Siemens Healthineers’ sales organization: a robust mobile CRM tool

Siemens Healthineers AG, headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, is a trailblazer in the medical device industry. They established a partnership with Startup House in May 2020. Their primary focus was to tap into our deep expertise in custom software development to aid the Digital Sales Companion department, thereby simplifying tasks for over 5000 sales representatives globally.

The Beginnings: From Workshops to MVP

Our collaboration started with intensive workshops, leveraging a startup-like approach while addressing corporate challenges. From the outset, our involvement was not just in software development but also in scope planning. The primary idea was to quickly launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that could function efficiently, demonstrate its existence, and prove our capability to deliver the sales support app on schedule. Of note, this wasn't just an isolated application; it had numerous integrations with Siemens Healthineers’ sales organization' existing applications from day one.

Challenges and Our Agile Response

The project's principal challenge lay in building a cohesive team that could synchronize various tasks and flexibly adjust to Siemens Healthineers’ sales organization' requirements. Drawing data from multiple sources and seamless integration from the beginning was paramount. Our inaugural task was to create the MVP built on PostgreSQL. With a conscious selection of scope and tools, the application then underwent numerous updates. As the product is continuously developed, features are addressed promptly.

Delving Deep: Our Tech Stack & The Magic Behind It

In our transformative journey with Siemens Healthineers’ sales organization, the technology choices weren't merely about the latest buzzwords or trends. Each selection was purpose-driven, aimed at resolving real-world challenges while ensuring scalability and efficiency. Let's delve into these choices:

• Typescript: Robust, modern and easy? That's JavaScript, but we use something even better. With TypeScript language compiled to JavaScript we can ensure that our application not only inherits the best quirks of JavaScript but we also have type safe and maintainable code from the beginning of the project, guaranteeing stable applications for our users.

• Elasticsearch: Why settle for 'good' when 'exceptional' is attainable? Moving from our MVP to the production stage, we recognized the need for a powerful search engine. Enter Elasticsearch, which is not just about speed but also scalability. Its adoption didn’t just enhance the search response time – it revolutionized it. Even with vast data influxes, the consistent search speed of Elasticsearch ensures that growth doesn’t equate to a slowdown.

• Microservices: Growth often brings complexity. With the introduction of microservices, we flipped the script. We’ve unlocked the potential to scale the application depending on the user's needs. We’re no longer constrained by a single machine, we can now deploy applications around the world unmatching computing power achieving capabilities that would not be available with monolithic applications.

• GraphQL: Especially beneficial for our frontend developers, GraphQL, with a 30-strong project team backing it, became the linchpin for accelerated coordination, cooperation, and rapid feature rollout. It was less about adding technology and more about spreading wings to our development process.

• Neo4j: Innovation is in our DNA. That's why we don’t just adopt; we research, test, and then decide. Neo4j, with its modern database capabilities, was a result of this rigorous approach. With data at the heart of this project, Neo4j, a new generation database, emerged as the superhero, ensuring swift connections between vast data elements and relationships. Our Proof of Concept for Neo4J implementation shows 10-100x faster response times compering to current PostgreSQL database.   

Incorporating these technologies isn’t about ticking boxes. It is a testament to our commitment to driving real value, ensuring that our solutions are not just effective but also future-ready.

Project Management &  Communication:

Throughout this journey, our emphasis on clear, engaging communication, coupled with efficient project management, played a pivotal role in the project's success. Holger Rohden, Program Manager Digital Sales Companion, Siemens Healthineers AG, vouched for this on Clutch, mentioning that the SDH team was "always understanding" and that they "delivered absolutely on time and in scope. The outcome was of higher quality than expected."