Episode 3: No Code App Development: The Importance of speed and feedback from customers and Stakeholders

Episode Summary

When is disruption a good thing?

An unlikely partnership at Lone Star Communications found the answer by assembling a whole department around it.

When technology integration specialist Brian Banks and healthcare innovations specialist Cliff Switzer came together to form what they later named the Department of Disruption (DoD), the aim was simple — but not quite clear or direct. “We were invited to join an innovation group,” Cliff explains. “They basically handpicked the guys [within Lone Star] who think outside the box.”

In this episode of CarePoints with Kenny Schiff, Brian and Cliff tell the inside story of how Lone Star took a desire to innovate and transformed it into a tangible solution that exceeded expectations. What was the bedrock of this process? Low code no code.

At the inception of the DoD, the department’s remit was to pin down exactly what could disrupt the industry. But the DoD decided to turn the objective on its head: What if they became the disrupting force themselves? 

Healthcare technicians need a large amount of up-to-date, accurate information on demand, typically in the form of a knowledge base library. Cliff demonstrated the power and unrivaled efficiency of this type of solution to Brian, and soon the two built a prototype to present to the DoD. The rest of the team was thrilled with the result.

Instead of technicians having to refer to parts, diagrams, and manuals on-site by logging into websites on laptops, they now have access to everything in a single app. 

On the podcast, Brian and Cliff dive into how citizen development is nothing to be afraid of if it’s executed well. They also share how creativity, lifelong learning, and brand power can unlock the potential of new AI tools to impact customers and transform businesses for the better.

Featured on the Episode

Name: Brian Banks

What he does: A Lone Star veteran of 17 years, Brian started in customer service and soon worked his way into R&D. He’s currently a technology integration specialist within the R&D team. Brian is directly involved with fostering Lone Star’s cyber security culture to perfectly position the company for the near future.

Organization: Lone Star Communications, Inc.

Words of wisdom: “A lot of times, people will not even venture out to try [to see possibilities for innovation]. But we[’ve been given] the opportunity to display what could be created. More and more people will see that.”

Connect: LinkedIn 

Name: Cliff Switzer

What he does: An industry stalwart for almost three decades, Cliff grew Halco Life Safety Systems with a team of five to 65% market share before Lone Star acquired it in late 2015, then feeding his talent into the healthcare innovations specialist role. Day-to-day, Cliff communicates with healthcare providers about the technology they buy and use, for integration into Lone Star’s systems.

Organization: Lone Star Communications, Inc.

Words of wisdom: “Every day is a different day, and it's pretty awesome to see this stuff go live in these facilities.”

Connect: LinkedIn

Key Points

Top takeaways from this episode

• Innovation sometimes means (positive) disruption. When Brian and Cliff came together under the newly-founded Department of Disruption, their mission wasn’t clear-cut. The general goal was innovation, but the path to achieving truly great developments is seldom a beaten one: You have to tread it yourself. The DoD landed on the idea of empowering the team from the inside and becoming deliberately disruptive and found the best way to achieve this was via a low code no code solution.

• Low code no code catalyzes further innovation. When technicians and other departments see what can be achieved with creativity and hard work, it stimulates their sense of what is possible. One minute you’re comparing prototype work with another team’s development processes, and the next you’re adopting those processes for your team: creating and feeding a positive feedback loop.

• AI tools are out there — you just need to learn to apply them and get creative. Thanks to the rapid development of different AI and large language models from rudimentary to extremely useful tools, anyone can build — it just takes passion coupled with creativity and branding power. Look at new tech and figure out how to plug in and piece it together.

Episode Insights

[00:00] A meeting of the low code, no code minds: Brian Banks and Cliff Switzer share their professional backgrounds and how they came to work together on Lone Star’s R&D project.

[02:07] Positive disruption can be innovation: A handpicked team at Lone Star innovated beyond expectation, but their success sprung from a disruptive mindset, encapsulated in the name: Department of Disruption.

[04:43] Why low code, no code?: Cliff was applying data analytics in customer-facing situations when he hit upon the need for a quicker customer feedback solution than his team had in place. 

[09:05] Avoiding citizen developer danger: Both individuals and companies can benefit from citizen developers, and the drawbacks seem overblown by comparison. The key is to identify need, says Brian.

[11:35] Stimulating creativity: Once people witness the power of low code no code, this gets their own creative juices flowing for what’s possible within their own teams. 

[14:06] AI searchability is the future: Every business has its own use cases for different AI tools: For Lone Star, the most exciting prospect is in low code no code integration. Instead of technicians studying documents or diagrams, they’re able to ask integrated chatbot questions and get an answer almost immediately. 

[17:25] Harnessing AI requires lifelong learning: Just a short while ago, AI tools were simple and limited. Now, they’re supercharged for multiple business use cases.

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CarePoints with Kenny Schiff by Lone Star Communications aims to give listeners insight into how new technology drives healthcare solutions for providers across the country. Lone Star Communications is one team and family driven by a single purpose: to make life safety communication simple.