How Bloome used Netwörk to create a strong product development

Problem Context

For Bloome, a growing startup in the aesthetic medicine sector, merging with Egos, a leader in the plastic surgery market, was a transformative milestone. However, the integration of operations presented a unique set of challenges:

1. Increased Operational Complexity: Managing new stakeholders, clinics, and clients required seamless coordination across disparate systems.

2. Strained In-House Resources: Bloome’s internal development team was already operating at full capacity, leaving little room to tackle the growing demands.

3. Outdated Technology Stack: The existing infrastructure was ill-equipped to support the combined operations and future scalability needs.

4. Scalability Requirements: The merger necessitated modernizing Bloome’s platform to handle its expanded client base while transforming services into a more productized, user-friendly offering.

To address these challenges, Pol, Bloome’s founder, brought on Ramon, a freelance developer with extensive experience in building scalable solutions, to lead the modernization of their platform and alleviate the in-house team’s workload during this critical phase.

The Process

The primary goal was to reduce operational complexity and enable Bloome’s technology to support its post-merger growth while improving the user experience for doctors, administrators, and clients.

Understanding the Challenges

Pol and Ramon collaborated to identify the most pressing issues facing Bloome post-merger:

• For Doctors: Inefficiencies in scheduling and patient management tools caused delays in treatment and communication.

• For Clinic Administrators: Fragmented systems for managing patient records, billing, and doctor schedules created confusion and increased manual workloads.

• For Clients: A cumbersome appointment booking process and lack of clarity about treatments led to frustration and a diminished user experience.

Overcoming Research Challenges

Ramon joined forces with Bloome’s product and development teams to conduct a thorough analysis of the existing systems, despite tight timelines:

• Technical Audit: Ramon assessed the legacy infrastructure to identify inefficiencies and potential risks.

• User Interviews and Feedback: Pol organized interviews with clinic managers, doctors, and clients to uncover pain points and opportunities for improvement.

• Prioritization of Features: Together, they aligned on the most critical features to develop based on urgency, value, and impact on Bloome’s scalability.

Empathy Mapping and Impact Areas

Ramon and Pol worked closely with stakeholders to map out the pain points and needs of Bloome’s key user groups:

• Doctors: Needed better tools to manage appointments, track treatments, and communicate with patients.

• Clinic Administrators: Sought centralized systems to reduce manual effort and streamline day-to-day operations.

• Clients: Desired a simple, intuitive booking process with transparent information on available treatments.

Competitor Benchmarking and System Audit

To identify improvement opportunities, Ramon conducted a detailed benchmarking exercise:

• Analyzed competitors in the aesthetic medicine and tech-enabled healthcare space to identify industry best practices.

• Conducted a full audit of Bloome’s platform to identify quick wins and areas requiring long-term investment.

Insights and Ideation

Ramon facilitated brainstorming sessions with the Bloome team to generate actionable solutions:

• Presented audit findings to prioritize fixes and new features.

• Engaged in collaborative workshops with the in-house team to align on solutions for scalability and user experience improvements.

Implementation and Results

Ramon took the lead on delivering the following key improvements:

1. Tech Stack Modernization: Migrated Bloome’s infrastructure to a scalable architecture and added a type system to enhance code reliability and long-term maintainability.

2. Core Feature Development: Reduced external dependencies by moving critical features to an internal backend, improving both performance and control.

3. Enhanced Admin Dashboard: Delivered a redesigned dashboard with new functionalities for managing patient data, billing, and scheduling—features that the internal team hadn’t been able to focus on.

Results

After just a few months of collaboration, Bloome achieved measurable improvements:

1. Streamlined Operations: Clinic administrators reported a 30% reduction in manual work, thanks to the new tools for managing appointments, patient records, and treatment plans.

2. Scalable Infrastructure: Bloome’s upgraded tech stack seamlessly handled the increased workload, with future growth built into the architecture.

3. Enhanced User Experience:

   • Doctors benefited from efficient scheduling and patient management tools.

   • Clients experienced a more intuitive and transparent booking process.

4. Internal Team Relief: Pol’s in-house team could shift their focus to strategic growth initiatives, no longer burdened by day-to-day operational firefighting.

Conclusion and Learnings

Bloome’s post-merger journey highlights the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and a user-focused approach to technology modernization.

Key Takeaways:

1. Trust in Freelance Expertise: By onboarding Ramon as a trusted partner, Pol ensured Bloome received expert support without committing to long-term overhead during a critical growth phase.

2. Scalable, Modular Solutions: Modernizing the tech stack created a strong foundation for Bloome’s long-term growth in the aesthetic medicine sector.

3. User-Centric Design: Involving stakeholders and aligning features with user needs resulted in solutions that drove efficiency and improved satisfaction.

This project positioned Bloome to capitalize on its merger with Egos, transforming operational challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.