Business Builders to Know: Yakoon’s Journey to Success
When Oliver Arambatzis and Thomas Brauchle set out to build a software solution to optimize homecare processes, they knew the challenges they were up against.
Attempting to digitally transform processes within such a highly regulated and predominantly paper-driven industry would not be straightforward, but they also knew what was at stake: the quality of life for patients in need of treatment all over the world.
In this conversation, Oliver and Thomas talk about how building their business on the Salesforce platform gave them tools to get ahead, and why a combination of passion, bravery, and strategy are crucial to success.
Can you tell us how Yakoon was born?
Oliver: We had been working for almost 20 years in the homecare and healthcare market in Germany, in various roles in IT, and had collaborated on projects for customers. During this time, we started to see that the solutions available on the market were not sufficient to help take the industry into the future.
The homecare and healthcare market is very niche, as well as highly-regulated and paper-driven. The COVID pandemic highlighted these restraints even further, revealing that most companies’ cloud strategies and existing software were not ready to serve the market to the extent needed.
We knew that to help companies take therapies to patients in their homes, and improve the lives of these patients, we needed to create something different. So, Thomas and I decided to start a company and build something new for that market.
What made you choose the Salesforce Platform to grow and develop your business?
Thomas: We wanted to build on a platform that had the capacity to cater to bigger companies on a global scale. The homecare market is growing in AMER and APAC regions, as well as Europe, so a global platform was essential. We knew Salesforce was already being used by lots of the customers we wanted to target internationally, so it made sense for us to use the platform to develop our own solution.
Oliver: When you build on the Salesforce platform all the technology is already in place, which allows us to invest in processes that best service the customers and ensure an improved experience for patients. Salesforce facilitates this with the GDPR they have in place, requiring no development or configuration on our end, which is something that sets it apart from other platform competitors. Having these building blocks already in place is a big advantage.
How has the Salesforce partner ecosystem been a source of support throughout your journey?
Oliver: Salesforce immediately connects partners with a developing partner to help you develop your solution. Part of this process involved helping us to integrate new solutions we needed — for example, a document signing application — which we found via Salesforce AppExchange, a cloud marketplace with thousands of readily available solutions. The seamless integration of these out-of-the-box applications saved us a vast amount of time and that was a huge source of support.
It is also very easy to test new applications to ensure they’re the right fit for what your business needs, which helps us drive experimentation and innovation. The Salesforce partner applications we rely on are a big contributor to the success of Yakoon and when we are successful, our partners succeed too. It is win-win.
How do you stay one step ahead of the curve as a founder?
Oliver: It is very important for us that we keep in touch with the healthcare market and our customers. We have a lot of experienced consultants who work closely with our customers and provide feedback on the day-to-day challenges the market is facing, so we listen carefully to their insights. Continuous learning is key; we regularly take part in conferences to ensure we are engaging with the wider conversation and keep our finger on the pulse of customer needs.
Since COVID, we have seen a new wave of digitalization across the healthcare market and lots of new applications have sprung up, so we are strongly reacting to these changes and trying to visualize what the market could look like in the next 3–4 years. One focus in particular for us is digitizing data and how the eradication of paper could look — what impact will that have on the market further down the line?
What motivates you as a founder in 2021?
Oliver: Seeing the way customers struggle with existing software and how time-intensive it is to train people to use this software is a big factor. The other, major driver behind what I do is making patients’ lives easier. The only thing they should be thinking about is their health and getting the treatment they need, they shouldn’t have to worry about slow or complex processes.
Thomas: It really comes down to digitalization. We want to make it easier for homecare providers to bring better service to patients and help them save time and money in times when process costs are a big factor.
What one piece of advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs?
Oliver: Know your market and what the market needs. Without this, success is impossible. It is also important to keep challenging your decisions and interrogating what you believe is right, to make sure that you have considered all angles. At times this can be uncomfortable, but this is the only way to maintain a view of the bigger picture and build a business that will stand the test of time.
Thomas: Be brave. Investing money during the early stages of building your business can feel like a risk, but the long-term pay-off can be huge. It is important to have a strategy in place and to hold onto your self-belief in order to achieve your vision.
Yakoon provides user-friendly and flexible software solutions for optimizing special home care processes. Discover more about Yakoon here.
