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Learn how EchoNous triumphs in a highly-regulated industry by incorporating custom software development to build a customer-driven B2B Ecommerce platform.
Rooted in an industry highly-regulated by the FDA and other government agencies, EchoNous’ mission is to provide AI-driven medical tools to help healthcare professionals expedite care, reduce testing time and cost, and save patient lives.
Anticipating FDA approval of their new “Kosmos” handheld ultrasound device, EchoNous was motivated to upgrade their internal and external-facing web technology so it was ready before the FDA gave their approval to launch Kosmos.
EchoNous’ Director of Content and Digital Campaigns, Anais Concepcion needed an underlying Ecommerce platform that would scale and automate the Kosmos sales process, integrate into other core business systems as well as support the EchoNous long-term roadmap, all while ensuring the web store met strict regulatory requirements.
“The shopping experience needed to be seamless,” said Anais. “A Shopify plugin wouldn’t be sufficient. We needed an Ecommerce platform that would solve current challenges, as well as set the stage for the future success of our long-term plans.”
Anais shares her journey on how EchoNous leveraged CSG custom software development services to successfully design and implement the Kosmos platform and support the future success of her organization.
EchoNous customers range from small, single physician practices all the way to universities and networked hospitals—so the customer experience must differ to accommodate. The Ecommerce platform was designed to meet these varied needs. Customized purchasing workflows and validations ensure the sales process delivers a world-class buying experience while still meeting regulatory requirements.
The broader vision for the Kosmos platform includes device management functions and hosting an app store to allow customers to purchase apps specific to their practice areas.
If a hospital has a fleet of devices with corresponding EchoNous apps, it’s mission-critical for patient safety that the appropriate devices are outfitted with a suitable app.
As the intelligent medical tools space becomes more competitive, organizations are racing to get smart handheld devices into the hands of physicians.
With physicians growing weary of the glut of free trials and discounts from these various manufacturers, EchoNous needed a way for physicians to visit the Ecommerce platform and see the list price, yet know immediately they would get a discount or 30-day trial if requested. EchoNous handed-off the request to CSG, who then implemented an alternative pricing model based on the physician’s zip code.
“After the physician enters their zip code, they get contact details for a sales rep or submit a form that then connects them to the rep in their region,” said Anais. “We needed a way to be more competitive with pricing. We built this new system and it’s been good for lead gen.”
"The characteristic that sets CSG apart is their ability to be flexible," said Anais. “We're a startup. Sometimes priorities come up that you weren't anticipating for a few months. All of a sudden you need something now—and we know CSG is there to help us out.”
“We opened the U.S. web store with our U.S. list price,” said Anais. “This posed a problem when our VPs negotiated distributor contracts internationally. They asked us what we could do to appeal to an international buying audience.” EchoNous required that the platform empower the international sales team.
Within a week, EchoNous and CSG built a customized portal experience that redirected website visitors based on IP geolocation. U.S. visitors went to the U.S. store, while international visitors went to the country-specific portal store that offered product details and a “talk to us” button to discuss pricing with a locally assigned sales representative.
By launching localized Ecommerce websites, EchoNous’ international sales team transformed those leads into wins. In the near-term, catering to specific international distributors—in Japan, for example—by presenting content in alternate languages and currencies is on the roadmap.
“As EchoNous sees more international clients, we’ll build out Ecommerce websites specific to the country, with appropriate pricing and the ability for those countries to fulfill orders on the back-end,” said Anais.
The Kosmos platform was never meant to only be an Ecommerce site. Customers will eventually manage their devices and purchase from a suite of AI-powered apps on the Kosmos platform.
“The process of purchasing an EchoNous app is similar to purchasing an ebook on Amazon,” said Anais. “When you download the ebook, it will live on your Kindle device. The communication link between the ebook and Kindle is crucial. If our client buys a new EchoNous app, the Ecommerce website needs to be smart enough to send it to the client’s EchoNous device.”
Because patient safety is paramount, crosstalk between the app and the Kosmos device must be 100% accurate. Anais searched for a custom software development team to assist with the build-out of their Ecommerce platform and act as a helping hand as EchoNous continued realizing their vision. The EchoNous team decided to broaden their circle of trust to include CSG.
CSG is proud to play a role in the EchoNous mission. EchoNous and CSG forged a strong relationship and built a robust solution that allows clients to log into a dedicated portal and manage their devices.
The improvements Anais and her team have made to their B2B Ecommerce website—as well as their focus and continued involvement in the custom software development process—solidify their footing in this cutting-edge field.
CSG thrives with projects that are ambitious and long-ranging. Developing custom software for organizations that make the world a better place is truly fulfilling for the CSG team.
