Leobit
Discovery Phase for an Externship Coordination Platform
ABOUT
the project
Client:
Location:
US
Company Size:
Industry:
Solution:
A platform that aims to revolutionize the externship coordination process. Acting as a central hub, it seamlessly connects educational institutions and clinics, fostering collaboration and streamlining the externship experience for all stakeholders involved.
With a solid discovery phase, we came up with a roadmap guiding us throughout the entire project. We delivered a certain knowledge of the upcoming tasks and challenges, allowing the customer to minimize their involvement and avoid unexpected time and budget overruns.
CUSTOMER
The customer is a U.S.-based provider of advanced eTraining clinical programs. Dedicated to helping people pursue their careers in healthcare, the customer offers various tools and training programs helping medical students build their professional careers. The customer aims to help their clients find the best possible guidance, practical experience in healthcare, and better career prospects.
BUSINESS
CHALLENGE
Many educational institutions seek meaningful externship experiences for their students, while healthcare providers are eager to contribute to the education of future professionals. However, the gap between the two domains still remains relevant. The main problems are the lack of efficient coordination and communication between healthcare and educational institutions, a large number of manual processes in both domains that are time-consuming and hard to manage, and the lack of a centralized data platform for both educational and healthcare institutions.
The customer recognized an opportunity to bridge this gap between the domains with a solution relying on data-driven matching algorithms and user-friendly interfaces. However, there were too many factors to consider while planning the solution, including its functionality, development roadmap, tech stack, architecture, and UI/UX design. The customer needed a partner with significant technology expertise to plan everything properly.
Why
Leobit
Leobit's experience and readiness to take ownership of the project attracted the customer. We displayed strong expertise in both educational and healthcare domains, showing an understanding of the main challenges pertaining to both industries. Our team was also ready to handle the discovery phase of the project to bring clarity, precise estimates, and a roadmap to building a solution the customer needed.
Project
in detail
To come up with a clear vision of the customer’s product and a roadmap to its implementation, we decided to run a discovery phase consisting of 10 consecutive workshops and numerous background activities.
Identified Market Niche & Strategic Direction
We came up with a vision of the platform's strategic direction. Our team decided to build an app offering solutions to the current challenges in externship coordination, filling a critical gap in the market, and aligning with broader trends in education and healthcare. By developing user scenarios, we laid the foundation for the basic functionality of the platform:
- A centralized hub for data from both educational and healthcare domains relevant to externship programs
- AI-driven matching algorithms help educational institutions find relevant externship initiatives for medical students
- Features for efficient communication between educational institutions and clinics
- Listing of educational externship opportunities, especially in the domains of phlebotomy, medical assistance, and dental assistance
Blueprint of the solutions architecture
We organized a workshop during which our solutions architect came up with a vision of the platform's architecture and tech stack required for the implementation of our ideas. All the results were documented in the WBS (work breakdown structure) document, serving as a roadmap for the project supported with estimates.
As for the tech stack, we decided to rely on .NET, a high-performing back-end solution in which he, as a Microsoft Solutions Partner, has strong expertise. We also chose Angular to be the primary front-end technology for the project. To ensure scalability, flexibility, secure data storage, and develop the app in faster terms with some out-of-the-box cloud integrations, we decided to deploy it on Azure.
UI Prototypes & Design Concept
Our UI/UX design team outlined the basics of the app's design that would guide the team during the development stage. In particular, we have prepared 4 screens serving as a basis for the concept. The customer also received and approved the platform's moodboard. A validated design concept allowed us to make more accurate estimates of the project.
High-level Project Plan
The primary outcome of the discovery phase in this project was a high-level project plan with timelines, cost estimates, understanding of team composition, and potential risks. Through the cooperation of our BA, solutions’ architect, and UI/UX designer, we came up with precise estimates on infrastructure cost and work scope breakdown.
As a result, the customer was capable of planning their budget and project deadlines more precisely. With a certain knowledge of the upcoming tasks and challenges, the client could minimize their involvement and secure himself from unpredictable surprises mounting the development cost.
The Journey
Behind Our Success
Specialists in the team
Weeks for a complete discovery phase
Value
delivered
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Accurate estimates providing the customer with a vision of project cost, timelines, team composition, and the ways of implementing both business and user requirements.
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Thorough planning securing the client from unpredictable challenges and budget overruns.
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High-level project requirements allowing the customer to understand how and through which features they can bridge the gap between educational institutions and clinics providing externship opportunities.
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A vision of project architecture, tech stack, and UI/UX design creating a clear roadmap to project implementation.