For Fire & EMS departments, a few extra seconds can make a big difference. And with budgets under pressure, departments are in need of digital solutions that help them cut their costs without compromising their ability to help those that need it.
Our client develops software products that enables fire and EMS departments respond to calls faster while making better use of their resources. This helps departments save time, money and lives without impacting service quality.
The client already had an app that simulates and tests complex dispatch scenarios to help its customers make sure they are using their limited resources in the best way. The problem was that customers needed to input their data manually which was slow and ineffective.
Although our client’s app had a lot of potential to help Fire & EMS departments operate more efficiently, the need to manually input data worked counter to that aim. The client was having to use its in-house analysts and resources to manage and control large amounts of constantly changing customer data. On top of that, it was spending a lot of time supporting customers on the phone.
Our client needed a way to reduce the workload needed, both for itself and its customers. When we got involved in the project, customers were having to send information to our client by email and wait for it to be uploaded. For an app that promised to boost efficiency, this was not ideal.
We proposed taking a different approach. By creating an admin/configuration portal, our client’s customers would be able to input their own data and run simulations without the need for our client to be involved. This self-service approach would centre around a new application we would build from scratch. The UX needed to make it simple for users to pick up, otherwise our client would have to spend even more time onboarding customers to the new app.
We developed a new builder app that functions as an extension of our client’s parent app. In terms of design, it matched up perfectly with our client’s style and branding. The build process was unique because we needed the user to be able to move from the parent app to the new one and back again seamlessly. So while the new app was independent, the way it was developed, tested and deployed needed to ensure it matched the parent app exactly in terms of look, performance and UX.
For the frontend, we:
For the backend, we:
The new app developed by Asahi Technologies lets our client’s customers input and configure a large range of information on their own, including incident types, response criteria, time targets and a range of geospatial information such as response zones, street information and hospital and station locations. This means they can manage their data and run simulations without the need for assistance.
For our client, the benefits of this project have been significant. The customer support team no longer have to spend hours each day receiving, validating and inputting customer data. This has led to time and cost savings which have made the app a much more profitable product for our client and enabled the emergency services to respond to incidents faster, saving lives.
