This prominent American healthcare organization is a leading integrated provider in the US, combining a vast network with insurance services and a range of healthcare solutions.
Services & Technology
The Challenge
While the healthcare company's existing data management infrastructure capably supported their operations, they recognized a significant opportunity to enhance their coordination processes through greater data unification and accessibility.
The previous distribution of vital information across numerous business units presented several key areas for improvement. The decentralized structure led to inconsistencies in data management, impacting the reliability of insights crucial for strategic decisions.
Additionally, the fragmented data landscape limited the ability to identify key trends and provide the real-time information necessary for advanced initiatives like machine learning-driven automation. Inefficient reporting cycles and manual processes further slowed down decision-making. Operationally, the need for manual data lookups contributed to customer service delays, and a less-than-intuitive existing dashboard hindered effective data analysis.
Ultimately, the healthcare company sought a new solution that would accomplish the following: centralize their data, implement real-time dashboards with predictive analytics, automate reporting, improve data sorting, enhance dashboard usability, and enable richer data storytelling.
The Solution
The healthcare company selected Codal as their partner for this important initiative. The decision was based on our successful history of delivering impactful solutions for the company in previous projects, as well as our demonstrated expertise in design and workflow optimization. The opportunity to build a centralized data dashboard as a proof of concept (POC) really excited our team as we envisioned it becoming the foundation for a deeper, long-term partnership.
Building a Unified, User-Centric Dashboard on Google Cloud
Recognizing the complexities of the healthcare organization’s challenges and existing data ecosystem, our team kicked off the engagement with an in-depth discovery workshop. This collaborative session was paramount for establishing clear project goals, brainstorming potential features, and carefully gathering the specific requirements of the COB team. We also took a deep dive into their existing architectural landscape to identify both the strengths and limitations of their existing systems. Following the comprehensive review, we presented our initial proposal, outlining how a modern solution could address their key challenges.
"A particular highlight of the project was being able to hold a discovery workshop where we collaborated directly with the client to truly understand their business goals and the needs of the platform's users,” Nathan, Codal Senior Designer, recalls. “This insight was invaluable, as it helped to shape our final design decisions and ensured the designs were feasible from an implementation standpoint while also meeting the client's specific requirements."
Based on the insights gained during the discovery phase, we identified Google Cloud as the ideal solution for the new system. Leveraging the robust data warehousing capabilities of BigQuery and the dynamic, user-friendly front-end framework of NextJS, we architected a tailored solution: the COB Advisor Dashboard. This centralized platform was specifically designed to streamline the dissemination of critical COB data to empower informed decision-making across all of the organization’s LOBs.
Intuitive Dashboard Design and Development
Next, Codal designed and developed an intuitive, user-friendly dashboard that consolidated COB data from various sources. Key features include:
Robust filtering capabilities for efficient retrieval of performance and operational metrics.
Real-time data accessibility across different sources, ensuring up-to-date information.
Enhanced data clarity through detailed context (sources, providers, plan sponsors).
Comprehensive data views, including “Performance and Opportunities” displays for both aggregate and granular data.
Improved data clarity with clearer tips and widgets for better understanding of data points.
Distinct delineation of aggregate LOB data.
Ability to display data trends over time.
Granular data access, including the ability to drill down into specific member claims data.
“A key part of building this dashboard involved the componentization of UI elements and integrating them into a component playground,” Josh, Software Engineer at Codal, explains. “This playground served as a visual reference and testing environment, making the QA process smoother and more efficient for our team and the client. I then used these components to build out larger page sections, ensuring design consistency and improving overall development efficiency. We also hooked up API data within these sections, integrating dynamic content and ensuring real-time data was displayed correctly.”
The healthcare organization’s new tech stack is a blend of BigQuery, NextJs, ShadCN, Rechart, and Tailwind, enabling a powerful, scalable, and future-proof solution.
Collaborative Development and Agile Implementation
Throughout the duration of the project, our team adopted a collaborative approach, working closely with the organization’s team. This involved:
A discovery workshop to establish project goals, ideate features, gather requirements, review architecture, and present proposals.
Agile sprint ceremonies, including regular project standups, requirements gathering sessions, and sprint demos.
Consistent communication through Microsoft Teams to ensure alignment and timely resolution of issues.
Frontend development methodology/guidance that enabled better design systems and a component driven architecture.
“Working on this project was a significant learning opportunity,” Codal Senior Software Engineer Nisharg, recalls. “We successfully navigated the complexities of integrating tools like TanStack Query and TanStack Table with TypeScript, ensuring robust type safety. A notable challenge was implementing a custom workaround for bar chart visualizations to ensure very small values were clearly visible, a solution that required creative thinking and rigorous testing.”
Integrating different technologies and coordinating development with the organization’s team within their environment presented a few speed bumps along the way. However, our agile approach and clear communication enabled us to effectively manage these aspects and ensure on-time delivery.
The Result
A Powerful Tool for Data-Driven Decision Making
The successful launch of the COB Advisor Dashboard marks a significant milestone in the healthcare organization’s data management journey. The dashboard provides a centralized, user-friendly platform that enhances data insights and operational efficiency.
While performance metrics are still being gathered, initial client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The dashboard's improved UX, informative data displays, and rebuilt graphs have significantly enhanced the user experience. Additionally, the design elements are being considered for use across other applications.
This project demonstrates Codal's ability to deliver complex enterprise solutions through collaborative partnerships and innovative technology. The COB Advisor Dashboard empowers the organization to make data-driven decisions, leading to improved operational efficiency and enhanced customer service. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the second largest healthcare organization in the US on future impactful initiatives.
"From the outset, [the Codal] team demonstrated a collaborative spirit that made our partnership seamless. They took the time to understand our unique needs and worked closely with us to ensure that every aspect of the application was tailored. The Codal team was not only responsive but also proactive in suggesting solutions that enhanced the project’s outcome."
Chris D.
PM
