What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Each initiative is a success story because it provides the tools for the delivery hospitals to look at the work they're doing and improve quality. On a personal level, they've been really easy to work with. They’re always willing to sit down and talk through everything we're doing and offer a custom solution for us. More importantly for us as a non-profit, they’re well within our price range.
How did Savas Labs perform from a project management standpoint?
They're great at meeting deadlines, even when some of our deadlines are fairly aggressive. They’re also super quick to respond when we've had occasional problems. The problem is usually on my end more; for example, putting the data in the wrong place. Savas Labs will respond immediately to switch that data, which is a little bit out of scope. That’s been super helpful. We communicate via phone, email, and Redmine. They’d prefer I use Redmine more than email, but they're accommodating.
Savas Labs is particularly good about looking into the future and recommending solutions before I need them. I don’t have to tell them that I'm worried something is going to happen in the future. They’ll come to me and describe what things are going look like as we move forward and other elements we might want to consider. That helps keep us ahead of the timeline.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their team is quite high-touch. They’re also good at translation, taking the technical concepts and putting them in layman's terms. That’s helpful because I have some familiarity with what they're doing but not a lot.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. When I think about our interaction, there's never a point when I wished they had some other capability or did things differently.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Start early but don't come with a completely fleshed out scope of work. You may think you know everything you need about your project, but be willing to engage in a dialogue. You'll end up with a better product if you're open to asking them for advice on your project.
The database has been well-received as it makes it easier for hospitals to improve quality. Savas Labs corrects problems quickly (including those not of their own making) and responds promptly to all concerns. They also offer useful tactical advice that was subsequently implemented.