Another month, another nocodeklub event. This time we had Philipp Weidenbach from teleclinic as a guest.
In another insightful talk, he showed us how no-code can be used to streamline operations in a healthtech startup.
We spoke to him again for a written interview. Let's get started.
Hey Philipp, thanks for being on the talk. Just to dive deeper into your no-code experience, we brought you back. And as probably not everyone listened to the talk: Can you tell us a bit about your background? How did you first get involved with no-code platforms?
Philipp: Thanks, great to talk again.
My name is Philipp Weidenbach, I am 32 years old. I studied management of technology at TU Munich, but my focus was chemistry, so not too close to any coding or computer science. Before I came to teleclinic, I tried out quite a bit with music, founded my own label, and also worked in venture capital. When I started working in the healthcare industry, we faced rapid growth during the pandemic and needed to streamline our operations, which led me to explore no-code tools.
That’s quite an interesting journey. But as you mentioned it yourself, let’s jump right in: How did no-code tools help you to streamline operations within your company?
Philipp: We started using no-code tools because our operations and processes were not automated at all, and we couldn’t hire developers fast enough to keep up with the demand.
By using no-code tools like Make (formerly Integromat), we were able to automate repetitive tasks and processes, saving us the need to hire hundreds of additional employees and improving our operational efficiency.
That’s amazing. And it seems that it worked quite well looking at teleclinic today. Can you share some specific examples of tasks or processes you automated using no-code tools?
Philipp: Sure! One example is our pharmacy portal.
Initially, we had to manually call pharmacies to redeem prescriptions, which was not scalable. Using Make, we automated the process of sending prescription requests to pharmacies that had reached a certain threshold of requests, saving us from hiring around 100 people for this task.
Another example is balancing supply and demand for doctor consultations, where we used Make and Postgres to automate the opening and closing of time slots for patient appointments.
Ah, so you are combining no-code and full-code solutions like Postgres to make it more scalable. Smart way. Philipp, for everyone reading this, if I want to start streamlining my processes, what are the first steps I should take when looking to do so and implement no-code tools?
Philipp: The first step is to identify the processes that are repetitive and could benefit from automation. Then, evaluate different no-code tools to see which ones best fit your needs.
It’s also important to involve stakeholders early on, including your tech team, to ensure integration with existing systems and workflows.
What do you mean by integration with existing systems and workflows? How do no-code tools integrate here?
Philipp: Integration depends on the tools you use.
We made an early decision not to build any databases on no-code tools but rather use them for automation and front-end services. For example, as I said, we use Make for connecting different APIs and automating workflows, and Retool for building internal front-end interfaces that interact with our databases and services. It’s crucial to have your tech team develop APIs that the no-code tools can interact with.
Ah, understood. Makes sense! Besides bringing all stakeholders on the same page, what were the key challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
Philipp: I think there were really two key challenges.
As mentioned before, one key challenge was the initial skepticism and lack of understanding from our tech team about what we were doing with no-code tools. We overcame this by demonstrating the effectiveness of the tools through small successes and gradually involving the tech team in the process.
Another challenge was ensuring security and compliance, especially with sensitive healthcare data, which we addressed by selecting European tools and implementing strict access controls.
This sounds like you gathered a lot of best practices for using no-code tools in a bigger company environment. What would you say are the best practices you can share? And which tips would you provide for companies just starting out with no-code automation?
Philipp: One best practice is to enable as many team members as possible to use the tools, rather than having a dedicated no-code team, to avoid bottlenecks.
Another is to document your processes and scenarios thoroughly, and to use company-wide connections instead of personal ones to prevent issues when employees leave. Regularly review and optimize your workflows to ensure they are still effective and efficient.
For tips, I would say start small with a few key processes that will have a big impact if automated. Involve your tech team early to ensure smooth integration and compliance. Make use of the extensive resources and communities available for no-code tools to learn best practices and troubleshoot issues.
And most importantly, encourage a culture of experimentation and learning within your team.
Great insights here. Thank you so much, Philipp. Last but not least, do you have any final advice for business leaders considering no-code solutions to streamline their operations?
Philipp: My advice is to start exploring no-code tools as soon as possible.
The benefits in terms of speed and cost savings can be significant. But to sum up my points, encourage your team to learn and experiment with these tools, and integrate them into your workflows where they make sense. Always keep an eye on security and compliance, especially if you’re handling sensitive data. And remember, the goal is to empower your team to solve problems and innovate quickly.
I believe that in the future, no-code tools will become even more powerful and easier to use, enabling more complex applications and integrations. We might see better support for real-time applications and more robust security features to meet enterprise needs. Additionally, the line between no-code and traditional development will continue to blur, with more developers incorporating no-code solutions into their workflows.
The earlier you start, the better.
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As Philipp's example shows, no-code and tech can even streamline processes in companies that already have a tech team on board. It is much faster and often easier. Great example.
If you now need help or have any questions on how you can use it to streamline your business, just shoot us a message. Happy to discuss your use case!
PS: Join us in our next nocodeklub event - you can find more information here.
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