Ventive

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a software startup that developed an application called Practice in Your Pocket. It helps dentists manage their businesses. I am the managing director and one of the three founders of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ventive?

There were a number of challenges. One was creating a mobile app that people could connect to an existing system via an API, without requiring someone to visit a dentist’s office. We wanted to automate this. The original vision was to have people go to the app store, download the app, and get their data synchronized without a phone call or visit.

The other challenge was getting development done for a reasonable price, given that we don’t have any customers without a product. The development of the mobile apps was started from scratch, and we went through a process of selecting software vendors, settling on Ventive.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ventive built this dashboard-based application which gives high-level information about production and collections from doctors and hygienists. It has a set of functionalities by which doctors can import their goals to perform against. Each of those screens has a drill-down, so we can break them down by individual doctors or hygienists. We also have functionalities that allow doctors to call patients they put under anesthesia. This was all automated in the mobile apps.

We have some more exotic functionalities which allow for the analysis of fee schedules. Dentists can ensure they’re charging the right amount for each procedure in their region, compared to publicly available data from the American Dental Association. We also connect to QuickBooks so that people can get their P&L [Profit & Loss] and balance sheets, and look at their categorized overheads in their business.

I’m not very familiar with the stack they’re using. We do have a SQL database, and the mobile apps were made for Android and iOS. The mobile and desktop versions were developed in parallel. We also have a web version, which came later. It allows users to make the connection between, say, Dentrix [dental practice management software] and our application. It has onboarding functionalities, but it’s also promotional with videos and information. We’re extending the platform to work with other scheduling applications, Dentrix and Eaglesoft [dental practice management software]. We’ve also added a CRM [Customer Relationship Management] solution, and there have been changes along the way, including the implementation of Touch ID on the cell phones.

How did you come to work with Ventive?

We heard about him through connections, had an interview, and talked about what we were doing. We were examining another firm in San Francisco at the time, but we elected to go with Jon [Founder, Ventive] because of the price point and how he was structured. It was more of a traditional organization, with fulltime staff that had been there a long time, whereas the other firm we were looking at was pulling in resources as-required.

How much have you invested with them?

I prefer to keep this confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Ventive in July 2016. The product was completed March 2017, but we’re continuing to do development on it. Ventive is providing maintenance and customer support for us as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Working with Ventive has been pivotal to developing our application. We couldn’t have done it without them. They came up with helpful, creative ideas that we couldn’t have come up with on our own. We’ve assessed them based on how they manage against financial estimates and timelines, as well as on their ability to collaborate with us and come up with solutions for complex problems.

How did Ventive perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been communicative, and the relationship is collaborative overall. I have a close relationship with the lead developer. When we get new tasks or challenges, we can easily get on the phone. They have a good process and have provided a lead developer and a lead product manager. Jon has overseen everything. If we have difficulties we can’t resolve with the leads, he is always available for us, happy to step in and resolve any issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a strong process and strong technologists. Ventive is very responsive and their pricing is competitive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Ventive, like many software vendors, has experienced some staff turnover. Our experience has been that the turnover has not been with key players, but with coders. Their process manages around this, so I don’t really have any feedback on how they should be improving.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Working closely with the provider is inherent in software development. Simply providing specifications and waiting for delivery will probably lead to disappointment. The client needs to have someone on their own team who understands enough in order to work with their vendor, and not just present them with what needs to be built.