we think should be reframed. For this, it is better to ask how to manage a process that will certainly not go according to plan.

Our approach, as with almost all software products, is the use of agile sprints.

At the beginning of each sprint, our team guesstimates and makes a draft of the amount of work towards that goal. Once the features are developed they go through code reviews, and design reviews, and go through an internal review cycle such as QA.

Agile development is usually implemented through Scrum. Our Think 360 team often uses Trello or Jira as a sprint board to track progress.

While this process may seem expensive and time-consuming to tackle at first, it is necessary to do so, as it reduces frustration, wasted effort, and higher costs down the road. It also allows for proper project management and empowers all stakeholders to collaborate within a clear and productive framework.

How Health Tech is Implementing The Strategic Blueprint

Over the past three years, health tech has grown to a point where it is now an essential component of any healthcare program looking to stay competitive and provide the best possible care. While this introduces many opportunities for health tech companies, managing initial traction and converting it into a scalable product is a challenging process that requires careful planning, strategy, and risk reduction.

From there, we start with a successful MVP (minimum viable product) and then work in a phased manner. It sounds straightforward but producing an MVP that meets a critical need of your customer base is extremely difficult without fully understanding their needs.

Healthcare Apps Type

• Apps for Patients
• Telemedicine software
• Appointment booking tool
• Wellness and health care tracking, including reproductive health
• Mental health support software
• Health applications
• Preventive medicine apps
• Outdated Status Management Apps

How ‘Think 360’ Uses App Blueprint to Guide Its Clients

Before starting any project, we make sure to understand what, why, and how our clients need it to deliver the most impactful products for their users. Each template is created in collaboration with our clients and through in-depth market research and user testing.

With over 90+ blueprints to be developed, our process helps define success and is fully customizable to fit your needs. Contact us to start your app Blueprint today!

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